I Am Going on a Dragon Hunt (First American Edition) - Hardcover

Jones, Ariel Jennifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0027480003 ISBN 13: 9780027480009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1987

Synopsis

A child's wanderings take him through tall grass, across a wide ravine, over a mud field, and eventually to a cave where it seems a dragon dwells.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1 A young boy sets out on a dragon hunt expedition which leads him through a wheat field, across a river, atop a palm tree, through a ravine, and squelching through mud. He finds and rouses the dragon, which inevitably begins the chase home to the safety of the living room. A sequence of full-page scenes takes readers and the boy, reminiscent of a John Burningham character, through each escapade. The dragon is appropriately frightening with enlarged, blackened eyes; clawed feet; and a long, green, scaly torso. The watercolor illustrations are composed in different sizes, from half-page to double-page spread. Plot action corresponds with the text, but the vivaciousness of this popular storytelling piece (Going on a bear/lion hunt) is lost in book format. Jones does not include the traditional beginning lines of ``We're going on a lion (or bear or dragon) hunt/ We're not afraid. . .'' which explain what is about to happen and which generate listener enthusiasm and participation. Instead, the text of the first spread, which shows a boy standing at the edge of the tall grass, reads, ``Hello, what's this?'' Stick with the oral telling and its accompanying actions of the imaginary hunt. Mary Beth Burgoyne, Mesa Public Library, Ariz.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Summer camp veterans will recognize the familiar rhythm of this old story-rhyme: "Hello, what's this? It's tall grass. Can't walk round it. Can't leap over it. Have to charge through it . . . ." The young hero of this tale charges, sails, climbs and slides his way to a dark cave, where he encounters a dragon. Aghast, he repeats his progress in reverse, returning safely home. ("Phew! Safe at last.") The story loses something (namely, hand motions and sound effects) in the adaptation to print, but retains a certain charm. Firmin's winsome hero is reminiscent of Maurice Sendak's early work, and her striking use of color contributes to some unusually evocative landscapes. Ages 58.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0027480003
• ISBN 13: 9780027480009
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32