It occurs to me that I really should give away copies of my new book to a couple of deserving souls who have the immense sagacity to visit Book Aunt...So here's the deal: leave a comment telling us about your favorite fictional dragon (other than my Laddy) and why your pick is so very cool/scary/cute/weird/other. Then you will be entered in a drawing to win one of two autographed copies of The Runaway Dragon!
If you already own the book, comment anyway--you can always give the non-autographed copy away or ask me to sign the book to a niece or nephew.
Being a great believer in randomness, I'll do this for a week or two, depending on how many people participate.
Note: It really helps for you to include your e-mail. If not, I hope your sign-in makes you easy to track down and/or that you will check back.
Update: Talking to Jennifer in the comments of my 9-27 post made me realize that if I were going to pick a dragon based on illustration, as opposed to one from fiction for middle grades, 
YA, or adults (which was what I had in mind when I brought this up), it would have to be the one Trina Schart Hyman created for Saint George and the Dragon. Gorgeous! Oh, but the best picture book overall about dragons is Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like, by Jay Williams and Mercer Mayer. If you haven't read it, I suggest you look for it at your library. It makes a great read-aloud for second and third graders, many of whom will get the joke about how people form their opinions. I used to read it to classes when I was subbing and then have the kids create their own dragons using torn construction paper on black backgrounds.
YA, or adults (which was what I had in mind when I brought this up), it would have to be the one Trina Schart Hyman created for Saint George and the Dragon. Gorgeous! Oh, but the best picture book overall about dragons is Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like, by Jay Williams and Mercer Mayer. If you haven't read it, I suggest you look for it at your library. It makes a great read-aloud for second and third graders, many of whom will get the joke about how people form their opinions. I used to read it to classes when I was subbing and then have the kids create their own dragons using torn construction paper on black backgrounds.
12 comments:
I'm sad to say the only books I've read (that I can recall) with dragons in them are HP1 and HP4. Therefore, I don't really have a favorite dragon to report on. I do have a copy of THE LAST DRAGON by Silvana De Mari on my shelf. Perhaps I need to read that. William read KENNY AND THE DRAGON by Tony Diterlizzi and loved the dragon.
It seems almost too easy to say Puff the Magic Dragon. Oh, I've thought of another one. The Lion in the Meadow by Margaret Mahy (the dragon doesn't actually have any dialogue, but we love the book).
Wellll, I don't really need a copy of Runaway Dragon because I've got our library copy (literally - it's on my shelf and I'm rereading Runaway Princess so I can remember everything) but it would be a cool summer reading prize! My favorite dragon is Kazul, from Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest. Although I'm also partial to Kitten, from Tamora Pierce's Wild Mage quartet.
Tricia, I'll do the drawing in William's name! I confess I ALSO have The Last Dragon on my shelf and haven't read it yet. :)
IB, I love that you thought of Puff! I recently acquired The Lion in the Meadow because a blogger in Kidlitosphere raved about it--will get it out and look at the dragon again.
Jennifer, a reading prize would be great! I'm wondering about K names for dragons now...
Can I nominate Little Dragon from my own book (Hush, Little Dragon)? And I'm doing that solely based on how adorable he is, which I had nothing to do with- it was all Kelly Murphy (my genius illustrator!) :)
I love your blog, though I don't comment much (my computer/browser doesn't play nicely with your comment feature for some reason...) Congrats on your new book! Looks fabulous- hope I win one! :)
I've got to put a plug in for Kenneth Grahame's The Reluctant Dragon (illustrated by Ernest Shephard and later by Michael Hague). I gave the Hague version to my nephew (as I am definitely the book aunt in my family!). And I'm trying to remember what the cover art looks like on Patricia Wrede's wonderful Enchanted Forest series (Dealing with Dragons et al.) I'm looking forward to checking out your dragon!
Boni--Wow, I'm embarrassed I didn't realize that was your book! Very funny, and you are so right about the cuteness factor for Little Dragon (although I would have to say that Kelly Murphy was inspired by your words, speaking as a totally biased fellow writer-type person...). Glad you like the blog, and thanks for the congrats!
Susan--Let's hear it for book aunts! Yeah, that Hague Reluctant Dragon is great. I'm less familiar with the Ernest Shepherd version. The jacket art for the newer edition of Wrede's EF seriesis very fun. The style almost reminds me of certain political cartoons.
My daughter loved listening to Bruce Coville's Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher. She also loves watching Jane & the Dragon on TV (have you seen that? British kids show - very sweet).
As a child, I loved, loved, loved the Dragonriders of Pern series, by Anne McCaffrey.
Congratulations on your book - I'd love to see it!
Mary Ann
greatkidbooks@gmail.com
My new favorite dragon is the one who appears all unexpeted at the end of Hannah's Winter, by Kierin Meehan--a lovely book!
My favorite dragon--and I'm not *exactly* sure this counts is from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. I really like it when Eustace (still being horrid) turns into a dragon.
I do love Jessica Day George's dragons as well. :)
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I think Eustace-as-dragon is an excellent pick. That part of the story is such a funny-sad, off-the-wall example of comeuppance!
I'll say The Reluctant Dragon. I was the shepherd when we did the play in high school.
(Word Verification: preflan. What ingredients are before they're assembled into custard.)
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