The Loathsome Dragon [Hardcover]

Kim Kahng (Adapter), David Wiesner (Adapter)

Book Description

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

A lovely princess, a brave prince, a wicked stepmother, evil enchantments, magic rowan wood, and an immense, scaly dragon. . . . Favorite fairytale elements sparkle in The Loathsome Dragon, a traditional English tale. Majestic, romantic paintings by two-time Caldecott medalist David Wiesner display the remarkable artistry and dizzying perspectives his work is known for.

Now available once again—with several new illustrations, revised text, and a brief source note—this picture-book classic will delight David Wiesner’s many fans, and win him a generation of new ones.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This tale of enchantment and familial devotion is the retelling of a lesser known English fairy tale. Bamborough Castle is the home of a widowed Kking and his lovely daughter Margaret and son Childe Wynde. The King falls in love with a beautiful but wicked enchantress who, in a jealous rage, turns the Pprincess into a dragon. The story of Childe Wynde's quest to free his sister casts a spell on readers. The traditional telling is enhanced by Wiesner's classic watercolors. Few artists depict the medieval world or labyrinthine castles, venomous enchantresses and fair damsels as well; he is attentive to detail, with richly brocaded costumery of the period and architecturally correct renderings of castles and their interiors. The subtle palette of greens, grays and blues achieves a peaceful tonality. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Wiesner and Kahng's 1987 retelling of a retelling of an English folktale based on an 18th-century ballad has been revised with a briefer, more accessible text, some reworked illustrations, a new cover, and an added source note. With her brother Richard (Childe Wynd in the earlier version) gone to see the world, Princess Margaret is left to console her widowed father until his remarriage to a beautiful enchantress. Consumed by jealousy, the new queen turns Margaret into a Loathsome Dragon that terrorizes the kingdom. With advice from a mighty wizard, the people keep the dragon's hunger under control and send a message to Prince Richard to return as only he can break the spell. Despite the queen's attempt to foil this plan, Richard manages to reverse the enchantment, freeing Margaret and turning the queen into a Loathsome Toad by means of a magic rowan twig. The artwork in this version is more vivid, and the softly colored and patterned frames have been replaced with white borders that make the pictures less remote. As in the original, the dragon seems intentionally benign rather than loathsome, suggesting the trapped princess within. The uncomplicated telling and appealing double-page paintings make this a good introduction to the folk genre.–Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; New title edition (April 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618543597
• ISBN-13: 978-0618543595
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > European
  • #38 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Arthurian

More About the Author

David Wiesner is one of the best-loved and most highly acclaimed picture book creators in the world. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have won numerous awards in the United States and abroad. Three of the picture books he both wrote and illustrated became instant classics when they won the prestigious Caldecott Medal: Tuesday in 1992, The Three Pigs in 2002, and Flotsam in 2007, making him only the second person in the award's long history to have won three times. He has also received two Caldecott Honors, for Free Fall and Sector 7.

Wiesner grew up in suburban New Jersey, known to his classmates as "the kid who could draw." He went on to become a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he was able to commit himself to the full-time study of art and to explore further his passion for visual storytelling. He soon discovered that picture books were the perfect vehicle for his work.

Wiesner generally spends several years creating each new book. Many versions are sketched and revised until the story line flows smoothly and each image works the way he wants it to. He creates three-dimensional models of objects he can't observe in real life, such as flying pigs and lizards standing upright, to add authenticity to his drawings.

David Wiesner lives with his family outside Philadelphia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not the Same..., November 9, 2005

By 

Lenora Heikkinen "writer" (Winnipeg, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Loathsome Dragon (Hardcover)

The original 1987 release of this book is worth 5 stars, make no mistake. The artwork is still worth 5 stars.

And when I saw it was out again, in a new version, I didn't look past the pictures before I bought it and ran it home.

Then I started reading. And I knew in my bones it couldn't be the same book. I would never have treasured a book that read this badly. So I compared it to a library copy of the original.

Though the authors are the same for this new release and for the original release, most of the text has changed, and for the worse in every case.

Many readers, working only from old memories (If they've seen the book before at all) will only notice that Childe Wynde has been renamed Prince Richard. The new version is shorter, but clumsier. the writing that used to flow ends up awkward. It also talks down to the reader, explaining and repeating itself where the original didn't.

One illustration has also been replaced (The climax page, which is also used as the new cover art) with a similar but inferior version. The rest are not only left alone, the colours are redone, a bit fresher and crisper. I'll grant them that.

Look for the original release. Pay more if you have to. The original is worth it. This is a cheap imitation.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an enjoyable break from the Disney princesses, January 29, 2008

By 

reading teacher (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Loathsome Dragon (Hardcover)

My daughter is a princess crazy preschooler. I am a mom who is tired of the Disney princesses. This book was a great break. The pictures are lovely. There is both a male and female main character. The dragon is not overly cruel and there is limited violence. The story follows the typical fairy tale story pattern which makes it easy to talk about similarities and differences to other books. I highly recommend the book.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Loathsome at all!, May 27, 2005

By 

Rune reader "runewright" (AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Loathsome Dragon (Hardcover)

I was so pleased to see this book back in print!

I raised my children on a healthy diet of traditional fairytales and beautiful art. This book was one of their favorites. We started searching for it when the grandchildren began to arrive, but couldn't find it. Somewhere along the course of years our copy had disappeared and though everyone in the family knew the tale by heart, we couldn't remember the title. (In our house it was simply known as "The Dragon book"--as though it were the ONLY book about a dragon.)

I stumbled across the Amazon listing and had it on my wish list for a couple of months before it was actually released. When the Amazon copy arrived, I sat down to read the cherished story and was transported not only to "Once upon a time", but to a more recent time when my children and I would read the book together and closely examine the pictures for a wealth of details.

This is a lovely book. David Wiesner's art is wonderful and the tale is told in a straightforward manner that would do a medieval bard proud. If you love fairytales or dragons, you will not be disappointed by the Loathsome Dragon.