Dennis the Dragon

Description

32 pages
$5.95
ISBN 0-385-25431-8
DDC jC813'.54

Publisher

Year

1994

Contributor

Illustrations by Adrian Raeside
Reviewed by Lisa Arsenault

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

Review

Dennis the dragon is different from other dragons: he does not like to
breathe fire and refuses to do so. Despite family and peer pressure,
however, Dennis remains true to his principles and eventually sets out
to find a more congenial, smoke-free environment in the village at the
foot of the mountain. At first the villagers are afraid of him, but
gradually they come to trust and accept him and he becomes a much-loved
member of the community.

The message—that one should always be true to oneself—is presented
clearly but also humorously in this fairy tale in verse. The story,
which moves along at a brisk pace and has some very funny bits, is based
on a poem published several years ago and reprinted at the end of the
book. (A couple of lines from the poem were unfortunately changed from
the original and appear in the story as “Suddenly a girl called out,
‘He hasn’t got no smoke!’ [You must excuse her grammar—the
school system was a joke.]” Because these two lines cast rather
offensive aspersions on school systems in general, it is suggested that
when reading the poem aloud the original lines be substituted.)

Adrian Raeside’s cartoon-like illustrations contribute to the
lighthearted approach and keep the message from having a heavy-handed
delivery. Recommended.

Citation

Raeside, Joan., “Dennis the Dragon,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed November 11, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/20206.