The Loathsome Dragon (Hardcover)

~ Kim Kahng (Adapter), (Adapter) "IN BAMBOROUGH CASTLE there lived a king and queen who had a son named Richard and a daughter named Margaret..." (more)
Key Phrases: Prince Richard, Loathsome Dragon, Princess Margaret (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This tale of enchantment and familial devotion is the retelling of a lesser known English fairy tale. Bamborough Castle is the home of a widowed Kking and his lovely daughter Margaret and son Childe Wynde. The King falls in love with a beautiful but wicked enchantress who, in a jealous rage, turns the Pprincess into a dragon. The story of Childe Wynde's quest to free his sister casts a spell on readers. The traditional telling is enhanced by Wiesner's classic watercolors. Few artists depict the medieval world or labyrinthine castles, venomous enchantresses and fair damsels as well; he is attentive to detail, with richly brocaded costumery of the period and architecturally correct renderings of castles and their interiors. The subtle palette of greens, grays and blues achieves a peaceful tonality. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Wiesner and Kahng's 1987 retelling of a retelling of an English folktale based on an 18th-century ballad has been revised with a briefer, more accessible text, some reworked illustrations, a new cover, and an added source note. With her brother Richard (Childe Wynd in the earlier version) gone to see the world, Princess Margaret is left to console her widowed father until his remarriage to a beautiful enchantress. Consumed by jealousy, the new queen turns Margaret into a Loathsome Dragon that terrorizes the kingdom. With advice from a mighty wizard, the people keep the dragon's hunger under control and send a message to Prince Richard to return as only he can break the spell. Despite the queen's attempt to foil this plan, Richard manages to reverse the enchantment, freeing Margaret and turning the queen into a Loathsome Toad by means of a magic rowan twig. The artwork in this version is more vivid, and the softly colored and patterned frames have been replaced with white borders that make the pictures less remote. As in the original, the dragon seems intentionally benign rather than loathsome, suggesting the trapped princess within. The uncomplicated telling and appealing double-page paintings make this a good introduction to the folk genre.–Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; New title edition (April 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618543597
• ISBN-13: 978-0618543595
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #274,671 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not the Same..., November 9, 2005

By	Lenora Heikkinen "writer" (Winnipeg, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The original 1987 release of this book is worth 5 stars, make no mistake. The artwork is still worth 5 stars.

And when I saw it was out again, in a new version, I didn't look past the pictures before I bought it and ran it home.

Then I started reading. And I knew in my bones it couldn't be the same book. I would never have treasured a book that read this badly. So I compared it to a library copy of the original.

Though the authors are the same for this new release and for the original release, most of the text has changed, and for the worse in every case.

Many readers, working only from old memories (If they've seen the book before at all) will only notice that Childe Wynde has been renamed Prince Richard. The new version is shorter, but clumsier. the writing that used to flow ends up awkward. It also talks down to the reader, explaining and repeating itself where the original didn't.

One illustration has also been replaced (The climax page, which is also used as the new cover art) with a similar but inferior version. The rest are not only left alone, the colours are redone, a bit fresher and crisper. I'll grant them that.

Look for the original release. Pay more if you have to. The original is worth it. This is a cheap imitation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great dragon book!, March 27, 2007

A Kid's Review

I'm a 7 year old kid who loves dragons, and this is my second favorite dragon book. (Ignis is my favorite. Ignis ) I like this one because the pictures are cool and the dragon looks great. This is one of my favorite books. I like it because the dragon is a good character and the prince looks better than in most books.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Loathsome at all!, May 27, 2005

By	Rune reader "runewright" (AZ USA) - See all my reviews

I was so pleased to see this book back in print!

I raised my children on a healthy diet of traditional fairytales and beautiful art. This book was one of their favorites. We started searching for it when the grandchildren began to arrive, but couldn't find it. Somewhere along the course of years our copy had disappeared and though everyone in the family knew the tale by heart, we couldn't remember the title. (In our house it was simply known as "The Dragon book"--as though it were the ONLY book about a dragon.)

I stumbled across the Amazon listing and had it on my wish list for a couple of months before it was actually released. When the Amazon copy arrived, I sat down to read the cherished story and was transported not only to "Once upon a time", but to a more recent time when my children and I would read the book together and closely examine the pictures for a wealth of details.

This is a lovely book. David Wiesner's art is wonderful and the tale is told in a straightforward manner that would do a medieval bard proud. If you love fairytales or dragons, you will not be disappointed by the Loathsome Dragon.