The Reluctant Dragon: Illustrated
4/5
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About this ebook
Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. After the death of his mother and abandonment by his father, Grahame went to live with his grandmother in Berkshire, near the River Thames. He pursued his passion for writing while maintaining a career in banking. He enjoyed great success in both endeavors. The Wind in the Willows was originally written in parts and given in letter to his son.
Read more from Kenneth Grahame
The Wind in the Willows - Illustrated by Arthur Rackham Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wind in the Willows: Level 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Reviews for The Reluctant Dragon
139 ratings11 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I promised that I have read this book somewhere, maybe once upon a time, for it is familiar but I just cannot place where. For me the writing was bland and the characters didn't have much of a personality besides annoying, vexing and what the. And to top the flat personalities the main characters with the exception of St. George didn't have names but were called by their place in the book then given with "and that was their skill while they were good at it". It would be interesting to see how Disney ended up re-making this to their own since I did watch a bit on Youtube. Otherwise this is one book whose easy writing and simple drawings will more than likely attract the attention of younger crowds rather than older ones.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A new dragon has moved in and befriended a local boy who knows a lot about literature. Though he’s harmless and a philosopher rather than a fighter, the locals call in a knight. Suddenly there are people wanting a fight, and the dragon has to stage one to get the peace and acceptance he so desires.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Adorable, simple little story of the friendship between a brave boy and a dragon who doesn't want to fight. It's all about peace, man. And friendship. And not making snap judgments.(I read this because it is the source material for the retelling "Kenny and the Dragon" by Tony DiTerlizzi, which expands on this delightful tale quite wonderfully.)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Of course, I had 'The Wind in the Willows' as a child. I truly wish I'd had this story as well. It's less well known - but I'm not sure why.
This is a truly wonderful story-within-a-story: two children, fancying that the snow tracks they've followed from their yard are those of a dragon, encounter a kindly neighbor, who tells them a story - of course, about a boy who meets a literarily-inclined, and unusually good-tempered dragon.
Whimsical, warm and clever. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From a story-in-a-story in Dream Days. Got this because I loved Michael Hague's illustrations for The Wind in the Willows. Not disappointed.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Why did I read it? I had read The Wind in the Willows when I was a child, and only recently discovered that Kenneth Grahame had authored other books, about which I was unaware. This story sounded interesting.What's it about? Two children are following footprints in the snow, when a neighbour calls them in for warming tea, and begins to tell them the story of the friendship between a boy, and a dragon living in a cave up on the Downs.What did I like about it? It's a very nice, old fashioned story for children. Very English.The audio was clear, without any errors.What didn't I like? I think I may have chosen an awful audio version to which to listen. It was a full cast production, but with American actors, and, honestly, it spoilt all the fun of the story. I think if it had been a cast with English accents, it might have been better.Would I recommend it? Oh yes, but not this particular edition. A great bedtime story I imagine.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Reluctant Dragon is about a little boy who discovers and dragon new to the neighborhood, whom he convinces to put on a false battle with St. George in order to win the hearts of the skeptical townspeople. The dragon willingly obliges, and the three participants become heroes to the village. Although this story is a twisted take on the life of Saint George, this would be a fantastic introduction of the saint to young children.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The seventy-fifth anniversary edition of this classic from Holiday House features an introduction from Leonard Marcus offering some interesting historical background.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good book? I liked it its cool so yeah that’s all
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Whimsical story of a dragon who isn't interested in fighting, even when the infamous St George arrives to remove "the scourge". Adults will appreciate the subtle humor.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I had never read this short story before, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Stories from so long ago don't always hold up, especially in terms of vocabulary that a kid can grasp. No such worries here, while there were a couple words that were unusual, they didn't get in the way of my kid's comprehension. There's a frame story that was cute, rather than a waste of time as they generally are, which I appreciated. The actual story, after it gets going, pokes fun at the whole idea of knights slaying dragons in a way that was funny to me, and it entertained my 5 year old immensely.
Book preview
The Reluctant Dragon - Kenneth Grahame
The Reluctant Dragon
by Kenneth Grahame
Cover Image © Can Stock Photo Inc. / Ancello
Interior images © Can Stock Photo Inc. /
julos, clairev, Dazdraperma, VAC
Illustrated Books
PO Box 632
Floyd VA 24091
ISBN 13: 978-1-5154-0291-6
First Illustrated Books Edition
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Footprints in the snow have been unfailing provokers of sentiment ever since snow was first a white wonder in this drab-coloured world of ours. In a poetry-book presented to one of us by an aunt, there was a poem by one Wordsworth in which they stood out strongly with a picture all to themselves, too—but we didn’t think very highly either of the poem or the sentiment. Footprints in the sand, now, were quite another matter, and we grasped Crusoe’s attitude of mind much more easily than Wordsworth’s. Excitement and mystery, curiosity and suspense—these were the only sentiments that tracks, whether in sand or in snow, were able to arouse in us.
We had awakened early that winter morning, puzzled at first by the added light that filled the room. Then, when the truth at last fully dawned on us and we knew that snow-balling was no longer a wistful dream, but a solid certainty waiting for us outside, it was a mere brute fight for the necessary clothes, and the lacing of boots seemed a clumsy invention, and the buttoning of coats an unduly tedious form of fastening, with all that snow going to waste at our very door.
When dinner-time came we had to be dragged in by the scruff of our necks. The short armistice over, the combat was resumed; but presently Charlotte and I, a little weary of contests and of missiles that ran shudderingly down inside one’s clothes, forsook the trampled battle-field of the lawn and went exploring the blank virgin spaces of the white world that lay beyond. It stretched away unbroken on every side of us, this mysterious soft garment under which our familiar world had so suddenly hidden itself. Faint imprints showed where a casual bird had alighted, but of other traffic there was next to no sign; which made these strange tracks all the more puzzling.
We came across them first at the corner of the shrubbery, and pored over them long, our hands on our knees. Experienced trappers that we knew ourselves to be, it was annoying to be brought up suddenly by a beast we could not at once identify.
Don’t you know?
said Charlotte, rather scornfully. Thought you knew all the beasts that ever was.
This put me on my mettle, and I hastily rattled off a string of animal names embracing both the arctic and the tropic zones, but without much real confidence.
No,
said Charlotte, on consideration; "they won’t any of ‘em quite do. Seems like something