The Reluctant Dragon - Hardcover

Grahame, Kenneth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763621994 ISBN 13: 9780763621995

Publisher: Candlewick, 2004

Synopsis

With the help of a bright little boy, a poetic dragon defies stereotypes in a humorous tale by the author of THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, abridged and splendidly illustrated by Inga Moore.

Dragons are a scourge and must be abolished — at least, that's what all the villagers say. It doesn't seem to matter that this particular dragon wouldn't hurt a fly and is more than content to laze by his cave and make up poetry. He certainly doesn't want to fight, though it seems he will have no choice when St. George arrives on his warhorse with golden armor gleaming, carrying the longest, wickedest spear you ever did see. Still, the dragon does have one friend — the shepherd's son, a small boy with a great deal of sense and imagination. Will he find a way to solve the dragon¹s dilemma?

About this title

About the Author:

Kenneth Grahame was born in 1859. From the age of five, he lived with his grandmother in Cookham Dean, Berkshire, where he spent a lot of time on the banks of the River Thames. It was here that he wrote THE RELUCTANT DRAGON, which was first published in DREAM DAYS in 1898, ten years before the publication of his most famous work, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS.

Inga Moore has written and illustrated numerous children's picture books. She abridged and illustrated THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS in two acclaimed volumes, THE RIVER BANK and THE ADVENTURES OF TOAD, as well as E. Nesbit's THE BOOK OF BEASTS. Inga Moore lives in Gloucestershire, England.

From School Library Journal:

Starred Review. Grade 1-5–Grahame's classic tale of loyalty and compassion, which first appeared in Dream Daysin 1898, tells of a shepherd who discovers a sleeping dragon in a cave on the Downs. His son knows from his reading of fairy tales and natural history that some dragons are reasonable and nonthreatening. The child approaches the creature and finds it to be gentle. The villagers, believing it to be a menace, send for St. George, but after the boy persuades the knight to meet his new friend, the three are able to devise a plan that gives everyone a fine show and allows the dragon to stay, writing poetry and singing. In Robert San Souci's version of the tale (Orchard, 2004), the text was pared down to a virtual outline of the action, sacrificing Grahame's clever dialogue and unique style. Moore has made so few alterations that the term abridgement scarcely applies. The colored-pencil and ink illustrations demonstrate her gift for capturing the atmosphere of a story, as the large and lovable dragon romps across the green and rolling hills. Libraries looking for a picture-book rendering of this story will want to add this lovely new version.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
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About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0763621994
• ISBN 13: 9780763621995
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Moore Inga