The Dragons Are Singing Tonight - Hardcover

Prelutsky, Jack

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068809645X ISBN 13: 9780688096458

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 1993

Synopsis

From beloved children's poet Jack Prelutsky and acclaimed illustrator Peter Sis comes a fierce, fanciful series of poems all about dragons: dragons fierce and dragons friendly; dragons' lairs and dragons' eggs; even a menacing dragon living inside a computer—all spring to life in these enchanting poems and paintings. 

"Prelutsky and Sis bring to life so many sorts of dragons: the large, the small, the ferocious, the technological, the gentle, the ominous, and the disconsolate. There's a `just right' quality to the verse that makes it a pleasure to read the words aloud. Because it appeals on so many levels, this is one poetry book that won't sit on the shelf for long."—Booklist.

This New York Times Notable Book of the Year is a wonderful introduction to the pleasures of poetry and word play from a master of the genre, Jack Prelutsky.

About this title

About the Authors

Jack Prelutsky is the best-selling author of more than fifty books of poetry, including The New Kid on the Block, illustrated by James Stevenson, and Stardines Swim High Across the Sky, illustrated by Carin Berger. Jack Prelutsky lives in Washington State.

Peter Sís is an internationally acclaimed author, artist, and filmmaker. Among his works are three Caldecott Honor books: The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain; Tibet: Through the Red Box; and Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. He has illustrated five other novels by Sid Fleischman, including the Newbery Medal book The Whipping Boy. He lives with his family in New York State.

From the Back Cover

Once They All Believed In Dragons

Once they all believed in dragons
When the world was fresh and young,
We were woven into legends,
Tales were told and songs were sung,
We were treated with obeisance,
We were honored, we were feared,
Then one day they stopped believing--
On that day, we disappeared.

Now they say our time is over,
Now they say we've lived our last,
Now we're treated with derision
Where we once ruled unsurpassed.
We must make them all remember,
In some way we must reveal
That our spirit lives forever--
We are dragons! We are real!

"An excellent collection....Prelutsky and Sis...bring to life so many sorts of dragons: the large, the small, the ferocious, the technological, the gentle, the ominous, and the disconsolate. There's a `just right' quality to the verse that makes it a pleasure to read the words aloud. Their sounds fit together with seamless craftsmanship and their sense rewards listeners with humor, imagination, and occasional poignancy....Because it appeals on so many levels, this is one poetry book that won't siton the shelf for long."--Booklist.

Reviews

Grade 1-4-A combination of author, illustrator, and subject that is certain to have a great deal of appeal. Dragons are verbally and visually portrayed in this collection with wonder, whimsy, and a touch of wistfulness. The 17 poems are presented on large double-page spreads with a delightful juxtaposition of the ancient and modern, real and imaginary. Gold tones appear throughout with the addition of symbols and images from the poems in the border frames. The oil and gouache paintings on a gesso background have marvelous details and unexpected bursts of humor. Although not all of the entries have Prelutsky's rollicking read-aloud quality, the richness of his language and the playfulness of the imagination are abundant; and Sis's illustrations are charmingly unique, sometimes deceptively simple, and certainly filled with the kind of playful wizardry that invites viewers to return again and again to these pages.-Kay E. Vandergrift, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Prelutsky ( Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast ) and Sis ( An Ocean World ; Komodo! ) outdo themselves with this fanciful series of poems about dragons. Prelutsky wrings a range of surprising verse from a seemingly limited theme. Stock images get a face-lift: in "A Dragon's Lament," for example, the narrator declares, "I'm tired of being a dragon, / Ferocious and brimming with flame, / The cause of unspeakable terror / When anyone mentions my name." An unerring sense for rhythm lends punch to the light verse, while more atmospheric selections, like the title poem, conjure up a fantasy world, where dragons come out of their lairs and "sing of their exploits of old / Of maidens and knights, and of fiery fights / And guarding vast caches of gold." Sis adds a new depth to Prelutsky's poetry. The artist's trademark antique gold borders enclose dramatically colored full-spread oil and gouache paintings. Old-fashioned imagery collides happily with whimsy: a Tenniel-style girl "walks" her leashed dragons, which soar in the air like kites; an ailing scaly dragon, reclining in its fairy-tale-like stone house, sips from tanks of gasoline; a goggle-wearing pilot in an open-air cockpit steers a mechanical dragon made from charmingly low-tech components (an umbrella serves as propellor). An enchanted pairing. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Eighteen deftly fashioned verses in the trademark Prelutsky style, with catchy rhythms, clever rhymes, and witty wordplay and conceits (``If you don't believe in dragons,/It is curiously true/That the dragons you disparage/Choose to not believe in you''). For each, Sis provides a large, gloriously imaginative spread featuring innovative variations on traditional dragons, in wonderfully fantastical or entertainingly ordinary settings (``I have a secret dragon/Who is living in the tub...''). A must for dragon fanciers and for all those who enjoy light verse. (Poetry/Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 068809645X
• ISBN 13: 9780688096458
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Sis Peter
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40