There’s been lots in the media about the demise of bookshops as e-books and online book stores take over. I’m an avid reader. I have a Kindle (my favourite gadget) and I buy books online but I love nothing more than browsing at my local bookshop (which happily for me is an extremely well stocked independent book seller). And the reason book stores won’t disappear? Because there is nothing quite like happening across a book and falling instantly in love. Such was the case when I picked up Knight Night by Owen Davey.

Knight Night is an adventure story. For one little boy (or rather a knight), getting to bed becomes an Arthurian quest. We see the ordinary bedtime routine – putting his toys away, having a bath, brushing his teeth and climbing into bed through the eyes of a knight – the hallway becomes a forest, there are crocodiles to jump in the bathroom and all sorts of knight’s accessories such as shields, swords and jewels, must be packed up at the end of the day.

The text is minimal but the illustrations are rich in every sense of the word. Limited to a muted autumnal palette of beige, orange, burgundy and grey blue, the tight colour scheme encourages young readers to look closely for the detail.

This book is sure to become a bedtime favourite for many kids and I suspect will set all-new bedtime rituals (including going to bed with a colander as a helmet!).

Knight Night is available from Book Depository for approximately $13.50, including delivery.