The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup [Paperback]

Rosemary Sutcliff (Author), Emma Chichester Clark (Illustrator)

Book Description

When a minstrel's adopted dragon pup is stolen by a wicked showman, the minstrel's songs suffer accordingly.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW called this tale of a minstrel who discovers an unusual egg "captivating" and "timeless," and, combined with Clark's Piero della Francesca-inspired artwork, "a truly elegant package." Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-- In this elegant picture-book fantasy, a dragon's abandoned egg is awakened to life by a minstrel's song. The young creature and the solitary young man become true friends, until the dragon pup is abducted by an evil traveling showman. In the end, they are happily reunited, and an ailing prince has been miraculously healed as well. Sutcliff has taken folkloric elements and made them into a tale that seems both timeless and fresh. She claims to know the real truth about dragons, and provides readers with enchanting variations on familiar details. Clark's glowing oil pastels truly illuminate the telling. This is a land that seems commonplace yet exotic: there are castles, inns, . . . and palm trees. The dark borders enhance the ceremonial, formal tone. Even the page layouts help express the story's nuances: small intense pictures show the hasty abduction, while a luxurious double-page spread depicts the love between the minstrel and the dragon. All in all, this is a remarkable collaboration that sophisticated readers will take to right away. It may need to be introduced to children who are not used to a graceful pace and literary style, but the effort will certainly be worthwhile, and all youngsters are sure to respond to the book's beauty and emotional power. --Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; First Printing edition (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564026035
• ISBN-13: 978-1564026033
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,637,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rosemary Sutcliff wrote more than 40 historical novels for young adults-including The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, The Lantern Bearers, The Sword and the Circle, and Black Ships Before Troy-five adult novels, and several books of nonfiction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Endearing Tale of a Minstrel and His Favorite Pet, May 4, 2010

By 

Terri J. Rice "ricepaper" (WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Minstrel and the Dragon Pup (Paperback)

Rosemary Sutcliff is a superb writer, she has taken many of the ancient classics like the Iliad and Odyssey and brought them to a child level without losing the content and poetry of the stories.

Here, she has written a book for elementary age children and like always had made it a very well told tale.

The minstrel's dragon pup is stolen from him one night at an inn and a long time later he finds his dragon at a king's menagerie and he wants the dragon back without incurring the wrath of the king. This story is endearing and any child will relate to the relationship between a favored pet and a young boy.

The illustrations, as in all her books, are excellent. Rosemary Sutcliff manages to entertain the adult reading aloud as well as the child, and that makes for a very good children's book.

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I had a dragon pup like this!, November 4, 2005

By 

Luna (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup (Hardcover)

My 6 year old daughter just loves this book. The dragon is so endearing, he's so much like a sweet little puppy. Her favorite part is where the minstrel rubs his tummy. It's a wonderful story of friendship with a gentle feel to it. I highly recommend it to anyone!

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BOOK FOR AGES 0 - ?, November 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup (Turtleback)

I DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY.I'V READ THE BOOK EVER SENCE THE 5TH GRADE AND LOVED IT.KNOW I'M A TOTAL DRAGON FREAK.IF YOU LIKE FANTSY OR CHILDRENS BOOKS YOU SHOULD READIT.