When George finds a large, mysterious egg in the chicken coop, he can't resist taking it to his room and waiting to see what will happen. He nurtures the giant egg with bedtime stories and makes sure to keep it warm. Then one day out hatches a dragon! George is excited to take on the responsibility of raising his newborn friend and quickly instructs him in all things dragon-y-how to fly, breathe fire, distress damsels, and defeat knights. But what to do when his dragon becomes lonely for other dragon friends? This gentle fantasy with charming illustrations offers an original take on the relationship between a boy and a beast, suggesting the pangs parents might feel when their own little one grows up and becomes more independent.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In the tantalizing opening pages of this fantasy, a boy peers into a henhouse and sees a hen perched upon an enormous golden-brown egg: "George knew something wasn't right when he found more than he bargained for under his mother's favorite chicken." The only clue to the egg's source is a mysterious hole in the henhouse roof. George uses a wheelbarrow to maneuver the armchair-sized egg into his house, and in a tense four-part spread, he watches as something ("It definitely wasn't a chicken!") starts to hatch. After an all-too-brief period of suspense, a muscular, bat-winged baby dragon emerges, and George patiently trains it to fly and to aim its fiery breath. Robertson's (The Bed and Breakfast House) delicate, detail-rich watercolors resemble those in Peter Collington's wordless books, and indeed some of Robertson's multipanel illustrations convey the duo's silent communication (since George "didn't speak Dragon"). In one sequence, a lesson in "How to Defeat a Knight," George uses a wooden sword to mimic a certain saint, then waves a white flag as the dragon looks at him with affection. Yet many practical considerations go unpictured: How does George get the gigantic egg through his bedroom door? How does he befriend the dragon? And what does a kid feed a giant green lizard? Robertson hints at the magic in his opening pages, but unlike other tales with similar premises (such as Dick King-Smith's middle-grade novel The Water-Horse), his story doesn't realize its potential. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-A beautifully written fantasy with luminous, richly hued artwork that is as evocative as the text. When George finds a gigantic egg in his mother's chicken house, he realizes that it is special. Lugging it back to his room, he keeps it warm and reads to it until a baby dragon pecks its way out of the shell. The hatchling decides that the boy must be his mother. "George had never been a mother before, but he knew that it was his motherly duty to teach the dragon dragony ways." Hence, lessons commence in flying, fire breathing, damsel distressing, and knight slaying. George successfully raises the creature, only to learn that he must say good-bye as the dragon goes off to search for his own family. He later returns, though, to take George on a breathtaking flight to the place where these creatures live. When it is time for the boy to leave, he gives his friend a tight squeeze. The beast, in return, roars. "George didn't speak Dragon, but he knew exactly what the dragon had said: `Thank you.'" The paintings reflect the growing relationship between the child and his charge. The dragon is perfect for a young audience-realistic looking without being too scary. Each painting is a treasure on its own, filled with warm lighting, even warmer shadows, and incredible detail. This is one egg that won't gather dust on your shelves.-Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
George and the Dragon,
This review is from: The Egg (Phyllis Fogelman Books) (Hardcover)
George knew something special was about to happen when he found a gigantic egg in his mother's henhouse. He carefully took it back to his room, kept the egg warm and read to it until it hatched. The dragon inside took one look at George and made a sound of happiness. George didn't speak dragon, but he knew the sound meant, "mommy" and he was determined to teach the dragon dragony ways just like any good mother would. They worked on flying and breathing fire, distressing damsels and defeating knights and every night George read his dragon bedtime stories from a book of dragon tales. But soon, George realized that the dragon was sad and lonely and missed being with other dragons..... M P Robertson has written a gentle fantasy of love and friendship that will delight youngsters with it's simple text and beautifully expressive artwork. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Egg is a charming bedtime story, full of imagery and colorful detail, kids will want to read again and again and a wonderful addition to all home libraries.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Rare Gem of a Book,
By Heather Carlson (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Egg (Phyllis Fogelman Books) (Hardcover)
This is a masterpiece. It's a beautifully illustrated fantasy of a young boy who finds a giant egg in his mothers hen house and nurtures it by reading it stories until it hatches into a dragon. The story provides a wonderful example of how boys can be both masculine and nurturing while the pictures have a sort of magical quality similar to that of the Harry Potter series. Destined to become a favorite among young children and parents alike.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice story, great pictures,
By
This review is from: The Egg (Paperback)
Very good book for kids who love dragons. We read this book many times, and my son still asks for more. The pictures are marvelous.
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First Sentence:
George knew something wasn't right when he found more than he had bargained for under his mother's favorite chicken. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
George knew something wasn't right when he found more than he had bargained for under his mother's favorite chicken. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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