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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
A fun story that only loses a star for the slightly strained nature of the rhyme which makes it difficult to read smoothly out loud. Beautifully illustrated though, and more imaginative than your typical children's book about loving your parents, staying quiet, going to bed and being good.
Five bored Vikings go looking for a dragon to make dragon stew. They learn a valuable lesson that you do not want to mess with a dragon. I liked the illustrations in this book but plot wise I would have given it 3 stars. My son really loved it though and so we are giving it 4 stars.
Originally published on my blog, Nine Pages with links.
Now Smallman seems about as enthusiastic about dragons I am, and I understand that Vikings and dragons have a long history, but there are so many echoes of Cowell and of DreamWorks here that it seems nothing so much as a leech to the How To Train Your Dragon franchise’s fame (the movie was released about six months prior to Dragon Stew’s release). In Cowell the bathroom humor of middle-grade boys is age-appropriate. In a children’s picture book, it seems grotesque (though I do recognize that my disgust is also mixed with my outrage at the book so blatantly coasting on Cowell’s success without acknowledging it). For an older audience, I’d love it, and maybe for, say, ages 7-8 (ages which are within the realm of picture book marketing), it would be great. It’s an exciting adventure about bored Vikings who decide to go and hunt a dragon for their stew without knowing what a dragon looks like, battle their way past sea monsters, eat all of their teatime sardine sandwiches, land on a dragon’s island with the help of a killer whale, examine a pile of dragon poo, and then are confronted with the dragon itself, who rather than allowing himself to be chopped up for stew, sets their bums alight. It might be a delightful picture book, but it’s not one I’m likely to read to my children while they are young enough and incompetent enough readers for picture books—and by the time they’re ready for it, I hope we’ll be reading chapter books.
Now Smallman seems about as enthusiastic about dragons I am, and I understand that Vikings and dragons have a long history, but there are so many echoes of Cowell and of DreamWorks here that it seems nothing so much as a leech to the How To Train Your Dragon franchise’s fame (the movie was released about six months prior to Dragon Stew’s release). In Cowell the bathroom humor of middle-grade boys is age-appropriate. In a children’s picture book, it seems grotesque (though I do recognize that my disgust is also mixed with my outrage at the book so blatantly coasting on Cowell’s success without acknowledging it). For an older audience, I’d love it, and maybe for, say, ages 7-8 (ages which are within the realm of picture book marketing), it would be great. It’s an exciting adventure about bored Vikings who decide to go and hunt a dragon for their stew without knowing what a dragon looks like, battle their way past sea monsters, eat all of their teatime sardine sandwiches, land on a dragon’s island with the help of a killer whale, examine a pile of dragon poo, and then are confronted with the dragon itself, who rather than allowing himself to be chopped up for stew, sets their bums alight. It might be a delightful picture book, but it’s not one I’m likely to read to my children while they are young enough and incompetent enough readers for picture books—and by the time they’re ready for it, I hope we’ll be reading chapter books.
Super fun book about five bored Vikings and the trouble that finds them. My son loves to have it read to him.
Fearless, and bored Vikings set out to find something to do, and decide the best bet is to hunt down a dragon and make it into a stew. They were really kind of clueless and funny, but there were some parts that seemed a little bully-ish.
Cute illustrations. Great rhyming structure. The 5th star was for the adorable dog in this book. It's just one of those little things that isn't remotely significant to the story, but was probably my favorite part.
My daughter picked this book out the last time we were at the library, and it was actually really good.
This was a funny story about some bored Vikings trying to find something to do, so they decide to try to make dragon stew.
This was a hilarious, rhyming story that both of my kids enjoyed. The illustrations were colorful, and the story was fun. I’d definitely read this to my kiddos again.
This was a funny story about some bored Vikings trying to find something to do, so they decide to try to make dragon stew.
This was a hilarious, rhyming story that both of my kids enjoyed. The illustrations were colorful, and the story was fun. I’d definitely read this to my kiddos again.
It was kind of cute, I think that mid-elementary students would enjoy the silliness.
Gorgeous detailed illustrations with rhyming story perfection.
Bored vickings are on a mission to make Dragon Stew and set off on their quest. Every tot I know has squealed or grinned with delight as they come across a big steaming, gleaming pile of poo!
Even the dragon is sooo posh drinking his tea? with his curling bib and claw/pinkie raised. He tells them that making Dragon Stew is such a nasty thing to do (I imagine him/and speak his lines with a posh accent).
Does he teach them a lesson? He certainly does and it's hilarious. But do they really learn? As many would often say of kids, "Here we go again" while feverishly wiping brow.
Bored vickings are on a mission to make Dragon Stew and set off on their quest. Every tot I know has squealed or grinned with delight as they come across a big steaming, gleaming pile of poo!
Even the dragon is sooo posh drinking his tea? with his curling bib and claw/pinkie raised. He tells them that making Dragon Stew is such a nasty thing to do (I imagine him/and speak his lines with a posh accent).
Does he teach them a lesson? He certainly does and it's hilarious. But do they really learn? As many would often say of kids, "Here we go again" while feverishly wiping brow.
