The Dragon and the Unicorn [Hardcover]

Lynne Cherry (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Gulliver Green Book Series

Valerio the dragon and Allegra the unicorn have always lived happily and in harmony among the beautiful trees and plants of the ancient Ardet Forest. But when King Orlando begins cutting down trees, it is up to the king’s daughter to convince the king to preserve the forest for the animals and humans to share.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The daughter of medieval King Valerio is visited by a unicorn and dragon who plead to have the forests of the realm preserved. A lovely book about forest conservation perfect for children ages 3-7. The author and illustrator, Lynne Cherry, is deservedly winner of numerous awards for beautiful books. Recommended.

From Publishers Weekly

Lavish illustrations are the high point of this wordy eco-fable. In an ancient forest, Valerio the dragon and Allegra the unicorn live "in harmony with the land and all the other creatures" until humans begin to chop down trees to build a castle for King Orlando. When the king's daughter, Arianna, wanders into their domain, the unicorn teaches her the "wisdom" contained in the forest. The child, reunited with her father, inspires him to "learn to love and respect" the forest, which is henceforth preserved. While the story is somewhat stiff, Cherry's (The Armadillo from Amarillo) luxuriant watercolors beckon the reader to share her romantic vision of wilderness. Small but sumptuous tableaux of mythical creatures in a medieval forest are set within splendid borders of lacy vines and Florentine-like patterns inspired by foliage. Entwined in these borders, cameos of characters, flora and fauna suggest the richness and complexity of the woodland, supplying a subtlety and lyricism missing from the text. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152241930
• ISBN-13: 978-0152241933
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,305,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story, beautiful illustrations, June 3, 2002

By 

Dawn Kessinger (Lima, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Dragon and the Unicorn (Paperback)

At our library, I gather books for teachers to pick up and check out for use with their lesson plan subjects. I always pull Lynne Cherry's Kapok Tree for teachers who are teaching about rainforests. When I saw "The Dragon and the Unicorn," I knew I had to order it for the teachers and kids. I wasn't disappointed and don't think our library's patrons will be disappointed, either! The illustrations are not only rich and colorful, they're creative in their design and range. The plot moved at a good pace - not sluggish, nor too much detail, nor too much preachy "do this," "don't do that." Kids will like the gentle, but fiercely protective dragon and the wise, magical unicorn who he protects. Kids will also enjoy taking the journey with Arianna into the world in which the dragon, unicorn, and many other animals live, and where they are being threatened by Arianna's father's destruction of the forests. The resolution of the problem of the king's allowing the forest's destruction is satisfying without being too pat or easy.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dragon And The Unicorn, October 3, 2000

By 

"chesyd35" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dragon and the Unicorn (Paperback)

I was so delighted to find this wonderful enviromental fairy tale with beautiful illustrations of brown people. It is such a relief and joy to encounter an author and illustrator whom recognizes that there are other marvelous colours that can be used when filling in the hues of the characters. The beautiful Arianna lead our family on a mystical journey through a medievel forest in danger, and we learned that the darkness of the forest was full of peace, silence and beauty. Thank you Lynne for letting young readers know that what is dark and brown and black is also beautiful.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a beautiful and thoughtful book., January 13, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Dragon and the Unicorn (Paperback)

The illustrations in this book are magnificent.
Each page appears as an illuminated manuscript. The characters (the King and Princess) have 'off-white' complexions--which make them very appealing for some under-represented students.
The story is well written, though a bit predictable and is very meaningful in its strong environmental message.
We used it in school as a model for writing and illustrating stories with a message.