Review - Sir Tim Has a Secret

Sir Tim Has a Secret
by Judith Koppens
illustrated by Eline van Lindenhuizen
Date: 2020
Publisher: Clavis Publishing
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Real knights are always honest. But when Sir Tim accidentally rips his cape, he tries to blame his friend Max. And when Mom leaves a strawberry shortcake on the table, he sneaks a bite. Keeping all these secrets begins to give Sir Tim a bellyache...

A sweet and recognizable book about keeping secrets. For honest knights ages 4 and up.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is the second Sir Tim book I've read. I'm still not impressed.

The premise of this one is okay, but the writing is all over the place. You cannot nod your words! And having Sir Tim think things out loud is just silly. (Use the word "said" and be done with it.)

The kids' playground gave me the willies. (Sharp nails sticking out of the play structure to snag kids' clothing as they're going down the slide? Sounds like a recipe for a lawsuit.) The story is relatable, with Tim getting carried away with his lies--only to be given away by his dirty cheeks. But I think the text itself needs more work.

Overall, I don't think I'd recommend this. I prefer to see stronger writing in picture books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 1/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 1/5

Overall: 2 out of 5