Kenny & the Dragon

I read this aloud to my children and they couldn't wait to start the next book!

I've slowly been making my way through a long list of books recommended to me by a librarian friend of mine, and besides her review, the other thing that caught my attention was the lovely cover art. It had a cozy charm to it that reminded me of Beatrix Potter's illustrations (and ironically enough, both her stories and this one features anthropomorphic animals). And what I got was exactly that.In a world of anthropomorphic characters (meaning animals that talk and behave like humans), a young rabbit named Kenny is surprised one day to find a dragon making a home for himself on Kenny's family farm. But said dragon, named Grahame, is nothing like the old fairy tales make dragons out to be. He doesn't have a single vicious bone in his body, and would rather play games in the fields, bake, and read books. The two quickly become the best of pals, but their friendship is soon in jeopardy when the townsfolk discover Grahame and want him removed--going so far as to recruit Kenny's other friend, a librarian (and retired knight) named George, to kill the dragon. Will the town's fear and misunderstanding make Kenny lose two friends? Or can the young rabbit find a clever way to avert a disaster?Supposedly, this book is a retelling of the story, "The Reluctant Dragon" (and even the book says as much at the end). I've never read the original story (nor seen the Disney adaption), so I can't comment on how similar or different this new version is by comparison. But none the less, this is a short, but sweet story about two unconventional best friends. While I wouldn't call Kenny an outcast, he IS pegged as a bit of an oddball amongst his classmates, with an active imagination and a passion for reading. And though his parents aren't as bookish as him, they still love and support their son and do whatever they can to help out his new dragon friend. As for Grahame, he's probably one of the nicest dragons you'll ever find in literature--preferring to eat baked goods and read all day, and finding the very notion of eating princesses and burning down villages utterly deplorable. His odd lifestyle is a welcome change of pace, but it's also what lands him in hot water when an old knight is forced out of retirement to slay him. The last thing Grahame wants to do is fight, and when George discovers the dragon's friendly nature, neither does he. But the fearful and superstitious townspeople won't see reason, and only through some clever ingenuity do our heroes find a way to make everyone happy.With clever dialogue and lovely illustrations, this is a cute little fairy tale that both kids and adults will enjoy, with lessons about being yourself, not giving into fear or rumors, using brains over brawn, and friendship conquering over adversity.

I just love this book!

It’s such a sweet, adventure story about friendship. I read it to my sons when they were 11 and 8 years old. Then I bought it for a friend and her 7 year old son.

We just started reading the book. Our son was hooked after 5 pages. He’s begging us to order the sequel already.There is older vocabulary in the book, which is great. We stop reading and flip open dictionary.com. It’s a perfect exercise of using context clues and dictionaries to understand and build a vocabulary.The drawing are amazing! It really helps to keep younger kids engaged in the book.

This is a simple, cute story with beautiful illustrations. Very charming and engaging for young ones.

Used for VA school system 1st grader

Perfect for bedtime. Reading to my 5 year old and 9 year old. They both love the adventurous story!!

Fast delivery and great product. Thank you

Kenny and the Dragon is in reality a rewrite of Kenneth Graham's original "the Reluctant Dragon"... and are in many ways similar to this treasured classic! That being said, Tony does a marvolous job, the characters are lovable and funny, and the illustartions are, as usual, out of this world! I am, and wil always be, a Tony fan! It gave me warm memories of "Wind in the Willows" as well as Beatrix Potter and Brambly Hedge... I guess I love talking woddland critters! Tony mentions K. Graham many times over in his story and I feel it is ment as a tribute to a great author from the past!well worth a read, and well worth a look even if it is just for the illustartions! But I really did enjoy it... reading it was like eating starwberries and cream on a summers day!

What a great story. Well written and heartwarming.

Lo compre con la intención de regalarlo, la caliad del libro es buena, buena historia y bonitas ilustraciones, el único pero es que la edición se me hizo un formato no adecuado para niños ya que lo siento muy pequeño.

Kenneth, den alle nur Kenny nennen, ist ein kleiner Hase mit einem großen Problem. Während in dem kleinen Städtchen Roundbrook die meisten Einwohner Farmer sind, steckt Kenny seine Nase lieber in Bücher und träumt von großen Entdeckungen und Erfindungen.Einer seiner Freunde ist George, der Bibliothekar des Ortes, der mit Kenny über alles Mögliche plaudert und nebenher immer für eine gute Partie Schach zu haben ist.Doch da ist auch noch Grahame, ein weiterer Freund von Kenny und dieser ist ein Drache. Allerdings einer von der friedlichen, klugen, gebildeten Sorte, der zwar Feuer speien kann, aber viel lieber Theater spielt und eine gute Creme Brûlée zu schätzen weiß.Davon wissen aber die Bewohner des Städtchens nichts, sie sehen in dem Drachen nur eine Bedrohung und wollen ihn sofort weghaben. Deshalb rufen sie auch lauthals nach einem Drachentöter.Der König beauftragt daraufhin auch einen und dieser ist - niemand anderes als George!Und genau darin besteht das große Problem von Kenny. Wie nur soll er verhindern, dass seine beiden besten Freunde gegeneinander kämpfen und wie kann er den Einwohnern von Roundbrook klar machen, dass Grahame der Drache absolut keine Gefahr für sie darstellt?"Kenny and the Dragon" von Tony DiTerlizzi (geschrieben 2008) ist eine herzerwärmende Geschichte über Freundschaft, Mut und die Verschiedenheit und Unterschiedlichkeit von Wesen, die einen Weg finden müssen, um gemeinsam miteinander auszukommen.Sich an die klassische Geschichte von St. George und dem Drachen anlehnend, erzählt der Autor auf knapp über einhundertfünfzig Seiten voller Humor, Tiefgang und Wärme.Die handelnden Figuren sind so beschrieben, dass man mit ihnen fiebert und Anteil nimmt, an dem, was da geschieht.Besonders erwähnenswert sind die liebevoll gestalteten Illustrationen, die das Buch zu etwas ganz Besonderem machen und gleichzeitig dafür sorgen, dass die Geschichte noch intensiver vermittelt werden kann.Als Vorlesebuch genauso geeignet, wie auch zum Selberlesen für jüngere Leser. Doch ebenso werden Erwachsene ihre helle Freude haben an der Handlung, die Tony DiTerlizzi da wie einen farbenprächtigen, mittelalterlichen Teppich entfaltet.Fünf Sterne für eine Tiergeschichte, die doch viel mehr ist, denn sie vermittelt dem Leser auf unaufdringliche Weise wertvolle Lektionen und schafft es dabei, auf das Beste zu unterhalten.