Tag Archives: there be Dragons

An alphabet book that keeps adults interested: Animalia by Graeme Base

Posted on December 1, 2018 by jenny

Animalia is a classic Australian picture book by Graeme Base. I have delightful memories of eating gelato with my sister after buying this book as a gift for the children of some friends I was about to visit. K and … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 4 years and up, Australian, Picture Books, Under 7 years | Tagged 20th Century, alphabet, animals, Australian, children's classic, good out loud, Graeme Base, illustrated, there be Dragons, under 7s | Leave a comment

Take themes of bureaucracy and greed, add non-stop word-wit and shellfish-references, throw in the waning of magic and a very old dragon and you have The Last Dragonslayer: teen fantasy Jasper Fforde-style

Posted on June 22, 2018 by jenny

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde is a story about magic, dragons and red tape. After reading it I concluded that my ideal pet would be a quarkbeast (no fur, funny-looking, loyal and affectionate, not exactly huggable but still better … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 years and up, Contemporary YA, Fantasy, Young Adult | Tagged 21st Century, action, adventure, British, bureaucracy, coming-of-age, convoluted plot, fantasy, fiction, humour, Jasper Fforde, magic, mixed motives, there be Dragons, young adult | Leave a comment

Adventure for kids, humour for grown-ups: Dragon Boy by Dick King-Smith

Posted on May 22, 2018 by jenny

Dragon Boy by Dick King-Smith is another classic dragon story from my childhood by one of my favourite children’s authors (he also wrote The Sheep-pig aka Babe). Orphaned John is found crying in the forest by a dragon, Montague Bunsen-Burner. … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's, Fantasy | Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, action, adventure, animals, British, coming-of-age, courage, Dick King-Smith, drama, fantasy, fiction, food and fighting, good out loud, humour, orphaned hero, parody, there be Dragons, wolves | Leave a comment

Tongue-in-cheek dragonlore: The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base

Posted on April 22, 2018 by jenny

The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base is another delightful Australian picture book that works on multiple levels. Detailing the unlikely tale of how four unlikely people discovered dragons with beautiful illustrations, funny comic strips along the bottom of each … Continue reading →

Posted in 10 years and up, 20th Century Children's, Australian, Fantasy, Picture Books | Tagged 10 and up, 20th Century, adventure, Australian, epistolary, fantasy, fiction, Graeme Base, humour, illustrated, there be Dragons | Leave a comment

The Dragon of Mith by Kate Walker

Posted on March 22, 2018 by jenny

The Dragon of Mith is an Australian kids book by Kate Walker. It’s the story of a vegetarian dragon, a ridiculous number of dragon-slayers, a community of hermits and a blood-thirsty butcher (amongst others). I have vague memories of the … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Australian, Children's, Children's Classic, Fantasy | Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, action, adventure, Australian, courage, fantasy, fiction, friendship, good out loud, hermits, humour, there be Dragons, vegetarianism, whimsical | Leave a comment

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Posted on June 25, 2016 by jenny

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis was my favourite Narnia book as a child – an exciting ocean journey discovering new lands in a quest to find seven missing lords of Narnia. It again features King Caspian … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy | Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, action, adventure, animals, boats, British, C.S. Lewis, children's classic, Christianity, fantasy, fiction, food and fighting, good out loud, grace, Narnia, The Inklings, there be Dragons | Leave a comment