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Summary
Summary
Fred the dragon has a list of tasks he must complete in order to be a successful dragon-none of which comes naturally. But he's determined to make #5-eat people-work. Before you can say "pass the salt" he's gobbled up three people even though he doesn't have the stomach for it. Luckily a local shepherd, with the help of a giant and a witch, knows how to cure what ails him and get those pesky people out of his belly. It's happily-ever-after for everyone in ways you'd never expect.
Geisel award-winning author/illustrator Geoffrey Hayes is a stepped reader maestro. The common threads between his wildly popular Uncle Tooth and Otto SIRs and the more recent Benny and Penny series (Toon Books) are clear and constant. The art is adorable, the characters are bursting with personality, and the stories are humorously subversive. From marauding pirates to misbehaving mice to a dragon who swallows people whole (and then continues to communicate with them in his belly!), Geoffrey always hits that sweet spot for the stepped reader audience-easy to decode, illustrative tales that tickle the funnybone.
Author Notes
Geoffrey Hayes was born in Pasadena, California on December 3, 1947. He studied at Hunter College, the Art Students League, and the School of Visual Arts. Before becoming a children's author and illustrator, he worked in the art department at an advertising firm and in the interior design department at an architectural firm. In 1974, he brought a portfolio of his artwork to Harper and Row. His first picture book, Bear by Himself, was published in 1976. He created more than 50 books for children including the Otto and Uncle Tooth early reader series, Benny and Penny in Just Pretend, and Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!, which won the 2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. He also illustrated several works by other authors including When the Wind Blew by Margaret Wise Brown, which was selected as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. He died on June 2, 2017 at the age of 69.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A young dragon's parents send him off to make his way in the world with advice on how to be a good dragon: "Rum amok. Eat People. Roar. Breathe fire. Act scary." But none of this comes naturally to Fred; despite his scary red eyes, each of his well-meaning attempts fizzles. Having eaten several folks he's met along the way (including a princess and a frog chef), he develops a major bellyache and enlists the help of a giant, a witch, and a shepherd to extricate them. When all of the characters are themselves again, the princess asks Fred to become her palace's House Dragon-no fire-breathing required-a position for which he is happily suited. Entertaining black-line and colored pencil cartoon drawings enliven this Kuklapolitan-esque cast. Part-slapstick, part-fairy tale, the gently humorous plot has enough twists and turns to keep newly independent readers engaged.-Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This jolly Step into Reading title stars a less-than ferocious dragon who leaves home with a to-do list and a directive from his father: "Make us proud of you." Fred's instructions seem simple enough-run amok, eat people, roar, breathe fire, act scary-but prove difficult to pull off. He gets dizzy when he tries to run amok, the castle cook tells him his roar "sounds like a meow," and the princess announces that the fire he breathes "looks like a birthday candle." But Fred is good at eating people, and with a smug "I'll show you," he swallows the cook, princess, and a singing bird whole, which makes his stomach ache. With the help of a witch, a giant, and a shepherd boy, Fred's victims are freed, and he happily takes up residence in the castle moat. Punchy dialogue (castle cook Mrs. Green is, in particular, a spitfire) and compact sentences should make this a read-aloud delight, while Hayes's (the Benny and Penny books) cartoons, in which these classic fairy tale characters resemble toys, add significant fun of their own. Ages 7-9. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Fred the dragon leaves home with a list of dragon-esque tasks (e.g, "run amok," "eat people"). It turns out Fred is not so great at--or interested in--these things, so he makes his own path. Short, simple sentences; light humor; and colorful, silly illustrations make this a solid choice for newly independent readers. The book would also work well as a read-aloud. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Fred learns how to be true to himself and still be a dragon.When Fred leaves his parents for the first time, his plans to be a ferocious dragon hit a snag. First Mrs. Green, the frog, mocks his roar as being like a meow, so, though Fred is supposed to eat humans, he gobbles her in one gulp. The princess thinks Fred's fire looks like a candle, and a tiny bird is not afraid of him. They too meet in Fred's tummy. Turns out, three's a crowd for Fred's stomach, and his intestinal pain leads him a solution that works for him and his crowd of helpers and new friends. Designed to encourage confident reading, the story alternates between long pages of text and highly illustrated pages with few words. Cartoon illustrations, especially details like the dragon's red eyes and the giant's warts and earring, help the newly independent reader follow the story, providing lots of visual cues which add the humor. When human John Little voluntarily walks into Fred's open mouth and extricates his complaining contents, the illustrations turn energetic, with flying critters filling the air. New readers will love the humorous pictures and stay for the engaging tale.Freed captives become new friends, teaching this fellow that there are many different kinds of dragons. (Early reader. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When Fred the dragon grows up, his mom and pop bid him farewell and hand him a list of things good dragons do: Run amok / Eat people / Roar / Breathe fire / Act scary. Fred finds running amok is exhausting. And although it's a daunting challenge for a fellow who prefers pies, he swallows a cook, a princess, and a bird whole. When they start clamoring to get out, indigestion sets in, and the dragon has second thoughts. After a witch, a giant, and a boy rescue the captives, the dragon apologizes, and the princess offers him a job protecting the castle. With action, humor, and cartoonlike illustrations, this colorful book from the Step into Reading series will appeal to preschoolers as well as newly independent readers. Just as the story has the quirky quality of make believe, the characters in the colorful illustrations have the childlike charm of mismatched stuffed toys and dolls brought to life. A pleasing adventure from the creator of the Benny and Penny books.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist