That classic of Spanish and world literature, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's Don Quixote, is the source material for this amusing picture-book from author Eric A. Kimmel and illustrator Leonard Everette Fisher. Retold here is the episode in which Don Quixote, having gone mad reading his books full of the chivalry of old, sets out on an imagined knightly quest, eventually spying some windmills, and taking them for giants in disguise. His subsequent combat with those structures has given us the modern phrase, "tilting at windmills..."

One of the number of picture-book collaborations between Kimmel and Fisher - others include The Hero Beowulf, The Three Princes: A Tale from the Middle East and Blackbeard's Last Fight - Don Quixote and the Windmills offers an engaging snapshot of one of the most influential literary characters in the Western canon. The story is entertaining, and the artwork expressive, accentuating the humor throughout. This would pair very nicely with Margarita Engle's Miguel's Brave Knight: Young Cervantes and His Dream of Don Quixote, in a study unit on the Spanish Golden Age, although it could also be read simply as an entertaining fairy-tale, or as a child's first introduction to this great work of literature. ( )

I have never read the full story of Don Quixote so whatever humor was to be found in this parody was completely lost on me. He seeks adventure so he renders himself a knight and goes off to fight monsters which are actually just windmills. I suppose children would find it a humorous story regardless of context, but that's about all I have to say about it. ( )

Don Quixote and the Windmills is a book that could be good for a person who has read the Spanish story Don Quixote. But for me, I haven't read the that story yet. Since this book is a parody of Don Quixote, only a person who has read that story will actually get the laughs that the author intends to get out of his audience. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Had I actually read Don Quixote, I think this book would have been funny and a great parody of a great novel. ( )

This picture book by Portland's own Eric Kimmel is a delightful retelling of The Ingenious Hildalgo Don Quixote De La Manchaby Miguel De Cervantes Saaverdra. Kimmel gets right to the heart of the story sharing the merry mishaps of the unlikeliest of heros. Children will be tickled to see Quixote courageously advancing upon windmills he believes to be giants, making excuses for his failures and confidently moving into the future with the certainty of a success.

While thie illustrations nicely highlight the main events and provide a compelling interpretation of both Don Quixote and Sacho Panza, the dark and muted pallete is less eye catching and attractive than I had hoped. ( )

Great art! I loved the pictures. Good adaptation for kids. I think children could relate to have enthralled Don Quixote becomes with knights. Most children seem to entrench themselves in whatever it is that interests them. ( )