Customer Reviews

Puff, the Magic Dragon

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My son just received this book for his birthday and I have to admit I was a little more excited than him about the tale. He had never heard about Puff but once he started flipping through the pages so beautifully illustrated, he was excited to read it.

I decided for his first reading we'd follow along with the song. When I was a child it was a favorite in my house, but it has been a while since I visited Honalee and I was anxious to do so. The music is wonderful and Peter and his daughter Bethany make a fabulous singing duet. I sang a long with the song and turned the pages while watching my son's face light up with the words and the pictures. It was fun to see him enjoy something so much that I did when I was his age. This book is already a favorite in our house.

The only draw back for me was forgetting how the song ended. That part always made me cry when I was little and unfortunately I found out it still does. However, because the book continues where the song leaves off, giving Puff a happier ending, my son didn't shed the tears that I did.

On the CD is another fun song and then the instrumental version of Puff the Magic Dragon. This is a classic tale given new life with wonderful paintings. I think it would make a wonderful gift for any child.

Maybe this was my own over-expectation of the book. The pictures are nice and it comes with a CD - so if that is all you are looking for, you might as well give it a 5 star rating. However you should know that the entire text of the story is simply the lyrics of the song set to pictures. True to the original song, this involves alot of repetition of the line: "Puff the magic dragon lives by the sea and frolics in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee." There is no additional text, so you don't get to hear any new details of the characters or any of their adventures. Just the original lyrics under some pictures with a CD. That's it. So personally I was a little disappointed - however that's mostly because I was expecting so much more. There is so much untapped potential - I would love to read new stories and developments regarding Puff and Jackie ... but it's not in this book. PS. A word of caution reading the many 5 star reviews: many seem to be based in recognition of a beautiful song and a nod to their childhood memories ... and I agree. I rate the song 5 stars ... but not particularly this book.

This book is incredible, the music wonderful, and the story of friendship, and the bittersweet aspects of growing up is timeless. Buy for yourself, buy for your kids, grandkids, nieces & nephews, buy for your parents, grandparents and friends. This multi-generational tale will be an evergreen in your family library.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

The classic song about a boy who grows out of his love for a dragon pal lends itself beautifully to a children's book. The illustrations are simple yet intriguing without being overly cartoonish, as Puff and Jackie Paper act out the verses of the song. And the illustrator adds a lovely twist - a new friend for Puff - to help soften the song's bittersweet ending.

I only have two cautions about this book. One is that even with the new ending, the part where Jackie stops visiting Puff is still very sad. Sensitive children might feel heartbroken for a bit. And my other complaint is that the book uses the exact lyrics of the song, except for one place: "Dragons live forever, but not so little boys and girls." Adding girls here completely ruins the rhythm and was unnecessary. Girls won't feel left out, because the illustrations show a girl befriending Puff at the end.

Worth the wait...illustrations are fab! The story is known to all, but the visuals are what really draw you into this book...my 7 year old son has chosen it every night since it arrived as his bedtime story! I've sent it to several adults for their "inner child"...a must have for every library!

I just purchased this book last week, having been absolutely charmed by the illustrations. It sent me down Memory Lane in a nanosecond, and I will be buying additional copies for my grandchildren. As for the absolute and utter hogwash about "Puff" being drug-related, I can only chalk that rumor up to the drug culture of the '60's and '70's, which has left a lot of unnecessary chaos on its wake. Please see the following link to Snopes, which is a great source of determining what is myth and what is truth: [...]

We love this book. It is well made with good binding and sturdy jacket. The illustrations are delightful and my toddler loves the map on the inside cover and tries to map out the adventures illustrated in the book. We don't mind that it is just the lyrics to a popular song as this leaves the rest to my toddler's imagination.

I gave it 4 stars because the CD is terrible and I agree with other comments about the revision to the lyrics. I didn't grow up with the story or the original song so I didn't think the remake and the gender-politically-correct lyric change would bother me, but I agree with the other reviewers: the CD is terrible and so is the mumbling singing. Even the instrumental version of the song was dissappointing. My only recommendation is to listen to the original Peter, Paul & Mary song, specially if reading to a small toddler who is learning to enunciate words.

Do remember that it is a sad song. And although the illustrator gives the song a happy twist at the end (which I personally don't mind since it was thoughtfully done), the lyrics are still sad. My young toddler sometimes tells me to only sing the happy part of the song. But he still LOVES the book. Again, the book itself is simply beautiful.

I grew up with "Puff", but I never quite left that world of wonder behind. I had heard Peter Yarrow never permitted the story to be told in a book til now and seeing this edition, I'm very glad he waited.

Everything about the look and feel of the book speaks excellence and love of the work within. The illustrations are delightful, the poem with all its joys and sorrows is there for us to see.

Plus, they've given us a 4-song CD, including "Puff the Magic Dragon" in both sung and instrumental versions, "Froggy Went a 'Courtin'" and "Blue Tail Fly." Since I have these songs on other recordings, I have not removed them from the book for fear of damaging the interior binding.

"Puff the Magic Dragon" is a great book to introduce young children to the story and older fans who have grown up loving the song will enjoy the book as well.

The quality of this book is incredible. The authors, illustrator, and publisher were obviously invested in making this a special book for children. The cover is thick and cloth-covered, the pages are made of high-quality sturdy paper, and the cd included at the end has beautiful versions of three folk songs (Puff, Froggie Went A-Courtin', Jimmy Crack Corn, and an instrumental version of Puff). No one cut corners in the making of this book or cd--every detail is beautifully done. Even the CD case (built INTO the back of the book) is well-done!

There are several things I like about the story itself. One, the illustrations are beautiful. I will definitely be looking for more of Puybaret's work. The colors he uses, the way he adds touching (and funny!) detail to his simple landscapes, and most of all--the emotion he conveys by the way he draws Puff's eyes (!)...he is a very accomplished illustrator.

Also, I like that the book ends happily. Though the original lyrics are preserved (and no lyrical information is given that Puff finds happiness again), the illustrations show otherwise. Puff's friends (the pirates, the trees and flowers) comfort him during his sadness, and in the end they bring him a little girl to play with. Also, it seems that on the last page an older boy (or man) is looking at Puff and the little girl with a smile--is that the grown Jackie Paper? In any case, I'm glad that the sad ending to the song is appropriately handled for very young children.

As for the "drug" references--other than the words "Puff" and "Paper" and the fact that this is a fantasy book, I don't see any connections to drugs. This is a lovely illustrated song, and my children (5 and 1) adore this book. It is definitely a treasure in our collection.

I have been reading Puff from 1957 to my children,later my grandchildren, and now I will read it to my greatgrand daughter Nevaeh Eve.This book is timeless,and will entertain young and old for many years to come. I have learned that children do not play makebelieve any more and that is very sad,