Angry Dragon [Hardcover]

Thierry Robberecht (Author), Philippe Goossens (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2004 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When a little boy hears “no” from his mother one time too many, he feels his anger rising. It burns and builds, finally turning him into a giant dragon that destroys everything in its path. Nothing is safe: not toys or stuffed animals—not even Mom and Dad. But fortunately, a dragon’s fire doesn’t last forever. The simple, bold illustrations give shape to the power that emotions have to overwhelm and transform us, and vividly bring to life the angry dragon that lurks inside us all.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–After his mother tells him "NO," a young boy becomes so angry that he feels as though he is a stone: "I feel trapped inside that stone. I just can't stop myself." His rage grows until he turns into a fiery dragon that destroys everything in its path. When the fury recedes–as it always does–the dragon feels shame and sadness. As tears put out the flames, the creature disappears and the child is back in his parents' loving embrace. The authenticity of the boy's emotions is clearly conveyed in both the text and the artwork. In the faux-naïve oil paintings, Goossens uses the texture of the canvas to create additional depth. The characters are drawn with clean lines in muted colors to keep the focus on each interestingly composed page. Use this offering along with Molly Bang'sWhen Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry (Blue Sky, 1999), Rachel Vail's Sometimes I'm Bombaloo (Scholastic, 2002), and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (HarperCollins, 1988).–Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. A child's rage is given respectful acknowledgment in this Belgian import, in which the frustrating word no triggers a little boy's tantrum. Robberecht charts the familiar sequence of emotions in a frank, natural first-person voice, beginning with angry withdrawal ("Mom says I'm like a stone. I feel trapped inside that stone"). Rampaging fury ensues, during which the narrator visualizes himself as a "giant dragon that destroys everything in his path"--a phase that will appeal to children for its T. rex-like depictions of the transformed boy. Goossens' distinctly European, stylized artwork visually reproduces the intense emotions through dramatic shading and a palette flushed with ochres and oranges. Though this shares a therapeutic application with Molly Bang's award-winning When Sophie Gets Angry . . . Really, Really Angry (1999), Robberecht's approach simply reflects and legitimizes kids' feelings, while Bang's emphasizes forming a personal strategy for controlling outbursts. The books will benefit from being read side by side; both will open an avenue for discussing anger and its potentially self-destructive effects. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 29 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; American ed edition (September 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618474307
• ISBN-13: 978-0618474301
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dealing with anger, March 25, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angry Dragon (Hardcover)

This book is about a little boy and his feeling. He has heard his mom says no too many times in his opinion and he loses control. He describes himself as a dragon. He says he feels like the anger is burning inside him and he spits out the worst words ever - "I Hate you". After being left alone for a little while he starts to think about what he's done. His mom and dad hug him and he starts to feel like a little boy again!

The book was simple and easy to read. Anger is a problem for lots of children today. This is a great way to bring up the topic and discuss with them how to deal with their emotions

This would be a great children's book to read aloud in a classroom. You can discuss with the children what they would do when they get angry and what would make them feel better. I would highly recommend this book for K - 2 grade students

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Therapeutic Book, December 12, 2010

By 

Shoshana J. Fagen (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angry Dragon (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful story to help children who have anger management problems learn to identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with their anger outbursts. I would highly recommend it to any mental health professional looking for a good book to read to young or younger elementary school children about what happens when they get angry. It is a great way to start a discussion about what a child experiences.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, August 26, 2009

By 

Cameron (Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Angry Dragon (Hardcover)

This book totally resonated with our five year old. His eyes were wide as we read through the first time, and he nodded his head with each page turn. He KNOWS his dragon, and seeing it in print helped give our entire family language to help deal with the issues. This is a great book.