Dogs are said to be man's best friend. What if they were also man's greatest protectors, and needing a knight who has opposable thumbs? And what if that knight needs the perfect outfit for an upcoming recital?

After an encounter with bullies in the park, Frankie finds themselves in a strange world where dogs talk. At least, they talk if Frankie wears a special helmet, which allows them to see monsters called gremlins. Frankie is unsure with their anxiety issues and struggles if they are the right person for the job, but the dog Platinum believes they can pass the required trials. And Frankie doesn't know how to explain this scenario to their mother, who is allergic to dogs, and their catty ex-friend Dallas. When the gremlins come for the helmet, however, Frankie realizes someone needs to protect the world. How hard can the trials be?

I really needed this book today. It cheered me up after a rather rough afternoon. Frankie is far from perfect, but being a protector with a bunch of dogs is amazing. Frankie finding the outfit they need for the concert is just the icing on the cake.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

My favorite thing about this story is that it stars a gender-nonconforming kid as the main protagonist. Otherwise, I found the book a little cringey. That being said, I'm sure there are readers who would really like the animal fantasy elements -- but I did not.

This is a charming and heartwarming tale that explores the special bond between a young boy and his loyal canine companion. Whitley beautifully captures the essence of friendship and the power of unconditional love. With its delightful characters and engaging storyline, "The Dog Knight" is a captivating read that will leave readers of all ages with a renewed appreciation for the extraordinary bond between humans and their furry friends.

Dog Knight was an adorable story about a nonbinary kid figuring out their place with fun adventure, cute dogs and I'm desperately hoping for a sequel.

Sometimes, you just need a silly magical destiny book. About cute animals!

Frankie’s mother has always been supportive of them. Loud drums, fine. Nonbinary, that’s just who you are. Problems at school, she’s going to back her kid up! She’s great. Except for one…big…thing. NO DOGS! She’s horrifically allergic to dogs!

Which makes becoming the Dog Knight complicated. Frankie didn’t ASK for it, but when they’re summoned by the Pawtheon to become a champion of good, Frankie is overwhelmed…yet tempted. It’s going to take a lot of bravery and a LOT of lint rollers to pull this off!

I loved the concept of the Pawtheon. A real Round Table of canines, each with their own guardian aspect. Justice, loyalty, kindness, honesty, stubbornness (I suspect the author has met my parents’ dogs…) and…smell (oh, they’ve DEFINITELY met my parents’ dogs!)? Well, hey. They’re dogs. Makes sense! Frankie must pass a test to prove their worthiness in all 6 aspects to fully become the Dog Knight. And, along the way, they will find ways to use these aspects to solve problems in their own life.

On the other side of the household pet spectrum, I appreciate that cats were not the ultimate villains in this book. It’s overdone. Gremlins, I’ll happily accept. There’s a rich history of blaming accidents and mechanical problems on gremlins, and while there is, yes, also a history of blaming problems on cats, gremlins at least aren’t REAL. There was a moment in the book that I was worried for, when I thought the book was headed in that traditional direction, but Whitley turned it around in a delightful way.

Frankie’s nonbinary identity is quite central to the plot, and is explored in a realist, respectful, but also heroic and adventurous manner!

This is a great pick for any younger dog lover. Maybe a bit too kiddy for high schoolers, but it’s worth suggesting to the real canine fanatics!

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

We loved this book so much- we rewrote our curricula to include it in our Lit class this fall. The nonbinary rep is stellar and really- the premise of a human protecting dogs had us hooked from page one.

I loved the concept of the story, and the art was so beautiful! There aren't many books out there about facing gender identity and many other issues teens tend to face, and being able to wrap that into a cute puppy package makes me want to read this to my kids one day. Amazing work!

I received an eARC courtesy of Feiwel & Friends via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A unique concept that was delivered wonderfully. Overall, this is a solid start to a new fantasy series-which is definitely a genre that I cannot keep on my shelves.

For Libraries: If you have readers looking for more fantasy graphics this is a good one to give a shot to. Your readers who want dog books may also really enjoy this one.

An adorably illustrated and utterly delightful adventure with fantastic nonbinary rep and a real heart of gold. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed this book. I'm still a bit misty about it. Yet another of the new and remarkable queer led stories coming out lately that I desperately wish I had had when I was a kid. I could read dozens more stories about Frankie and their adventures!

DRC provided by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: non-binary Black protagonist, Black secondary character, non-binary Black tertiary character,

Content Warning: transphobia, bullying, violence.

This was way too cute for me to function properly. Brilliant writing and art and colours. I loved it and since there is a "1" near the title now, I fervently await the sequel or sequels, if we are that lucky.

The Dog Knight is full of things I love: non-binary MC, supportive parent, other supportive adults, fun art, and, of course, dogs! Frankie is a little uncomfortable in their skin, trying to figure out what clothes feel right and how to navigate school bullies and an ex-best friend. But when they get pulled into a magical otherworld with superhero dogs, they have an even bigger challenge on their hands - saving the town from literal chaos gremlins! Full of laughs and heart in equal measure, this book is perfect for middle schoolers and dog lovers of all ages. I can’t wait for the next installment of this adventure!

I would like to thank Feiwel & Friends for providing me with an ARC.

This book is fantastic. I loved Frankie and their tests with the dogs. It is a fantastic story that involves well written characters and plenty of dogs. I loved seeing them grow throughout the book and getting to stand up for themselves. I also loved that other characters were allowed to develop alongside Frankie. It's always difficult to be able to work to come back from being a bully and I expect that the continuing story will continue to show that struggle, but it is something that I like to see. I like to see characters learn that they are wrong and work towards forgiveness, even if they know that it might be impossible to gain forgiveness. Overall, Frankie was a fantastic protagonist that I am excited to see more from. I loved seeing them develop and really come into themselves as the Dog Knight. I can't wait to read more from this series.

Mean Girls meets Cats and Dogs. Yes, you did read those movie comps correctly. The Dog Knight is a fun adventure from start to finish. Frankie is a nonbinary middle schooler who adores dogs. On the way home one day, they are bullied, injuried, and saved by a talkative golden retriever. Frankie is then offered a chance to become the Dog Knight. The job of Dog Knight is to uphold the magical pact between humans and dogs to protect the world from little furby gremlins. Frankie has to decide if they want to finally put themselves first. Or become the hero they were destined to be.

I love that Frankie's journey is a journey any kid might have. All kids dream of finding the place in the world they belong. All kids dream of being a hero one day. And with fun bright illustrations, kids will fly through this graphic novel. I will be adding it to our hopeful acquisitions list.

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with a review copy.

A cute middle grade novel about friendship and being true to yourself with a side of magical dogs. I really liked the representation of the non-binary hero,

82%

The concept of a league of dogs that watch over and protect the human world is very endearing, and I loved that pretty much the entirety of this book is what usually would be condensed into montage territory in superhero stories; passing trials of character that aren't directly linked to saving the world.

Also, Terror the Yorkie was the absolute best.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This comic was a blast. To give a quick summary: Frankie is non-binary and gets picked on at school by their classmates and former friend. During an outing with their mom, they bump into a dog. After some events the dog disappears, only for Frankie to see them again. While giving following the mystery dog they bump into one of their bullies. Frankie tries to stand up to said bully, but fails. However, soon after the dog they have been following reveals that Frankie has been chosen to become the Dog Knight, the protector of the world and slayer of gremlins.

The book delves into some pretty have topics, such as: being outed, bullying, unsupportive teachers, toxic and controlling parents, respecting people's boundaries, identity, and forgiveness.

For me the respecting people's boundaries really stood out and was something I appreciated. It was nice to have someone ask Frankie if Frankie was comfortable with being hugged and see that person respect Frankie's answer when they said no. It was great to see it again with the tables being turned, and Frankie asking someone else about hugging them, and that person setting a boundary of "no more than five seconds" and once again, those boundaries being respected and not argued against.

Somewhat tying into boundaries, while also going into slightly off topic territory, there is one scene in the comic where it is mentioned that Frankie's mom is freaked out by sleepovers. As someone who had a parent who was also freaked out by sleepovers, I really want to know more about why sleepover's bother Frankie's mom. I don't know if that will ever come back into this series, but if it does, I am here for it.

Something else I am here for is the art. They art is beautiful, and I love the little touches of detail scattered throughout. For example, when characters are arguing, the fight is usually depicted in hues of red and purple, and usually the the character shouting is in red. It's a simple detail, but it adds a lot to the panels. You can watch the "anger" fade away as the red becomes less until it is all gone.

There's a so much to praise this comic for. If any of what I said sounds interesting, I say pick up a copy of it and give it a read. Also, if you love superhero comics and dogs, then that's all the more reason to pick up this book and give it a read.

This is the story of Frankie, who is a nonbinary tween just trying to survive school, a band concert, and bullies. They save a dog from bullies and become The Dog Knight! Frankie goes through several trials to prove their worth as a Dog Knight and learns a lot about family, friendship, and bravery along the way.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are great and I feel like the book tackled a lot of tough topics in an easy to understand way. Many people didn't understand Frankie's growth, and I appreciate the focus on Frankie's and Dallas' friendship struggles. Frankie learns so much about themselves on this journey, and it's just an overall wonderful story.

The Dog Knight by Jeremy Whitley and Bre Indigo is a middle grade graphic novel currently scheduled for release on May 16 2023. Frankie knows who they are. They’re a drummer, they’re nonbinary, and they’re… the Dog Knight? One day Frankie is a relatively normal middle schooler, with relatively normal challenges, like finding the perfect outfit to wear during their drum solo during the upcoming band concert. The next, they save a friendly golden retriever from bullies and suddenly find themselves in a giant magical doghouse, with a funny looking helmet, talking to a group of dog superheroes called the Pawtheon about a job offer. If Frankie can prove that they possess the six dog virtues of loyalty, kindness, honesty, justice, stubbornness, and smell, they will be named the Dog Knight and be given the power to fight alongside the Pawtheon and save the world from the forces of chaos. Maybe there is more to Frankie than they thought?

The Dog Knight takes on some serious topics, nd I think that many middle school readers will relate to much of the book. Frankie is non-binary and just trying to figure out what clothes, sports, friends, and so on really make them happy and feely fully themselves. Even as a fully grown adult, I still change up my style and am always looking for things that make me feel more me, and I know most kids are spending a good deal of their thought and energy trying to figure all that out for the first time. Add in the fantasy, danger, and adventure of a secret dog society and gremlins and you get a read that will keep young readers (and adults) engaged and eager to see how everything turns out. The aspects of bullying, friendship, and family relationships are very well done in this book, but more than anything I love that at the heart of it the whole story is about Frankie being the best Frankie they can be, and continuing to work at being the honest and loyal person that they want to be. I look forward to continuing this series and think it has great potential to be a favorite for many.

The Dog Knight is a well written, ad beautifully illustrated, graphic novel that I found to be engaging and enjoyable to read.

Frankie lives with their mother. One day, they see a golden retriever being buillied and step in to help. Frankie gets knocked out, awakens to meet the Pawtheon, and agrees to a series of quests to see if they are able to become the Dog Knight.

I loved the representation in this book. You don't often encounter non-binary characters and especially not in children's books. The characters of Frankie and Platinum were awesome. I also loved that Frankie's quests weren't just about showing that they carry the virtues that dogs find important - loyalty, kindness, honesty, justice, stubbornness, and smell - it was a journey of discovery and healing for Frankie as well. Very cute story. Would recommend.