Dragon’s Halloween takes me back to a time when I was a child celebrating this most special of holidays. The narratives are innocent, humorous, and fun to read aloud.
The book consists of 3-short stories: Six Small Pumpkins, The Costume Party, and The Deep Dark Woods. The first story finds Dragon, an adorable blue creature, in search of a pumpkin as large as his house to make a scary jack-o-lantern. He finds only 6 small pumpkins, but is still determined to make a scary jack-o-lantern. Despite the jeers from his friends, Dragon prevails, and creates the scariest jack-o-lantern of all.
In The Costume Party, Dragon can't decide on a Halloween costume: a witch, a vampire, or a mummy. He chooses to combine all three ideas, and worries that he might be too scary. On the way to the party, his costume is ruined. Instead of scaring his friends, he amuses them. In the end, Dragon triumphs, and scares his friends by accident.
In the final story, we find Dragon in the deep, dark woods all alone surrounded by scary sounds. Grrrrrr… grrr. GROWWWWL! Dragon is so spooked that he screams, “It's a monster!” A sleepy-eyed squirrel informs Dragon that it’s his stomach he hears growling. He demands that Dragon go home to get something to eat before he wakes the whole forest. Dragon follows Squirrel's advice and makes a pumpkin feast for the eyes.
Dav Pilkey doesn't use rhyme, or cadence in his writing, but the text is well-chosen, which makes for easy, enjoyable reading. The illustrations are simple, but convey the tales with ease. Cartoonish in style, the watercolor images are emphasized with thick black outlines. The author/artist utilizes bright, bold colors that captivate young eyes, yet remind us of the fall season.
I first became acquainted with this book 2-years ago. I was perusing the library holiday selections, and thought the short stories in Dragon's Halloween might entertain my son. William was only 2 1/2 at the time, and although a bit young to read all 3-stories in one sitting, he appreciated them individually. At no time was he scared, but highly amused. I read this book probably 20-times the first time it came into our home. Each story takes about 2-minutes to read aloud, so in total 6-minutes or more.
Last year, when cruising the book section of Target I noticed the paperback version sitting on the shelf. I paged through it to make sure it contained all 3-stories, and upon confirmation, I tossed it in my cart. The book has been well loved, and although a Halloween book, it has been read throughout the year. William still requests Dragon's Halloween especially during the weeks that precede Halloween night. Parents will appreciate this book for the humor, and the non-scary appeal.
ISBN: 0-439-54847-0
Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. (1993)
This is an entry into msmorvay’s3rd Annual Resurrecting the Oldies Book Write Off.
Beginning readers are sure to love Pilkey s spooky, silly Halloween tale about a gentle blue dragon and his friends. Full color.More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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