How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon Series #3)

by Cressida Cowell

Overview

Don't miss a moment of the How to Train Your Dragon series, the bestselling, funny, action-packed books that inspired the hit movies!

The story begins when Hiccup, his friend Fishlegs, and his cranky dragon Toothless get separated from their class during Boarding-an-Enemy-Ship practice. They accidentally board a prowling Roman galley intent on provoking war. When they rescue a tiny nanodragon, they uncover a plot to steal every dragon on the Isle of Berk!

This is just the start to an epic adventure that will have kids laughing from start to finish, and shines with Cressida Cowell's trademark blend of action, humor, heart, and engaging illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316085298
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/01/2010
Series:	How to Train Your Dragon Series
Pages:	221
Sales rank:	92,570
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	910L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Cressida Cowell lives in London with her husband, Simon; children Maisie, Clementine, and Alexander; and two cats, Lily and Baloo. In addition to translating Hiccup's memoirs, she has written and illustrated picture books including Hiccup, the Viking Who Was Seasick, Little Bo Peep's Library Book, and That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown. Her website is www.cressidacowell.co.uk.

Editorial Reviews

Thirteen-year-old Rowan and 11-year-old Nina went to stay with their eccentric great-aunts in Maine after their mother was killed in The Golden Hour (which PW called "an entertaining novel"). The Hour of the Cobra by Maiya Williams, finds the two headed to Egypt to save some ancient scrolls and they accidentally change the course of events in their own time. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 3-5-The misfit hero of How to Be a Pirate (Little, Brown, 2005) returns in another Viking tall tale. Chief's son Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, his friend Fishlegs, and his cranky dragon, Toothless, get separated from their class during "Boarding-An-Enemy-Ship" practice. The peaceful fishing boat they are supposed to attack turns out to be a prowling Roman galley, crewed by some of the Empire's least-distinguished legions. The invaders are plotting to provoke war among the Viking factions by kidnapping the heirs of Hiccup's own Happy Hooligans and the Amazonian Bog-Burglar tribe. Then, while the locals are occupied, the Romans plan to make off with the entire dragon population of the islands. With the help of Bog-Burglar girl warrior Camicazi and the bumblebee-sized dragon Ziggerastica, the boys must find a way to counter the treacherous plan before they all end up facing combat to the death in the local arena. There is a lot of raucous humor and mock-heroic dialogue; ridiculous names add to the fun. The theme of brains over brawn is well defined. Warriors, Roman and Viking alike, are loud-mouthed, bullying braggarts, easy targets for clever, scrawny Hiccup. The sketchy, childlike black-and-white cartoon drawings are amusing but occasionally indistinct. Jon Scieszka's "Time Warp Trio" books (Viking), for slightly younger readers, have a sharper, more literate sense of twisted history, but the broad humor of Hiccup's misadventures will appeal to reluctant readers.-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

"Vikings, dragons, Romans and mayhem cavort across the pages in their usual irreverent and hilarious style."—School Librarian

"Good jokes, funny drawings and dramatic scenes."—Daily Echo

"If you haven't discovered Hiccup yet, you're missing out on one of the greatest inventions of modern children's literature."—Julia Eccleshare, Guardian

"This book is great fun and has a Blackadderish sense of humour... full of the sort of jokes that will make schoolboys snigger."—Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times

"How to Train Your Dragon is a delightful narrative caper... It offers a challenging read to 11-year-olds, and rewards reading aloud, especially for those who relish an element of theatre at story time."—Lindsey Fraser, Sunday Herald

"Raucous and slapstick...liberally illustrated with [Cressida Cowell's] riotous drawings, notes and maps."—The Financial Times

"[Cressida Cowell] puts a contemporary spin on the old brains over brawn moral and brings the story to a climax with a thrilling dragon duel. Lots for lots of different readers to enjoy."—Books for Keeps

From the Publisher

[Editors' Note: The following is a combined review of HOW TO CHEAT A DRAGON'S CURSE and HOW TO SPEAK DRAGONESE.]--Even without the humorous artwork of the print editions, narrator David Tennant keeps the spirit of fun alive with over-the-top portrayals of the many goofy warriors in the continuing memoirs of young Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. It’s curious to hear Tennant’s Scots brogue delivering the speech of Norse Vikings, and his Roman soldiers sound more like stereotypical Italian immigrants than ancient legionnaires. However, these inconsistencies will likely be missed by young fans of adventure and humor. Dragon translations, statistics, and other “factual” digressions are delineated with introductory music and a professorial tone. Transitional music separates the short chapters but is often too loud, dictating frequent volume changes. Tennant is probably best known as Doctor Who and HARRY POTTER’s Barty Crouch, Jr. L.T. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2013 - AudioFile