Puff, the Magic Dragon [NOOK Book]

( 278 )

Overview

Puff, the Magic Dragon is simply one of the most beloved songs of all time-a classic that's become as much a part of the childhood experience as Mother Goose and fairy tales. Yet singer/songwriter Peter Yarrow and co-composer Lenny Lipton have never allowed a picture book adaptation of this magical tale . . . until now. With Yarrow's and Lipton's blessing, Puff, Jackie Paper, and the land of Honalee finally live on the page.

In richly-hued ...
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NOOK Book (NOOK Kids Read and Play)    
A digital children's book with interactive features and embedded audio that can be turned on or off, for use with the NOOK Color reader
$7.99
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More About This Book

Overview

Puff, the Magic Dragon is simply one of the most beloved songs of all time-a classic that's become as much a part of the childhood experience as Mother Goose and fairy tales. Yet singer/songwriter Peter Yarrow and co-composer Lenny Lipton have never allowed a picture book adaptation of this magical tale . . . until now. With Yarrow's and Lipton's blessing, Puff, Jackie Paper, and the land of Honalee finally live on the page.

In richly-hued paintings of the deepest sea blues and greens, Puff and his friend Jackie Paper frolic in the land of Honalee-traveling in a fantastic boat with billowed sails, climbing red castle stairs onto a balcony to meet with noble kings and princes, and watching pirate ships lower their flags for the roaring dragon. Artist Eric Puybaret has brought an entire magical world into being with enthralling landscapes, color, and characters. And everyone will love the way the art cleverly turns the song's end, which at first seemed so sad, into a surprising and joyful moment.

Best of all-this is only the first of many more collaborations with Peter Yarrow to come!

This NOOK Kids Read and Play book features narration, animation and interactivity. Kids can choose to hear the story read aloud and play activities on select pages of the book. Animations replay with a simple tap. Plus, kids can tap to enlarge text and pinch & stretch to zoom in on pictures.
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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
In his glorious picture book debut, Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton's legendary dragon returns to introduce a new generation of children to his magical world. With striking illustrations by Eric Puybaret, this handsome story sends readers to Honalee, where -- as the song goes -- Jackie Paper visits Puff until he grows too old to stay with his friend (thankfully, Jackie brings his daughter to play with Puff at the book's close). If this ode to the popular song isn't enough, an exclusive CD included with the book features Yarrow, his daughter Bethany, and cellist Rufus Cappadocia performing "Puff" and several other songs. A true publishing event that is a heartwarming addition to any bookshelf.
Steven Heller
…the song's slightly depressing overtones didn't stop me from playing it for my own son, now 18 years old, who as it turned out was not as interested in Puff as I was. This might have been a generational hiccup, since kids rarely show interest in what their parents like, but if this new book version of "Puff, the Magic Dragon," beautifully illustrated by Eric Puybaret and smartly designed by Lauren Rille and Scott Piehl, had been available when my son was small, we might have better experienced the song together. More than 40 years after "Puff," composed by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, was released, this volume (with a CD that includes two versions of "Puff" performed by Yarrow; his daughter, Bethany; and Rufus Cappadocia) brings the land of Honalee to new life…The pastel-colored paintings that fill these spreads are replete with elegantly rendered details of the Honalee landscape, including mountains and palm trees, towers and fantastical small animals and pixies.
—The New York Times

This handsome volume offers a charming interpretation of the 1960s folk song, written by Yarrow and Lipton and famously recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. Featuring a soothing palette highlighted by greens and blues, Puybaret's graceful acrylic on linen paintings are intermittently misty and sunny. Echoing the gentle cadence of the song, the sweeping landscapes and seascapes reveal Honalee to be a magical place indeed, with faces appearing on trees, flowers and rocks. Other whimsical flourishes include the book's affable ancillary characters, including diminutive winged fairies and red-and-white striped dolphin-like critters that wear graduation caps. There is, of course, the inevitable somber moment when "One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more,/ And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar"; the dragon gazes wistfully upon the departing boy and then slips sadly into his cave. But at the creative hand of Puybaret, a French illustrator who here makes his American publishing debut, the song's potentially sad denouement takes an uplifting turn. As the chorus is repeated one final time, the delighted Puff spies a girl approaching-ostensibly Jackie's daughter-a new friend to frolic with in the autumn mist. Youngsters concerned about the fate of Puff's first playmate will be comforted to see a smiling, grown-up Jackie looking on. Adding to the appeal of the book is a CD presenting a new recording of the song (and two others), sung by Yarrow and his daughter Bethany, accompanied by cellist Rufus Cappadocia. An impressive performance all around. Ages 3-7. (Aug.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

A lovely-and indeed magical-shift and the beloved anthem becomes quite a satisfying read-aloud for children (and adults). Co-author Lipton says he had no idea that there was a Hanalei Bay with a lava cave just the right size for a dragon, but that's where Puff lives in Honalee. And though Jackie Paper grows up too much to stay with Puff, in the final images he brings his daughter to frolic with the dragon. Puybaret's acrylic-on-linen paintings have smooth edges, elongated shapes and rich matte colors as well as Bosch-ian touches: On Honalee there are peopleflies instead of dragonflies; the dolphins sport mortarboards and gondolier T-shirts; the deeply non-ferocious pirate captain has a hook and an eye patch all the same. A CD with four songs, two of them versions of "Puff," makes a very nice package indeed, especially since Yarrow sings with his daughter. (Picture book and CD. 4-8)


Praise for the picture-book version of Puff, the Magic Dragon:

[B]eautifully illustrated… brings the land of Honalee to new life.”--the New York Times

“Puff is pure magic.”--USA Today

“[L]ush, stylized artwork…The full spreads feature sweeping panoramas set against the blues and greens of ocean and island with small details revealed throughout.”--School Library Journal

“[S]tunningly beautiful.”--Chicago Sun-Times

“An impressive performance all around."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781402785122
  • Publisher: Sterling Publishing
  • Publication date: 4/15/2011
  • Sold by: Sterling Publishing
  • Format: NOOK Kids Read and Play
  • Sales rank: 8461
  • Age range: 3 - 5 Years
  • File size: 14 MB
  • Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

Meet the Author

Peter Yarrow
In 1959, Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton co-created the beloved song "Puff, the Magic Dragon." As a member of the renowned trio Peter, Paul & Mary, Peter Yarrow has earned many gold and platinum awards and numerous Grammys®, as well as an Emmy® nomination for his animated TV specials based on "Puff, the Magic Dragon." Among the many honors bestowed upon him, Yarrow is most proud of the Allard K. Lowenstein Award, which he received in 1982 for advancing the causes of human rights, peace, and freedom. He lives in New York City.

Lenny Lipton is the inventor of the modern 3-D projection system used in cinemas worldwide and the author of four books on motion-picture technology. He received an award from the Smithsonian for his invention.
 
Eric Puybaret graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Puff, the Magic Dragon was his first book, and he has since gone on to illustrate several others, including The Nutcracker for Sterling, and a picture book edition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow with a musical interpretation by Judy Collins. Puybaret lives in Paris, France.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 278 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(122)

4 Star

(51)

3 Star

(51)

2 Star

(23)

1 Star

(31)
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 278 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 2008

    I remember this song!!!

    I remember this song, cartoon and the Peter, Paul and Mary album that the song is on. This is a great book about a classical and mythological character that I grew up with in the 1960's and 1970's. I read this book in Barnes & Noble and was so impressed that I bought it for my little boy to read with me. This book led to me explaining to my son the song and the hit group that sings it, and I even dug out the album so he could enjoy the old number. Puff the Magic Dragon is a timeless character, song and story that kids will be enjoying five-hundred years from now. We love it!

    49 out of 59 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Sun Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Fanciful for Any Age

    Puff the Magic Dragon has been life long favorite of mine and I'm now 53. I bought it for my granddaughter so she could learn the lessons of growing up as well as enjoy the characters, the story and the great CD.

    This is an absolute must for any child's library

    20 out of 23 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2010

    Too repetitive for me and the kids

    I know the storyline but the book itself doesn't thrill me to read aloud to my kids. I feel like I should be singing it. After once or twice, my kids weren't really into it anymore.

    15 out of 30 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    I won't be buying this book

    You got to be kidding... 11 pages long and for that price. No Thank you. Thanks for the reviews everyone.

    12 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Wed May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Toy Story Read-Along Storybook and CD
    Disney's Finding Nemo (Disney's Read Along Series)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
    Disney's Cars Read-Along

    Great gift, durable book, excellent for bedtime or calming children

    My 7 year old LOVES music and books on CD's! This was given to him as a gift from his grandfather. My son really enjoys having a small CD player in his room that he can put his own books on CD into and read along with and listen to music on. He has a drawer for his CD's and the books that go with them. This is one of his favorites. I also like the size of the book and it being a hardback. Some smaller paperbacks that go with CD's tend to get lost in his room (since he gets to be in charge of them) and they get bent since they tend to be smaller and thin. This one is a really nice size and was a great gift, very durable!

    11 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Feb 09 00:00:00 EST 2010

    Memories

    My Grandson started to cry when he heard the song, but the book saved the day when Jackie brought his daughter to visit Puff. Great illustrations.

    8 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Wed May 04 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Nook Book

    I am glad that I read the reviews regarding the book being so short on the nook. I have the hard cover with the CD and it was less expensive than buying the nook version. Very disappointing that the price is higher, but less quality (should be reversed!)

    7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Sun Oct 18 00:00:00 EDT 2009

    A classic story for young ones

    My two and a half year old grandson loved this gift. He listens to the disk almost non-stop, many days on his way to pre-school and loves the story over and over. He is learning all the words.

    And, it brings back great memories for grandmom too.

    6 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Feb 26 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Not worth the price

    I remember this from when i was little and was quite disappointed in how short & repetitve the book is. Find the song in some other venue if you want to relay this part of your youth to your child.

    5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Feb 16 00:00:00 EST 2012

    fun book

    O.K. I dissed the book earlier because the audio wasn't working, but the BN technical support told me to archive it then unarchive it and now it works and I love it. Can't wait to share it with my grandchildren.

    5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Mon Feb 22 00:00:00 EST 2010

    Puff, the Magic Dragon

    This one is a keeper and should be in your child's library. The disc at the end just adds to the overall quality of this book.

    5 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Dec 05 00:00:00 EST 2009

    A Beautiful Book

    I love this song and the book is book's illustrations are wonderful.

    5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2008

    Puff Meets New Generation

    Puff Meets New Generation Outside, the sky was turning purple, the wind was picking up, mist was already in the air and a tornado watch was in effect. Inside the Roseville, Minn. Barnes & Noble this July, however, magic was in the air. Peter Yarrow, the co-writer and singer of the infamous 'Puff the Magic Dragon' had arrived and so had his fans. Black, white, brown, yellow, young and oldâ⿬⿠every hue and age of people imaginableâ⿬⿠crammed into the store that evening, filling all the chairs, standing alongside bookshelves and settling into the floor space to spend some time with 70 year old Yarrow, from renowned group Peter, Paul &Mary. Children danced, middle-aged adults took a trip down memory lane, singing to the familiar tunes of their childhood and clapping along. Peter, in his khakis, sneakers and brown t-shirt charmed the audience, continually inviting folks to join him on stage to sing along. Everyone awaited 'Puff the Magic Dragon,' but Yarrow threw in a number of surprises and won over the hearts and minds of everyone with his song 'Don't Laugh at Me' from Operation Respect (an organization he has been working with for a decade). 'We are together, no one feels threatened we are experiencing peace,' Peter prefaced. In 'Don't Laugh at Me,' Peter's lyrics addressed virtually every type of personâ⿬⿠fat, thin, Israeli, Palestinian, trendy, unfashionable, poor, rich, white, black, brown and moreâ⿬⿠eyes throughout the room moistened, children silently listened and rocked back and forth. And, then the magical moment that everyone had been waiting forâ⿬⿿'Puff the Magic Dragon.' Yarrow co-wrote the tune in 1959 with Lenny Lipton, while preparing to graduate from Cornell and dealing with the reality that he would have to move on to the next phase of life. And, 'no' Yarrow says, the song is not cryptic code for drug use, but rather about the process of growing up. 'It's about the sadness of growing up and about a child that has an imaginary relationship with a dragon. It's about taking our place to make the world a more humane and peaceful place,' Yarrow explained after his Roseville Barnes & Noble appearance. Yarrow credits his daughter Bethany Yarrow (known for her group Bethany and Rufus) for giving him a new lens on folk music and inspiring him to pursue the book project with Sterling Publishing. Yarrow's daughter mixes folk with modern elements, drums and other genres of music. It was while attending Bethany's concerts and getting invited to join his daughter on stage for impromptu performances that Peter discovered something new. 'The songs they were singing were traditional, but had a fresh energy and perspective.,' Peter said. 'It made me realize that I could take the songs that were important to me and give them a freshness and a vitality. Had it not been for my daughter's exploration on the new perspective on folk music, I don't think I would have considered (doing the project). It would have just been Peter, Paul and Mary without Paul and Mary now it is something special.' And as a symbol of Peter's journey as a musician and as a father, readers of the Sterling published book will find a special treat on the last page, with an image of 'Jackie Paper' as a grown up and a little girl that has appeared to befriend the dragon. 'It is symbolic of my daughter carrying on the music that I love.' Peter sang along with a stage full of children, integrating the cough that he picked up while traveling into the tune and even stopping midway to make a 'non-political' announcement about the opportunity that awaits America in November. About 200 folks lined up to give Yarrow hugs, share stories of inspiration and take photos. The tornado watch turned into a warning, forcing the crowd to move to the basement with Peter. Even with the inco

    5 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Mon Feb 16 00:00:00 EST 2009

    A wonderful book!

    This has been a favorite song of mine since I was a child. My son bought it for me for Christmas and we read it together; the illustrations are beautiful, the story is the same as I remember - basically just the lyrics to the song, and the CD was included. It's a wonderful story of change and relationships - lots of room for discussion with my 6-year old!

    4 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Wed Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008

    I Also Recommend:

    Ladybug Baby Bug

    The Song Is Now A Book

    Puff, the Magic Dragon was a classic song when I was growing up, now it's a book my children enjoy. Enchanting story and illustrations make this book a delight.

    4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2008

    Brings back old memories

    In the 1960's we had ideas of what this song was about, but since reading this book with my daughter I've gained a whole new insight into it, and it's great. This is one of the best books I've read with my daughter since she was born. All of you ex-hippies out there, like me, should buy this book.

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Too repetitive

    I don't know why the book repeats over and over, "Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked..." Pisses you off after a while. I don't recommend.

    3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Great book

    Wonderful book 4 kids

    3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Dec 29 00:00:00 EST 2011

    It is awsom

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Dec 04 00:00:00 EST 2011

    Awesome

    Every one should read this

    3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 278 Customer Reviews
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