How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon) [Hardcover]

Cressida Cowell (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: How to Train Your Dragon

The rollicking sequel to "How to Train Your Dragon" and "How to Be a Pirate" offers a fast-paced plot, slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and imaginative black-and-white illustrations to enhance an exciting tale featuring Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–The misfit hero of How to Be a Pirate (Little, Brown, 2005) returns in another Viking tall tale. Chief's son Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, his friend Fishlegs, and his cranky dragon, Toothless, get separated from their class during Boarding-An-Enemy-Ship practice. The peaceful fishing boat they are supposed to attack turns out to be a prowling Roman galley, crewed by some of the Empire's least-distinguished legions. The invaders are plotting to provoke war among the Viking factions by kidnapping the heirs of Hiccup's own Happy Hooligans and the Amazonian Bog-Burglar tribe. Then, while the locals are occupied, the Romans plan to make off with the entire dragon population of the islands. With the help of Bog-Burglar girl warrior Camicazi and the bumblebee-sized dragon Ziggerastica, the boys must find a way to counter the treacherous plan before they all end up facing combat to the death in the local arena. There is a lot of raucous humor and mock-heroic dialogue; ridiculous names add to the fun. The theme of brains over brawn is well defined. Warriors, Roman and Viking alike, are loud-mouthed, bullying braggarts, easy targets for clever, scrawny Hiccup. The sketchy, childlike black-and-white cartoon drawings are amusing but occasionally indistinct. Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio books (Viking), for slightly younger readers, have a sharper, more literate sense of twisted history, but the broad humor of Hiccup's misadventures will appeal to reluctant readers.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
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Review

'If you haven't discovered Hiccup yet, you're missing out on one of the greatest inventions of modern children's literature.' -- Julia Eccleshare, Guardian children's editor 'Irresistably funny, exciting and endearing' -- Amanda Craig, The Times 20051112 HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON:CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK: 'This book is great fun and has a Blackadderish sense of humour ... full of the sort of jokes that will make schoolboys snigger.' -- Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times 20030309 A super story, inventive, ingenious, perpetually surprising. One to cherish. -- Armadillo, Spring 2003 20030309 A wonderfully wittily written and illustrated story. -- Waterstones Quarterly Magazine 20030401 How to Train Your Dragon is a delightful narrative caper... It offers a challenging read to 11-year-olds, and rewards reading aloud, especially for those who relish an element of theatre at story time. -- Lindsey Fraser, Sunday Herald, Glasgow 20030406 ... raucous and slapstick... liberally illustrated with [Cressida Cowell's] riotous drawings, notes and maps. -- The Financial Times 20030405 [Cressida Cowell] puts a contemporary spin on the old brains over brawn moral and brings the story to a climax with a thrilling dragon duel. Lots for lots of different readers to enjoy. -- Books for Keeps 20030501 Cowell brings Hiccup to life in this silly and delightful little novel. -- St Paul Pioneer Press 20050108 Bulging with good jokes, funny drawings and dramatic scenes, it is absolutely wonderful. -- Independent on Sunday 20030622 'hilarious' -- www.writeaway.org 20030622 'funny and well writen' -- Cheri Lloyd 20030622 'another fiendishly funny catalogue of disaster' -- Pet O'Connell 20030622 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316156000
• ISBN-13: 978-0316156004
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cressida Cowell grew up mostly in Central London. She has a BA in English Literature from Oxford University, a BA in Graphic Design from St Martin's and an MA in Narrative Illustration from Brighton. Cressida loves illustrating her own work, but also loves writing books for other people to illustrate as the end result can be so unexpected and inspiring. Cressida has written and illustrated eight books in the popular Hiccup series. The unique blend of child centred humour and sublime prose made Hiccup an instant hit. How to Train Your Dragon has reached over 100,000 sales and is now published in over 30 languages. A Dreamworks feature film is due to be released in 2010. Also the author of picture books, Cressida has won the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 and has been shortlisted for many others. Cressida lives in Hammersmith with her husband, three children and two cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book!!!Two Thubs WAY UP!!!!!!!!, February 16, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon) (Hardcover)

I liked How to Speak Dragonese for several reasons. It had lots of humor, with that little side of fantasy(both my favorite genres!)I didn't really dislike anything in this book, it was SO GOOD! I think this because whenever there was a "The End," or "And they lived happily ever after," another challenge popped up for the main characters within the next few pages. This creates lots of suspense!
The setting in this book is in the past. They travel by non-motor boat and balloon, not by cars, planes, and steam boats. Once you start reading this, though, you can easily tell that it takes place in the past. It takes mostly takes place in the Barbaric Archipelago, but it also takes place a little in the Sea like a Woden's Bathtub, and the Isle of Berk.
Here's the basic outline of the plot: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third has his dragon, Toothless, stolen by the Roman Empire! He tries to send a search party for Toothless, but before he can, the Romans take him and Fishlegs(Hiccup's best friend)to the Roman Empire,too! They both have to get out of the Empire without getting eaten by dragons!
The main characters in thsi book are:

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third: Hiccup never wants to give up; he is always trying his best in life. He is also somewhat funny.

Fishlegs: Fishlegs is Hiccup's best friend, but he is VERY clumsy, not very good at things, allergic to practically anything, and very scared.

Camicazi: Camicazi thinks she is always better then boys(she is a Bog Buglar, and all Bog Burglars are girls,) an aggressive sword fighter, nad sometimes odd.

Toothless the Dragon: Toothless is a VERY funny and unique dragon. this is becaouse he is so samll, and he has no fangs(that is why he is called Toothless.) He is Hiccup's dragon.
I would recommend How to Speak Dragonese to anyone who likes fantasy and/or adventure. If you like those genres, and you start this book, you wont be able to put it down!(At least I wasn't!)
HAPPY READING!!!!
:);)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Merely so-so, May 30, 2010

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Train Your Dragon Book 3: How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon (Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III)) (Paperback)

These books make Harry Potter seem like literature.

This one was a little better in terms of plot and action, but still plagued with words I would prefer my 5-year-old not repeat: snot, boobies, poo, etc.

Entertaining and memorable, but not high quality.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Speak Dragonese (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III), August 23, 2006

By 

startide (livermore, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon) (Hardcover)

It's always hard to find a book that will keep my 8yrs interested. But from the first chapter to the last he enjoyed the story. The characters and their antics he said where great. He asked me to order the other books in the group even before he finished this one.