Gramps and the Fire Dragon [Hardcover]

Bethany Roberts (Author), Melissa Iwai (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A young boy and his grandfather sit by a blazing fire, looking for pictures in the flames. They see an old twisted apple tree, a flower garden, a castle . . . and a fire dragon! Suddenly, the fire dragon roars and comes to life, and Jesse and Gramps find themselves being pursued through a wondrous imaginary land. Time after time, they barely manage to escape the clumsy fire dragon, until Jesse finds a way to get rid of it for good. Bright, fun-filled illustrations accompany this spirited fantasy adventure for the very young.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-A grandfather and grandson sit before the fire one evening. The child asks for a story and Gramps tells him about the fire dragon. As they stare into the fire, the creature appears and begins to chase them, growing larger and larger. Thanks to some quick thinking, the storyteller and the little boy overcome the beast with water. Roberts's tale has a breathless pace that will keep children turning the pages. The dragon is never really scary, because Iwai has drawn a lovable creature in a big body. The bright colors fit the rollicking action, and the use of two-page spreads highlights the crisis spots in the text. The boy and his grandfather are drawn so sympathetically that readers will be rooting for their safe delivery.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-8. It's bedtime, but neither Gramps nor Jesse is sleepy. Rocking before a cozy fire, they imagine pictures in the flames--first a beautiful garden and a castle, then a dragon that roars and heads right for them. Now Gramps and Jesse must try to escape, by hot-air balloon, on horseback, even by bike, until Jesse takes action to save the day and his beloved gramps. The fast-paced, whimsical adventure ends on a warm, comforting sleepy-time note, as it celebrates both the delights of storytelling and the special relationship between grandparent and grandchild. Simple, short sentences, incorporating basic dialogue, convey appropriate drama, absurdity, and ultimately reassurance as Iwai's fanciful, vibrant art, wonderfully detailed and expressive, follows Gramps and Jesse on their imagined adventures. The exciting and sometimes silly story conveys a message about love and sharing, whether it's demonstrated in reading stories, escaping dragons, or falling asleep together in front of the fire. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (August 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395698499
• ISBN-13: 978-0395698495
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,128,804 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

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fire Up Your Child's Imagination!, February 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Gramps and the Fire Dragon (Hardcover)

In this bedtime book, Gramps and Jesse rock in front of the fire. Not sleepy, they imagine pictures in the flames- an apple tree, a garden path, a castle. But suddenly they see a fire dragon! With the dragon chasing them, they scramble up a tree, ride a hot air balloon, race horseback down a mountain, bike through a jungle, and run down a tunnel. When the dragon gets too close to Gramps, quick-thinking Jesse saves the day. This fast-paced adventure keeps kids on the edge of their seats, but the roly-poly dragon is never too scary for little ones. The ending is sleepy and cozy, as Gramps and Jesse fall asleep together in the rocking chair. The brightly colored illustrations depict appealing characters and a delightful imaginary world. A lovely book about a warm grandparent-grandchild relationship, it is also about the wonderful world of the imagination and the joys of storytelling.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm and Charmimg, July 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Gramps and the Fire Dragon (Hardcover)

This book is is full of adventure and imagination. I would recommend this book to any parent or grandparent because of it's content, charm, sense of action, and the wonderfully articulated paintings that give the manuscript direction and life. The book promotes family time, quiet time, and the wonderful comraderie between grandparent and grandchild. The writing was fluid and easy to recite, and the illustrations were filled with vibrant figures, landscapes, and color--lots of warm color!This book was well worth my money. My grandchild and I read it each time he comes to visit.

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Bother, July 10, 2003

By 

hotbiscuitsandsweetmarie "hotbiscuitsandsweet... (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gramps and the Fire Dragon (Hardcover)

This is a silly, shallow story with LOUSY artwork. It did not hold my child's attention at all--or mine. I love good children's books, and this one was a waste of my time and money. Save yours!