Customer Reviews

How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head (Sandpiper Books)

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I just picked up this book secondhand and it is my first introduction to Bill Peet and I am sure to get more of his books! It reminds me of an old fashioned fairy tale with kings, dragons and knights and is a fun way to introduce my 3 year old to these "magic" concepts. It is a nice story with charming pictures - Droofus gets separated from the other dragons and becomes a kind, grass eating dragon. The king wants his head as a trophy and puts out a big reward. Droofus gets discovered by a young boy who decides Droofus must be a good dragon since he did not hurt the lamb and so the boy does not betray Droofus. Later Droofus gets a chance to repay the boy by helping on the farm. Eventually he does get discovered by the king and the knights, but the boy comes up with a way for the king to have Droofus's head without chopping it off! A sweet tale with lots of little lessons about kindness tucked in.

I read this when I was just a kid (maybe 1st or 2nd grade), but it was one of a handful of stories I never forgot -- except for the title. When I finally had kids, I began looking for it and luckily came across it searching book-by-book at a store. It's better than I remember -- both the writing and the illustrations. It's highly recommended, and not just by me, but my 3 year old!

Droofus the not-so-bad dragon is generally at peace with the world, and is kind to smaller animals. As a nice guy, he's not interested in laying waste to the country-side, even though some people expect him to. As with all Peet's books, the faces on his animals are wonderfully expressive, yet still look like real animals (one of my favorite things about all of his books which I've read).

Drufus gets lost from his terrifying dragon family and has to survive on his own. One morning he rescues a bug from a spider's web and he considers that he, like the spider, kills to eat. He decides to eat grass instead and grows into the largest dragon ever. A local king wants a dragon head to put on his wall to impress everyone, and he sends out his knights to find one. Fortunately there are no bones outside his cave since he eats grass, so the knights don't know he's there and they go right past. He is discovered by a boy who refuses to report the dragon to the king for a reward because the dragon hadn't harmed the boy's lamb.

Later Drufus gets injured in a storm and lands on that boy's property. The boy still refuses to tell the king and get the reward. He hides the dragon and helps him heal. The family is poor because the land is too full of rocks and they can't get them out. Drufus over hears this and decides to help them. He clears out the rocks and helps plow the land. The family comes to love the dragon and they work together to bring prosperity to the family.

One day the king finds out about the dragon and goes to get him. The family comes up with a solution that is surprising and funny.

When I was a child, Bill Peet books were some of my favorites, and of those, 'Droofus the Dragon' was dearest to my heart. It's a wonderful story with entertaining illustrations, and I could read it over and over again both when I was a child and now. There are great lessons about kindness, helpfulness, and even dispute resolution, and I have bought this book for all of my nieces and nephews. You cannot go wrong giving this book to your child, or any child you love.

My son was introduced to Bill Peet in another book "Kermit the Hermit" and we really enjoy reading his stories. Our house is now going through a dragon phase and Bill Peet is coming through again. The grass eating dragon with a price on his head is a charming story and my son loves it. It's also a fun book for Mommy to read.

I loved Bill Peet books as a child, and I still really like them today. I recently bought the whole set so that my children will have them, and realized that I remember every character and every plot from 20+ years ago when my parents read them to me. They really made an impact on me. The illustrations are cute and captivating, the characters are engaging, the stories and well told, and each book has a meaning. There are few authors who can create such a fine balance in childrens' books.

How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head is an awesome book!

I read it to my sons 30 years ago and I am still reading this new copy to kids that we take care of. I highly recommend "Droofus" to anyone with young kids!

Bought this book secondhand because our kids loved Wump World so much. It's a great book with lots of description both using words and illustrations. I particularly like how it illustrates Droofus choosing to be industrious, cares for others, and help others instead of just thinking about himself. I overall like Bill Peet's books and look forward to purchasing more of his books.

Bill Peet is one of our childrens' favorite authors! Try all of his stories! A delight to read aloud!