Once Upon a Dragon: Stranger Safety for Kids (and Dragons) [Paperback]

Jean E Pendziwol (Author), Martine Gourbault (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

After a thump-bumping ride on a slide, a little girl and her dragon friend find themselves inside a fairy-tale book. The stories are familiar, and there's lots of silly fun as the dragon is transformed into fairy-tale characters. But danger lurks in the form of strangers -- including the hungry wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood" and Snow White's evil stepmother. And it's up to the girl to keep an eye on the dragon, who walks alone through deep dark woods and takes treats from people he doesn't know. Little by little, the girl teaches her irrepressible friend to be careful about strangers. The winning combination of fairy-tale adventure and concrete safety information -- including the Dragon's Stranger Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book -- provide the perfect starting point for discussions with children about stranger safety.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–In this breezy rhyming text, a little girl and her dragon friend enter a fairy-tale world and meet up with villains such as the big bad wolf, the queen from Snow White, and the fox from The Gingerbread Boy. In each instance, the stranger attempts to entice the girl and her friend to go somewhere with them, or to eat something. While the dragon sometimes wants to give in, the child is always adamant, such as when the queen attempts to give it an apple. Dragon!…/You don't know it's safe; it could make you quite sick./Don't fall for that evil Queen's horrible trick. The book also shows children how seemingly helpful strangers, like the footmen from Cinderella, shouldn't be trusted if they don't know them. The illustrations depicting the different fairy-tale characters help move the text along and allow younger readers to identify the stories. This is a solid addition to most collections, and a wonderful title to include in a safety kit or bibliography.–Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Dealing with strangers is the topic of this Canadian picture book created by the writer and the illustrator of No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons) (1999). A wild ride down a twisty slide propels a girl and her pal (a dragon) into a land of fairy tales. There the dragon, whose dress and appearance magically change as it portrays various characters (Red Riding Hood, the Gingerbread Man, Cinderella), falls for one storybook ruse after another. The girl protects her foolhardy green friend from pitfalls such as taking advice from a wolf, accepting candy offered at the gingerbread house, and getting into a stranger's carriage. Children familiar with the original tales will enjoy identifying the old favorites referenced here. The final pages advise parents on how to discuss "stranger safety" with children. As in the earlier book, rhymed couplets carry the story along nicely, while colorful illustrations offer action and occasional bits of humor at the hapless dragon's expense. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553379691
• ISBN-13: 978-1553379690
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Safety
  • #98 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Dragons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing, August 10, 2009

By 

Debra (Rochester, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once Upon a Dragon: Stranger Safety for Kids (and Dragons) (Paperback)

I'm surprised this book got such good reviews. No Dragons for Tea is MUCH better by a long shot, but this one was disappointing.

The story moves very quickly and focuses heavily on avoiding sketchy looking characters that the little girl (who looks like a boy) is already aware are dangerous. At one point she says, "You don't know [the apple is] safe; it could make you quite sick. Don't fall for that evil Queen's horrible trick." At another point they meet a fox and the girl says, "Now I couldn't remember how this story went, and whether the fox really said what he meant."

I don't mean to nit pick, but what's the take home message from that? Don't talk to people that you know are trying to trick you?

It's not really clear who should be trusted. At the end, the fairy godmother (who is making her first appearance as such) is apparently trustworthy but we're not given a reason why. The little girl says, "'Dragon! Look there. I think she might know.' So we asked that safe stranger which way we should go."

Why is the godmother safe? Why are the others dangerous? We're really not given a reason. Children lack judgment for such things and should be taught the "check first" rule instead of some confusing attempt at stranger danger. The parents' guide at the end is along the "check first" side of things, but that's pretty much negated by the story.

"I Can Play It Safe" by Alison Feigh is a MUCH better book and I would recommend that one instead.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute Story With an Important Lesson, March 13, 2009

By 

Picky Mom (Indianapolis) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Once Upon a Dragon: Stranger Safety for Kids (and Dragons) (Paperback)

This is the first book in the "dragon series" that we came across. We now have the entire collection and often give the sets as presents. These stories are a fun way to deliver important messages in a non-threatening way. The rhyming text is a joy to read and both of my sons (3 and 5) have enjoyed them.

Since this book walks you through a series of traditional children's stories, it is a good idea to give your child an appreciation for the original story line. Even if they don't have that background (which mine did not the first time), they will likely still enjoy it. They just won't see the humor in it.

Enjoy!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this book!, March 15, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Once Upon a Dragon: Stranger Safety for Kids (and Dragons) (Hardcover)

I love this book! It's a wonderful way to learn about stranger safety and its fun too. The dragon is so cute and funny. When I was little i really liked No Dragons for tea because i used to be scared of fires. I read this book to my little brother.