Customer Reviews

The Reluctant Dragon

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This delightful story tells the tale of a boy who meets a kindly dragon on the edge of town. The boy and the dragon become friends and start spending a lot of time together. Then the people of the town find out about the dragon and send for St. George. The boy meets with St. George and takes him to meet the dragon. All three soon become friends and find themselves in a quandry. George doesn't want to kill the dragon and the dragon has no desire to kill George. A plan is hatched and at the end of the story everyone lives happily.

It's really great reading this to younger children. It's got a great message about not prejudging others. It also shows how people can sometimes get everything they want, without anyone having to get hurt by it. That doesn't happen often, but it's nice to be reminded now and again that it can.

The Reluctant Dragon is a mild-mannered specimen of his breed who, unlike the "active and earnest" fellows who used to charge around battling knights, has survived long enough to develop his passion for poetry. He is befriended by an intelligent young shepherd boy, who is placed in an awkward position when the villagers discover the dragon's presence. Although the dragon has harmed no one, the villagers are so aroused that they call on Saint George to battle this "pestilential scourge." When Saint George arrives the dragon flatly refuses to fight, and the boy is left to find a solution to the impasse.

This is a brilliantly written satirical fantasy, lambasting the traditional knight-and-dragon stories and providing a wonderful protagonist that boys of all ages (and many girls) will want to identify with. The fantastical pleasure of friendship with a dragon is enhanced by encounters with the famous knight, a theatrical battle, and plenty of intelligent wit to amuse both children and adults. The language is advanced, suitable for reading aloud or for confident self-readers. Some of the humor will be above young readers' heads, but there is enough action to make it interesting for younger ages.

The original classic version is charmingly illustrated in pen-and-ink by Ernest Shepard (who also illustrated the Winnie-the-Pooh books), but for younger readers a more colorful version may be more appealing. There is a visually pleasing paraphrase by Inga Moore, which unfortunately preserves almost none of Grahame's marvelous prose. The unabridged edition by Michael Hague has lavish illustrations on almost every page, and it is my favorite version.

Author of historical fiction.

This book is a treasure for your library. It brings endless pleasure, and is the kind of story that spans all ages.

It is the tale of a boy and his dragon who lives up on the Downs. In spite of the bad reputation dragons have, the boy and he become quick friends. Saint George shows up to do battle with the reluctant lizard, and the boy arranges a mock battle, unbeknown to the villagers that pleases everyone.

This is a wonderful story that can be enjoyed by all ages. But because of some of the archaic phrasing I would not recommend it to students under the age of 8.

I wanted to get a copy of this book because it is a companion to the book Kenny and the Dragon which was a recent honor book. I am using it in my classroom as a read aloud and then we will do a compare and contrast lesson with it. thanks for prompt service at a great price for teachers!

We started with Inga Moore's beautifully illustrated version of The Reluctant Dragon, discovered at the library, but it turned out to be abridged (which does have its advantages for younger readers.) This is the real thing, with the full original text. Kenneth Grahame's witty prose is amusingly penetrating. I had to walk my then 5yo son through it the first time, but he has taken it off and read it by himself many times since. Since he read at a 5th grade level at age 5, he was able to manage many of the nuances for himself after reading it with me once, and it will grow with him as he matures and becomes better able to decipher the intent behind Kenneth Grahame's story.

Meanwhile, I love it myself! It is charming and hilarious, with a satisfyingly happy ending for all (even the badger). Michael Hague's idea of the dragon is not what I would have pictured, making me think of Bilbo and Smaug for some reason, but the rich detail--especially in one of the first full-page illustrations where the boy is reading on his bed--is stunningly gorgeous and makes me want to pore over the book again and again. In addition, though a paperback, the pages are glossy and sturdy and are holding up well.

Definitely recommend this one.

I've purchased both the DVD and the book to give to my friends' grandchildren. I've watched the DVD and found it to be a lovely story for children.

It was an unexpected book because I thought the dragon was bad. But the boy and the dragon got to be friends. When St. George came I thought he would kill the Dragon. I'm not going to tell the rest. But the book is the opposite of what you would expect.

Cute and entertaining; not THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, nor much like it, but a good short read, especially for dragon-lovers

I love this story but am interested to know the illustrator. If it is Marlene Ekman's illustrations in the hardcover version then it is the best publication. Her pictures add real life to this wonderful child's story.