The three little dragons a very good knight first befriended in Good Night, Good Knight (Dutton, 2000), and then nursed back to health in Get Well, Good Knight (Dutton, 2002), require his assistance again. They need a birthday present for someone special, but have no money to buy anything. It will be no surprise to readers already familiar with this entertaining series that the Good Knight comes to the rescue. He tries to help them make a birthday cake and a pop-up card, and also to practice a magic show. But each effort ends in disaster, dragon tears, and a big mess. After a lot of cleaning (“Scrubby, scrubby, scrubby . . . Swish, swish, swish.”) and a few more tears, the dragons reveal that—of course—their “someone special” is the Good Knight himself. Shelley Moore Thomas’s winning story is artfully told, with delightful, descriptive language and masterful use of repetition, making it a great choice for independent readers or for adults to read aloud. Jennifer Plecas adds to the fun with winsome, witty illustrations featuring the much beleaguered knight and his three big-eyed, scaly little charges. (Ages 5–8)