The Reluctant Dragon

by Kenneth Grahame

Overview

The Reluctant Dragon is an 1898 children's story by Kenneth Grahame (originally published as a chapter in his book Dream Days), which served as the key element to the 1941 feature film with the same name from Walt Disney Productions. The story has also been set to music as a children's operetta by John Rutter, with words by David Grant. The story takes place in the Berkshire Downs in Oxfordshire (where the author lived and where, according to legend, St George did fight a dragon). It is Grahame's most famous short story. It is arguably much more well-known than Dream Days itself or the related The Golden Age. It can be seen as a prototype to most modern stories in which the dragon is a sympathetic character rather than a threat. In Grahame's story, a young boy discovers an erudite, mushroom-loving dragon living in the Downs above his home. The two become friends, but soon afterwards the dragon is discovered by the townsfolk, who send for St George to rid them of it

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781729533789
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	10/28/2018
Pages:	38
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.08(d)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Kenneth Grahame (March 8, 1859 – July 6, 1932) was a British writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows (1908), one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon, which was much later adapted into a Disney movie.

Michael Hague has illustrated some of the best-loved works of children's literature, including The Velveteen Rabbit, The Wizard of Oz, and The Teddy Bears' Picnic. His lush, detailed watercolors have earned him a dedicated following and a reputation as one of America's foremost illustrators of books for children. He lives with his wife, Kathleen, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Editorial Reviews

The richly expressive prose of Kenneth Grahame continues to delight. The illustrations...bring to life the medieval-village scenes, full of warm colors and busy activities.” —Language Arts

“The telling is delightfully tongue-in-cheek....Hague's paintings...create literal settings with appropriate details to hold our visual interest....His star attraction is an imaginative animal and he makes this reluctant dragon live.” —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher