alisoncooks Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 ETA: updated our favorites list, as later posts reminded me of what we've also read and liked (or didn't)... this way we'll have less repeat suggestions ;) I have 2 kiddos who are obsessed with DRAGONS. Dragon action figures, dragon stuffed animals, dragon movies, books, comics.... there is no end to it. We've exhausted our library's dragon collection... Some of our favorites: Dragon ~ Jody Bergsma Dragon Rider ~ Cornelia Funke all the M.P. Robertson books (The Egg, Dragon Snatcher, etc) Dragons Love Tacos ~ Adam Rubin Drake's Comprehensive Compendium of Dragonology My Father's Dragon trilogy The Book of Dragons ~ Michael Hague The Dragons are Singing Tonight ~ Jack Prelutsky Jane & the dragon/Jane & the Magician ~ Martin Baynton The Reluctant Dragon ~ Kenneth Grahame I have (and love) but haven't read to the kids: Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia C. Wrede) Dragon Slippers books (Jessica Day George) Also read: Dragon in the Sock Drawer (Dragon Keeper) series, but I don't love them... St. George & the Dragon ~ Margaret Hodges Nesbit's Book of Dragons What great books am I missing? I prefer not to get sucked into a gazillion-book series. This is for a 5 and 7 yr old. We don't mind listening to a longer book over days/weeks... but we need it to be age-appropriate. I looked at the Cressida Cowell books... and while we LOVE the series/movie, I don't think that style of writing/content is for *us.* (moving up from later post): We prefer stories where the dragon is friendly. We like The Reluctant Dragon... but St. George & The Dragon is just okay... :D Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyacinth Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame St. George and the Dragon, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame St. George and the Dragon, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean Thanks for the recommendations! We do like these, too! (though I think we've read the Margaret Hodges version of St. George & the Dragon.) We've also read Nesbit's The Book of Dragons. Just a note: we much prefer stories where the dragon is friendly. We liked The Reluctant Dragon... but St. George & the Dragon was just okay... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmgirl70 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 The Hobbit--my son LOVED it at age 7. We had a copy with nice pictures and it is a good read aloud. Please don't confuse it with the Lord of the Rings. The stories connect, but The Hobbit is a children's book, where as Lord of the Rings is young adult or adult. Seconding, The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbitt Have they watched the old Disney "Pete's Dragon"? We loved all the ones you mentioned above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Listening in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmgirl70 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 How could I forget Bill Peet? Cyrus The Unsinkable Sea Serpent and How Droofus Dragon Lost His Head. These are longer picture books with fairly sophisticated language. Merlin and the Dragons by Jane Yolen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 ETA: moved to first post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 How could I forget Bill Peet? Cyrus The Unsinkable Sea Serpent and How Droofus Dragon Lost His Head. These are longer picture books with fairly sophisticated language. Merlin and the Dragons by Jane Yolen These are new to me, we'll definitely have to check them out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Anyone know the name of this picture book series. In the first book a mouse moves into a little cave that use to belong to a bat. He does not like the new house. His nextdoor neighbor is a dragon who just captured a princess. The mouse goes next door to borrow some sugar from his neighbor for the tea he is making. He ends up scaring the dragon (Who is terrified of mice) and saving the princess. He ends up moving to the castle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Anyone know the name of this picture book series. In the first book a mouse moves into a little cave that use to belong to a bat. He does not like the new house. His nextdoor neighbor is a dragon who just captured a princess. The mouse goes next door to borrow some sugar from his neighbor for the tea he is making. He ends up scaring the dragon (Who is terrified of mice) and saving the princess. He ends up moving to the castle. Is it George & the Dragon? (We've not read these, I just googled key words. :p) ETA: Looking at it on Amazon, this looks like it's *just* what we're looking for! Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Is it George & the Dragon? (We've not read these, I just googled key words. :p) ETA: Looking at it on Amazon, this looks like it's *just* what we're looking for! Thank you. :) Funny. It was even hard to find with the title. George and the Dragon http://www.amazon.com/George-Dragon-Chris-Wormell/dp/0375833153/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1391893955&sr=8-6&keywords=George+and+the+Dragon and George, The Dragon and the Princess http://www.amazon.com/George-Dragon-Princess-Chris-Wormell/dp/1862301867/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1391893955&sr=8-7&keywords=George+and+the+Dragon I really enjoyed those picture books. The illustrations were wonderful, and only the smallest hint of text with most of the story being told through pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I don't think I saw How to Train Your Dragon mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 I don't think I saw How to Train Your Dragon mentioned. Well, I mentioned it in my original post. I've looked at them and they just seem... silly? IDK, we LOVE the movie and the tv series. My oldest is about to DIE of anticipation for the movie sequel this summer, LOL. But the books just are ... not our style. I've stumbled across: Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi. It looks promising, since we're looking for longer books. I also went ahead and ordered an abridged, illustrated The Hobbit for my girls. (Abridged?!! haha, I know, but we don't have the attention to do the full-on version and it looked great.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Well, I mentioned it in my original post. I've looked at them and they just seem... silly? IDK, we LOVE the movie and the tv series. My oldest is about to DIE of anticipation for the movie sequel this summer, LOL. But the books just are ... not our style. Dh read the first three books in the dealing with Dragon series. No one was really fond of them. They are quite different from the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindygz Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 You might try and find the Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Those are the Dealing with Dragons books, right?) on CD from your library to listen to. My daughter was about 7 when she listened to them, I think. We checked them out regularly for a couple of years until she was ready to read them on her own. I've only listened to most of the first one, but they are WONDERFUL!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Well, I mentioned it in my original post. I've looked at them and they just seem... silly? IDK, we LOVE the movie and the tv series. My oldest is about to DIE of anticipation for the movie sequel this summer, LOL. But the books just are ... not our Oh sorry I must have missed that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Younger DS here went through a big dragon phase, too! :) Here are some ideas: ETA -- removed titles you mentioned that you already had tried, or have on the shelf. PLUS, I just saw your signature and your DC are young, so I added some young titles (maybe enjoy as independent readers!): For Young Children - The Dragon's Scales (Albee) -- cute "stepped reader" about weighing/measuring - Good Night Good Knight (Thomas) -- a nice knight and a sweet family of dragons; stepped reader series - A Poor Excuse for a Dragon (Hayes) -- silly stepped reader - There's No Such Thing as a Dragon (Kent) - The Tale of Custard the Dragon (and the sequel) (Nash) -- cute picture books told in rhyme - The Knight and the Dragon (dePaola) - The Dragon Painter (Dickins) -- Chinese dragon - Sim Chung and the River Dragon (Schetcher) -- Korean dragon fairytale - The Paperbag Princess -- unorthodox heroine, deals with the dragon and the prince Beautifully Illustrated - Discovery of Dragons: New Research (Base) -- beautiful picture books - Practical Guide to Dragons series (Trumbaer) -- along the lines of the Dragonology series Read Alouds - Raising Dragons (Nolen) -- picture book, with quite a bit of text/story - The Dragon Prince (Yep) -- picture book, with quite a bit of text/story; Chinese beauty and the beast story - Dragon of Lonely Island; Return of the Dragon (Rupp) - Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher (Coville) - Dragon Keeper Chronicles series (Paul) - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Lin) -- Chinese dragon and fairytale/fantasy - A Book of Dragons (Sanders) -- OOP collection of traditional dragon folktales (see also used versions at Abe.com) Text online for reading - The Last of the Dragons (Nesbit) -- humorous (NOT in her Book of Dragons collection) - Farmer Giles of Ham (Tolkien) -- humorous The Hobbit (Tolkien) -- note: dragon is only towards the end, and NOT a nice dragon Get either the 75th anniversary edition with Tolkien's illustrations, or the Annotated version, or -- you will want one or both of these editions in later years! ;) -- and if your 5yo understands and enjoys the language and humor of The Reluctant Dragon and E. Nesbit's writing, then you're good to go with the real, full edition of The Hobbit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 The Dragonbreath series There are 9 I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMary Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Our favorites: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon The Neverending Story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Are your kids sensitive? I have one that is, but she's getting older, so I'm able to do readalouds that I wouldn't have been able to a couple of years ago. If you have sensitive kids (who would be disturbed with dragons killing other dragons or dragons who are orphaned), these aren't for you. (My ds#1 isn't sensitive, so he LOVES these.) Wings of Fire (linked to 1st book in series of five) We loved Patricia Wrede's Forest books, BTW. Other ones I haven't read yet, but have in queue: The Egg, The Great Dragon Rescue (sequel to The Egg), and The New Kid At School (actually have #2 of this series as #1 was checked out at the library) . . . and, for a change of pace, a book of poetry by Jack Prelutsky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Younger DS here went through a big dragon phase, too! :) Here are some ideas... [....] The Hobbit (Tolkien) -- note: dragon is only towards the end, and NOT a nice dragon Get either the 75th anniversary edition with Tolkien's illustrations, or the Annotated version, or -- you will want one or both of these editions in later years! ;) -- and if your 5yo understands and enjoys the language and humor of The Reluctant Dragon and E. Nesbit's writing, then you're good to go with the real, full edition of The Hobbit. Thanks for taking the time to put that list together! We've actually read quite a few of the "for young children" that you listed, but I can't wait to look up the "Beautifully Illustrated" books mentioned. And the Dragon of Lonely Island books just found their way to my Amazon cart. :) Re: the Hobbit... To be honest, I don't know how much the 5 yr old understands, LOL. We do quite like The Reluctant Dragon, but we have a lovely illustrated version -- which helps. ;) I ended up ordering two versions of The Hobbit (to add to the cheap-o paperback I already have, haha): the Alan Lee illustrated and then another UNabridged, illustrated hardcover. I figure the Hobbit is worth reading more than once, so it's nice to have some variation. :p Thanks again for all the comments, everyone! Keep 'em coming! I don't see us growing out of this dragon-phase anytime soon. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Have they watched the old Disney "Pete's Dragon"? Funny you mention this... we watched it just a couple of weeks ago for the first time. (First time for me, as well.) The kids LOVED it. I wanted to gouge my eyes and ears out... :p :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.