The Wizards of Once: Knock Three Times

The No.1 bestselling series from current Waterstones Children's Laureate and author of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, Cressida Cowell. Enter a land of wizards, warriors, mythical creatures and powerful Magic in an exciting fantasy adventure.

Reading age - 8+.... being read to - well Annabel is 6 (and loved it!)

In Knock Three Times, the third instalment of Cressida Cowell’s The Wizards of Once series, readers are swept into a world richly imagined and delightfully chaotic. Xar and Wish, two young heroes from rival tribes, must once again team up to face the terrifying Nuckalavee and gather the ingredients needed to banish the witches. Cowell’s storytelling is a masterclass in balancing whimsy with weight, with flying doors, enchanted spoons, and a bear who, frankly, has a better grasp of emotional regulation than most of the world’s leaders. The book is a rollicking ride through a magical Britain that feels both ancient and oddly familiar.

Xar is a boy with more confidence than caution, charging into danger with the kind of bravado that might remind one of certain world leaders who tweet before they think. Wish, by contrast, is thoughtful, brave, and quietly powerful—an iron-wielding underdog who proves that strength doesn’t always shout. Their parents are locked in a Cold War of their own, with enough icy tension to rival Donald and Melania Trump at a press conference. Cowell’s writing is sharp, her drawings are wild, and the pace? Let’s just say if you blink, you’ll miss a flying fork.

But the real critics—Thomas and Annabel—were spellbound. They laughed at the unexpected love triangle between the enchanted spoon, the key, and the fork (yes, really), gasped at the plot twists, and hit me with the nightly plea: “Just one more page, Dad!”. And I, a grown man with bills and back pain, found myself utterly charmed. Knock Three Times is a rollicking, irreverent, and unexpectedly profound tale that proves magic isn’t just for children—it’s for anyone who’s ever looked at a cutlery drawer and wondered, “What if?”