Customer Reviews

The Reluctant Dragon

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was absolutely my favorite book as a young child about 60 years ago. I am pleased to see that it is still available. Most fables about dragons picture them as dangerous beasts guarding treasure troves, but this dragon is a different sort indeed - an erudite peaceful dragon that had hoped to have a quiet retirement. When a knight arrives to rid the neighborhood of the dragon, he is invited in for tea, and discovers the dragon does not wish to fight. In the classic tale, "Beowulf," the dragon was provoked by someone stealing a piece of the treasure. In this story, the knight finds a quite different means to provoke the dragon into breathing fire (after all, the knight's reputation is at stake). The story has an unexpected ending. The book is suitable for reading to single children or groups of younger children, or for slightly older children (and sometimes adults) to read for themselves.

The original "St. George and the Dragon" story is a frightening tale. Depending on which version you read, the townspeople give the scaly, stinking, vicious, dragon tribute of two sheep per day, and, when they invariably run out of sheep, they begin feeding it their own children. The King is obviously horrified, but what can he do? However, when the lottery selects his own daughter, who should appear but Sir George, (later the patron Saint of England) just in time for the king, if not for the subjects. The daughter worries for his safety, but the knight spears the dragon in its one vulnerable spot, then in a gallant display, borrows the daughter's girdle to drag the wounded dragon down to the town. For his own tribute, George asks only that the citizens become baptized; after this, he cuts off the dragon's head. Not a good ending for the dragon, but then, he wasn't a very nice dragon.

Like others before him, Kenneth Grahame modified this bloody tale for the consumption of the very young, and turned it completely on its head. This dragon would rather sleep than slay, purr than prey, and his true nature is discovered by a tow-headed young boy who gradually becomes friends with the pacifist, poetry-loving beast ("why I wouldn't hurt a fly."). Lay low, he advises him. Naturally, though, St. George arrives, and everyone acts as expected--except for the dragon. He simply refuses to attend his own demise:

"Well, tell him [St. George] to go away," said the dragon. "I'm sure he's not nice. Say he can write if he likes. But I won't see him." The boy, however, understands the underlying social pressures (which echo those of the British class system during Grahame's time) and replies: "But you've got to," said the boy. "You've got to fight him, you know, because he's St. George and you're the dragon."

The dragon, the knight, and the young boy, a person with neither power nor social distinction, make a plan. The plan is simple: Fake it. And so, like one of Vince McMahon's TV "wrestling" matches, St. George and the Dragon have it out, with flames and fury, and, as St. George just barely pierces the dragon in a pre-arranged safe spot. The townspeople, who have brought picnics for the presumed slaughter, were satisfied with the spectacle: "And all the others were happy because there had been a fight, and-well, they didn't need any other reason."

The original story, one of several short studies published in Grahame's "Dream Days" (1898, ten years before Grahame's most famous and beloved work, "The Wind in the Willows") may be found at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=GraDrea.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=7&division=div1. Grahame wrote "The Reluctant Dragon" long at times, and one sees his concerns with religion and nature so evident in the river adventure scene of Wind in the Willows. Inga Moore takes out most of the slower, descriptive narrative (which might be enjoyed by older readers), and focuses instead on the dragon/boy/St. George relationships and the exciting battle. Compare the following excerpts (the first is Grahame's); this is great abridgement except for the inexplicable deletion of the last sentence, a very funny, modernist touch by Graham:

1. Then a cloud of smoke obscured the mouth of the cave, and out of the midst of it the dragon himself, shining, sea-blue, magnificent, pranced splendidly forth; and everybody said, "Oo-oo-oo!" as if he had been a mighty rocket! His scales were glittering, his long spiky tail lashed his sides, his claws tore up the turf and sent it flying high over his back, and smoke and fire incessantly jetted from his angry nostrils. "Oh, well done, dragon!" cried the Boy, excitedly. "Didn't think he had it in him!" he added to himself.
2. Then a cloud of smoke billowed from the mouth of the cave, and out of the midst of it the dragon himself, shining, sea-blue, magnificent, pranced splendidly forth; and everybody said, "Oo-oo-oo!" His scales were glittering, his long spiky tail lashed his sides, his claws tore up the turf and sent it flying high over his back, and smoke and fire jetted from his nostrils. "Oh, well done, dragon!" cried the Boy, excitedly. "Didn't think he had it in him!" he added to himself.

Moore also displays great taste and talent in her beautiful colored pencil and ink drawings. She draws landscapes and houses in a traditional style with meticulous shading and detail, trees show the undertones of illustration from a 1912 publication. The friendly, easygoing dragon is drawn showing an easy confidence and an engaging smile, but he's actor enough to look ferocious when required. He's drawn in one of the most striking shades of blue since the ceramic in the movie "Diva." Overall, Inga Moore honors the original Grahame story while making the story and pictures maximally entertaining for young children. Publisher Candlewick has done it again; this is an extraordinary book.

Grahame's _Reluctant Dragon_ is one of the books I read numerous times as a child. I've also reread it as an adult. One of the reasons I loved it so (I realize now) is that it features a character that most of the others hate because of who he seems to be. The Dragon, who comes to the Downs to find a peaceful life and compose poetry, soon finds himself the target of a campaign on the part of the townspeople to do away with him. His only friend is the Boy, one of the farm children. Through his friendship with the Boy (who does not have a name, as I remember), we realize that although he may be a dreaded beast - a dragon - he is actually not the stereotypical firebreathing, damsel-distressing monster. In fact, he is quite kind and gentle.

When St. George comes, and the plan is to slay the Dragon, the Boy attempts to intercede(...I won't ruin the story for you but I will say you won't be sobbing at the end).

This book was important to me, I think, because I was teased a great deal as a child - I was sort of strange and dreamy and I didn't "look right" for the school I was in. But reading this book reminded me that it was better to be true to myself and who I was than to try (and fail) to fit in. (I just wish I had a friend as good as the Boy.) I think maybe this book would be best for slightly older children, if younger children are going to be read it you may have to do some explaining of the words and the archaic phrases. And the whole idea of St. George and how he is a part of English legend.

I do think that this book is one that imaginative and young-at-heart grownups would appreciate, too. If you are such, and have never read "The Reluctant Dragon", I recommend it.

I bought this book for my future child (due Feb 2006) as part of my growing library. I read it through and thought it was cute, if a bit antiquated (what do you expect for a book that was written over 100 years ago?) Basically, a young boy befriends a dragon. When the townsfolk realize the dragon exists, they call upon a champion to vanquish him, blaming the dragon for crimes that he didn't commit. The boy talks to the champion about his friend and they all agree to stage a fight, rather than fight to the death. Once the play fight is over (the champion only gives the dragon a small flesh wound), it is agreed by all that the dragon will not harm anyone and the townsfolk will stop telling lies about the dragon. Nice moral story.

My only problem with the book is that it has been "sensitively abridged". I'm not sure what that means for "The Reluctant Dragon", but my "sensitively abridged" copy of "The Wind in the Willows" (also by Kenneth Graham) edits out silly things like "splashes of whitewash all over his black fur". If the book has to be so politically correct that it can't even refer to the color of an animal's fur, I'm not sure that I really want to associate with the edition. I'd be curious to compare this edition of "The Reluctant Dragon" with the original text now.

I had forgotten this charming children's book, if I had ever known it at all. That is a real shame, and I am very glad to have made or remade its acquaintance.

This book calls out to be read to a small child. On the surface, the premise is just silly. A gentle dragon introduces himself to The Boy, the only name for our young central character, saying "Now don't you hit me!" The dragon is, in his own words, "a confoundedly lazy beggar." The Boy becomes the dragon's friend and critic of the dragon's poetry.

That means there's a real problem to solve when a dragon-slaying Saint George pulls into town. Everyone, the Boy included, wants to see a little excitement between the dragon and St. George. The saint is a reasonable man, however, and sees the merit in putting on a good show without really harming the friendly (if lazy) dragon. I'll let you enjoy the happy details for yourself, and I don't think I spoil the ending by saying that everyone ends up happy and well-fed.

This is a brief, enjoyable story with a Winnie the Pooh pace and drawing-room manner. It's sweet, gentle, and delicately illustrated. I hope that a new generation of readers and readers-to-be discovers this one, and gets the same pleasure from it that I have.

//wiredweird

I was disappointed to find that this edition is abridged by Inga Moore. My children loved it, and the illustrations are whimsically delightful, but I was expecting and hoping for Kenneth Grahame's original, classic style. For the very young reader, the abridging might be appropriate. My littlest (3.5yo) finds it easier to sit through this shortened version. I noticed that the reference to the badger, which the townspeople were holding captive in anticipation of having "a little fun," was among what was cut -- so again, for a young reader this might be a more appropriate edition. This, combined with the lovely illustrations, was what caused me to give it 4 stars. However, some of the most humorous and witty turns of phrase of the original are missing here, leaving me somewhat disappointed with the end result.

Fanciful and charming. I enjoyed reading it to my nephew and he loved it too. The artwork is lovely also. I'm looking forward to reading it again, with or without my nephew.

Kenneth Grahame's other wonderful story, retold.
But, this time around, what is especially charming, especially rich,
what makes all the difference is something new: the captivating illustrations.
John Segal's images are much more than simply illustrative additions;
they are a stream of the most beautiful, diminutive, vibrant watercolour paintings.
They make the book.

Mr. Segal's art lends color and life to the story -- and his handwritten
excerpts add a dimensionality and energy to the text -- in a way that you
cannot glean until you have the deliriously gorgeous volume happily in hand.
Perfect.

BTW The story incorporates that ever important, inestimably valuable
moral lesson: things may not be what they first appear to be...
or... what we first (and sometimes erroneously) conclude them to be...
to our happy surprise.

Summary: A comical story of what first appears to be a threatening dragon who the setting's people want to slay. The dragon, however, is of no threat. When St. George is sent to "take care of it" the dragon cowers. When faced with this threat he sullenly, but humorously, replies ". . . Say he can write if he likes, but I can't give him an interview. I am not seeing anybody at present" (page not numbered). The three end fast friends and an uncertain threat is no longer a bother.
The author creates a believable character of a harmless dragon. What usually is portrayed as evil and dangerous, the persona of the dragon generates into a believable story. The twist of the dragon being afraid of St. George adds to the imaginable meaning the writer wants to evolve. Carefully setting the story, the author helps establish the voice of the characters. It evolves into a theme that proves that "things aren't always as they appear."

this is a great kids book. and even i love anything that rhymes. thank you so much.