The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
Jack Prelutsky
Greenwillow Books
Fiction, YA Poetry
*****
DESCRIPTION: A collection of whimsical poems from Jack Prelutsky, all about dragons of many shapes, sizes, and dispositions. Illustrations by by Peter Sís.
REVIEW: I admit my higher rating may be due to the subject matter, but this is my review column, after all. Prelutsky's verses simply sing, bringing to life many fun draconic creations. Charming poems, amusing illos... a must-have for any dragon-lover of any age!
You might also enjoy:
Tales of Great Dragons (J. K. Anderson, YA Fiction - A good introduction to world dragon lore, with many pictures to color)
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (T. S. Eliot, Poetry - Whimsical cat poems that inspired the hit musical Cats)
The Paper Bag Princess (Robert Munsch, YA Picture Book - A princess sets out to rescue her husband-to-be from a dragon)
Dragons - Truth, Myth, and Legend (David Passes, YA Nonfiction - Dragon myth and legend from around the world)
The Dragonology books (Dugald A. Steer, YA Fiction - The extensive notebooks of famed 19th-century "dragonologist" Dr. Ernest Drake, describing the endangered dragons of the world)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
The Gargoyle on the Roof
Jack Prelutsky
Greenwillow Books
Fiction, YA Poetry
****
DESCRIPTION: A collection of fun poems by Prelutsky on topics ranging from bogeymen to griffins, and of course gargoyles.
REVIEW: I found this at a discount book store, and the poems made me smile. The fun verses almost sing as you read them, each poem whimsically illustrated by Peter Sís. It reminds me, for some reason, of an Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (by T. S. Eliot) for the spooky creatures of the world. Quite a delightful addition to my collection!
You might also enjoy:
Night of the Gargoyles (Eve Bunting, YA Picture Book - By day, they stand motionless, but after dark the gargoyles come to life...)
Gargoyles' Christmas (Louisa Campbell, YA Fiction - Three gargoyles, sick of holiday cheer, go on a rampage)
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (T. S. Eliot, Poetry - Whimsical cat poems that inspired the hit musical Cats)
The Stoneheart trilogy (Charlie Fletcher, YA Fiction - A boy becomes entangled in the invisible battle between London's gargoyles and statuary)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
Monday's Troll
Jack Prelutsky
Greenwillow Books
Fiction, YA Poetry
***
DESCRIPTION: The author of such whimsical verse collections as The Dragons are Singing Tonight and The Gargoyle On The Roof rhymes about such things as apprentice witches and angered wizards, with illustrations by Peter Sís.
REVIEW: I'm not sure why, but this wasn't quite as much fun as his other books. Maybe it was all the trolls and ogres... I suppose I'm more of a dragon/gargoyle person, so perhaps I was predisposed to prefer his previous collections (or, more accurately, the ones I've previously read - I have no idea what order they were published in.) For some odd reason, I thought these verses lacked the punch and spark of his other poems, which is why I tend to think of it as a later book. Still, some of them tickled my funny bone, even if fewer linger in the memory than his other two books. To be honest, had it not been at Half Price Books, I doubt I would've bought it, and I gladly paid full price for Prelutsky's The Dragons are Singing Tonight.
You might also enjoy:
The Way of Wizards (Tom Cross, Fiction - A richly illustrated look inside the world of wizards)
A Natural History of the Unnatural World ("The Cryptozoological Society of London," YA Fiction - The secret society's case studies of centaurs, mermaids, and more)
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (T. S. Eliot, Poetry - Whimsical cat poems that inspired the hit musical Cats)
Monsterology (Dugald A. Steer, editor, YA Fiction - Notes on dragons, griffins, sphinxes, and other strange creatures of the world)
The Wizardology books (Dugald A. Steer, editor, YA Fiction - Magickal origins and instructions for would-be apprentices)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (J. K. Rowling, YA Fiction - A companion to the Harry Potter series, describing many magical creatures)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
Return to Brightdreamer Books Home
Brightdreamer Books is created and maintained by TBW, a.k.a. "Brightdreamer."
E-mail: tbweber AT comcast DOT net. (Remove spaces, replace AT with "@" and DOT with "." - please put "Brightdreamer Books" in the subject line, or your e-mail may be deleted as
spam! Thank you!