A Gold Star for Zog

by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

Overview

From the bestselling creators of Room on the Broom, a tale of dragons, princesses, and defying expectations!

What do dragons learn at Madam Dragon's school?

How to fly. . .

How to roar. . .

How to breathe fire!

Zog is the most eager student in the class, but he's also the most accident-prone. With each test (and each bump, bruise, or scrape), his dream of earning a gold star seems farther away than ever.

But a mysterious girl keeps coming to his rescue. And when Zog faces his toughest test yet, she may be just the person to help Zog win classroom glory!

The beloved creators of Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo, and The Snail and the Whale are back with this tale of an unexpected hero who's good as gold.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781339047263
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/21/2024
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	168,157
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Julia Donaldson served as the UK Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and has written many bestselling and beloved children's books, including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man. She lives in West Sussex in the south of the UK.

Axel Scheffler's award-winning books include Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo. His illustrations have been published in more than 30 countries. He lives in London, England.

Editorial Reviews

A New York Times Notable Children's Book

“[Donaldson] and Scheffler outdo themselves with the smart, funny — dare I say deep? — story of a dragon in training, a princess who wants to be a doctor, and a knight who could use a bit of rescuing. The book gets a gold star too.” — The New York Times Book Review

“...Rhyming entertainment for 4- to 8-year-olds that cheerily combines dragons and a princess with questions of aspiration and destiny." — The Wall Street Journal

"This British import may ease the fears of kids with back-to-school anxiety.” — Booklist

"A delightful new twist on happily-ever-after.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

…[Donaldson] and Scheffler outdo themselves with the smart, funny—dare I say, deep?—story of a dragon in training, a princess who wants to be a doctor and a knight who could use a bit of rescuing. The book gets a gold star too.
—Pamela Paul

The New York Times Book Review

In a fractured fairy tale of sorts from the duo behind The Gruffalo and other stories, Zog wants to be the best student in dragon school, but he crashes into a tree during flying lessons, gets a sore throat from roaring, and ignites his wings with his own fire breathing. A nice girl always appears just in time to patch him up, but she has troubles of her own: she’s really Princess Pearl, who yearns to escape the royal life and be a doctor. Will Zog and Pearl get the happy endings they deserve? And what of Gadabout the Great, a knight who shows up to “rescue” Pearl? Donaldson’s rhymes are somewhat lackluster (“Zog went off to practice./ He tried and tried and tried,/ But he simply couldn’t manage./ ‘I’m no good at this,’ he cried”), but while Scheffler’s characters are straight out of fantasy, they exude a sweet, down-to-earth quality that makes them instantly sympathetic. Readers will get a kick out of the genial self-awareness in his cartooning—on almost every spread, a character glances at the audience as if to say, “Can you believe this?” Ages 4–8. (July)

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 2—In this rhyming story, Zog is subpar at most dragon skills despite being the largest dragon at school. Though he wants to win a gold star, he fails flying, roaring, and fire-breathing, and each time he attempts any of them his injuries are treated by a gentle human who turns out to be Princess Pearl. The kindhearted girl agrees to be captured so that her friend can finally earn his star. She then remains as medic to all the dragons. When a knight in armor arrives to rescue her, she stops the fighting by explaining she'd rather be a doctor than a princess, and the knight agrees to work with her—with Zog serving as an ambulance. Humorous illustrations feature dragons in primary colors with comical expressions in richly colored forest and mountain landscapes. The artist cleverly captures the dragons' enthusiasm and depicts the princess with a long nose and vibrant outfits. Donaldson's rhymes have a bouncing cadence that guides the story's flow. A delightful new twist on happily-ever-after.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

School Library Journal