The Winter Dragon [Hardcover]

Caroline Pitcher (Author), Sophy Williams (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Rory is afraid of winter's darkness, imagining that monsters and demons might creep out from the shadows and cold. So, with paint and glitter, he crafts a Winter Dragon of emerald green with a crest of brilliant red. Each night the dragon comes alive to tell him stories of knights and battles, of elf-kings and treasure hoards. Through these dreamtime adventures, Rory grows brave. But as spring approaches, the Winter Dragon has his own dream: returning to his fiery home. Caroline Pitcher's evocative prose and Sophy Williams's atmospheric artwork make this a memorable story of overcoming fear with imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 - During winter, Rory likes to stay inside his warm house and play. One day he makes an emerald green dragon with glittery eyes and a brilliant red crest and places him on his bed. The boy is afraid of the dark, but, miraculously, the dragon springs to life and comforts him with his ability to shine in the night. Throughout the season, the creature keeps Rory physically warm, soothes his fears by standing guard at bedtime, and tells him stories of when the "world was young." However, by springtime, the dragon longs to return to his own home, the "melting middle of the earth" (the wood stove), and tells Rory that it's time for him to go. When winter returns, memories of the dragon and the times they shared help Rory get through the "darkness." Williams's muted, impressionistic illustrations done in oil pastels are suited to this tale of dreams and dream worlds. However, the text is lightweight and underdeveloped. Wavering between being a tale about facing fears and one about a toy that comes to life, the story never comes together. - Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Young Rory makes a dragon, painting him emerald green with glitter eyes and a red crest. It is winter, and Rory hates the dark, cold shadows that surround him at bedtime. But lo! His dragon glows green in the night and warms his slippers and his bed. "I am the Winter Dragon," he proclaims. He even warms Rory's bath and tells him fascinating tales in a tumble of wonderful images: "bonfires and beacons," "elf-kings and treasure-hoards." When spring finally comes, the Winter Dragon explains that he longs to return to the fiery center of the earth, and so he goes. Rory is left filled with the dragon's stories, "like bright armour in the dark." This fanciful tale makes a lovely bedtime telling; its soft but richly textured illustrations, from the quiet of a hushed bedroom to a wild dragon rumpus, strike just the right notes of strength and solace. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books (October 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845073223
• ISBN-13: 978-1845073220
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,469,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great all Year!, August 9, 2007

By 

A. Lake "selkiegirl" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Winter Dragon (Paperback)

This wonderful book is about a boy who creates a dragon during winter to protect him from the shadows and the cold. It is also about letting go of something if by letting it go you can give it a better life. The end is tiged with sadness, but the boy is stronger for it and now is unafraid.