Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (2008), Hardcover, 160 pages
Description
Book-loving Kenny the rabbit has few friends in his farming community, so when one, bookstore owner George, is sent to kill another, gentle dragon Grahame, Kenny must find a way to prevent their battle while satisfying the dragon-crazed townspeople.
User reviews
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
When young Kenny Rabbit finds a dragon hanging out on the hill behind his house, he's afraid at first. But once he gets to know Grahame, he realizes that he's found a kindred spirit and a best friend. When townspeople discover the dragon and insist on destroying it, Kenny has to figure out a way to
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save his new friend without hurting any of the townspeople. Gorgeous illustrations improve an uneven story. I liked the writing for the most part, but Kenny's voice and the tone of the book seemed to be a strange mixture of old-fashioned classic (a la The Wind in the Willows) and more modern lingo. Show Less
LibraryThing member serpentkills
What do you do when your new best buddy has been designated a scourge by the community and marked for imminent extermination? Just ask Kenny Rabbit. When the simple folks in the sleepy little village of Roundbrook catch wind that there's a dragon running loose in the countryside, they get the wrong
--Book flap blurb.
This book was...well, bland, I guess, is the word I'm looking for. Even though it was short (150 small pages with big kid-friendly print and full- and half-page pictures), it took me a while to get through it. It wasn't hard to read -- it was just that it didn't really keep me interested enough to pick it up at every spare moment.
The writing was lack-luster, the story was predictable, and I expected the dragon to be a lot more interesting. Obviously, if he's friends with a rabbit he's not a vicious kind of dragon, but his personality here was almost cliche. He's a proper, well-mannered, bookish critter. It just feels like that's been done before and better.
It was still an enjoyable book and probably would be good to read to the kiddies, if that's your thing. It's not scary and it was actually a little lacking in suspense as well. It just wasn't my thing. When I read a kids' book, I like 'em to be a bit weirder and more interesting than this. This was just...meh. Most kids would probably like it, but it just didn't cut it for me.
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idea and the stage is set for a fight to the death. So it's up to Kenny to give his neighbors front-row seats to one of the best-known battles in history--the legendary showdown between St. George and the dragon--without losing a friend in the fray.--Book flap blurb.
This book was...well, bland, I guess, is the word I'm looking for. Even though it was short (150 small pages with big kid-friendly print and full- and half-page pictures), it took me a while to get through it. It wasn't hard to read -- it was just that it didn't really keep me interested enough to pick it up at every spare moment.
The writing was lack-luster, the story was predictable, and I expected the dragon to be a lot more interesting. Obviously, if he's friends with a rabbit he's not a vicious kind of dragon, but his personality here was almost cliche. He's a proper, well-mannered, bookish critter. It just feels like that's been done before and better.
It was still an enjoyable book and probably would be good to read to the kiddies, if that's your thing. It's not scary and it was actually a little lacking in suspense as well. It just wasn't my thing. When I read a kids' book, I like 'em to be a bit weirder and more interesting than this. This was just...meh. Most kids would probably like it, but it just didn't cut it for me.
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LibraryThing member marybeth494
Helen got me the Spiderwick Chronicles for Christmas a few years ago and I read all five of them in two days. They are very short so it really wasn't that much of a feat, but I loved them. My favorite parts were the illustrations. That was my first introduction to the work of Tony DiTerlizzi, who
I completely associated with Kenny, who would rather have his head stuck in a book than socialize with classmates, and I know I would be just as excited if my father came in and told me there was a dragon living on our hillside. And Grahame, the dragon, is so debonair - so very civilized! Over the course of the book, they will need to convince the townsfolk that Grahame isn't a threat to anyone and stop the King's champion from trying to slay the him.
The illustrations in this book are wonderful! DiTerlizzi captures a mixture of determination and wistfulness in Kenny that is almost heart breaking to anyone who has known the pain of being slightly outside the group. There is an intelligence and humor in Grahame that transcends the page. You really want a dragon of your own by the time you are done!
This is a great book to enjoy on your own or read aloud to your kids. And unlike many chapter books, there are illustrations scattered throughout the text. (Don't you hate it when authors decide that just because you're old enough to read longer periods of text, you no longer want pictures?)
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is absolutely brilliant! After that, I quickly found his blog and started stalking reading him all the time. Along the way, I learned that he was putting out a new book, Kenny and the Dragon, based on the story The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame.I completely associated with Kenny, who would rather have his head stuck in a book than socialize with classmates, and I know I would be just as excited if my father came in and told me there was a dragon living on our hillside. And Grahame, the dragon, is so debonair - so very civilized! Over the course of the book, they will need to convince the townsfolk that Grahame isn't a threat to anyone and stop the King's champion from trying to slay the him.
The illustrations in this book are wonderful! DiTerlizzi captures a mixture of determination and wistfulness in Kenny that is almost heart breaking to anyone who has known the pain of being slightly outside the group. There is an intelligence and humor in Grahame that transcends the page. You really want a dragon of your own by the time you are done!
This is a great book to enjoy on your own or read aloud to your kids. And unlike many chapter books, there are illustrations scattered throughout the text. (Don't you hate it when authors decide that just because you're old enough to read longer periods of text, you no longer want pictures?)
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LibraryThing member knielsen83
Cute story about a rabbit named Kenny and the friend he makes - Grahame, a dragon.
LibraryThing member kthclark
“Kenny and the Dragon” is a touching tale of friendship that draws inventively from the classic story of St. George and the dragon. Kenny Rabbit is a protagonist you can't help but root for, and the illustrations in this book are simply adorable. While the prose in “Kenny and the Dragon” is
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a little cumbersome at times, it is not enough to detract from the charm of the tale, and the lessons taught are an effortless part of the story. This book is great for middle school students or EL (English Learners) high school students. Show Less
LibraryThing member GaylDasherSmith
The artwork is just as entertaining as the story.
LibraryThing member FelineFriend4
If you enjoyed the Spiderwick Chronicles, this is a must read! Who would have thought Kenny, a rabbit, would become friends with a peace-loving dragon, Grahame. You know there must be a problem and yes there is. The towns people have come for a dragon slaying! This book is a good read aloud for
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third grade. Show Less
LibraryThing member memasmb
Absolutely delightful book for young and old. Kenny Rabbit finds out a Dragon is living on his property and sets out to investigate.
Grahame (with an e) the Dragon turns out to be a friendly, book reading fellow who loves desserts.
Kenny must find a way to save Grahame when the townspeople become
A very magical story that is heart warming and carries the message that almost every problem can be worked out.
This book was purchased for my grandson...but I also enjoyed this book and recommend it for every child's library.
Grahame (with an e) the Dragon turns out to be a friendly, book reading fellow who loves desserts.
Kenny must find a way to save Grahame when the townspeople become
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afraid and ask the King to send someone to slay the Dragon.A very magical story that is heart warming and carries the message that almost every problem can be worked out.
This book was purchased for my grandson...but I also enjoyed this book and recommend it for every child's library.
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LibraryThing member RUTHEB
The Reluctant Dragon was wonderful and this depiction is no exception. This is a must read for booklovers and those who aren't. All individuals deserve to be treated fairly and without judgement. The world could be a better place if we did this.
LibraryThing member pocketmermaid
Very cute story about the friendship between a young rabbit and a dragon.
I listened to the audio version and loved the narration by Alan Cumming. He is such a talented performer that it was almost like listening to a full-cast audio!
I listened to the audio version and loved the narration by Alan Cumming. He is such a talented performer that it was almost like listening to a full-cast audio!
LibraryThing member bookworm12
There are dozens of books about kids making new friends and looking past outward appearances, but this one takes the cake. A bookish rabbit named Kenny meets a dragon named Grahame and the two become fast friends. Things get complicated when Kenny’s only other friend, George the local bookseller,
The short book is packed with great life lessons: finding nonviolent solutions to your problems, respecting your parents, talking out your problems with others, not judging people before you get to know them, etc.
The lovely illustrations and sweet story made this one an absolute delight. I particularly loved Kenny’s parents and their development. It’s been added to my permanent collection of kids’ books.
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is hired by the king to slay the dragon. The short book is packed with great life lessons: finding nonviolent solutions to your problems, respecting your parents, talking out your problems with others, not judging people before you get to know them, etc.
The lovely illustrations and sweet story made this one an absolute delight. I particularly loved Kenny’s parents and their development. It’s been added to my permanent collection of kids’ books.
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LibraryThing member TnTexas
Loved the fact that several of the characters were "cast" against stereotypes (peaceful dragons, brave rabbits, etc.)Overall, this was a fun, light-hearted book that my kids and I had a lot of fun with. Definitely worth checking out if you like animal fantasies.
LibraryThing member BluesGal79
A charming homage to Kenneth Grahame's "The Reluctant Dragon" is engagingly written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi, and if young readers are led to Grahame's classic tale, more's the better!
Young Kenny's family plays host to a dragon named Grahame, who'd rather read, play chess, and eat creme
Cute, cute, cute!
Young Kenny's family plays host to a dragon named Grahame, who'd rather read, play chess, and eat creme
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brulee than have a go-round with any old knight, but that's just what is going to have to happen if Kenny can't figure out a way to avert the crisis. Chancing his friendship with bookseller George, who's been called out of retirement as a dragonslayer by the king himself, Kenny sorts out a clever plan to satisfy the townspeople and the king.Cute, cute, cute!
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LibraryThing member mbklibrary
What a sweet, fun and heartwarming story of friendship, courage and creativity. Makes me want a dragon friend!
LibraryThing member KurtWombat
I am delighted that KENNY & THE DRAGON by Tony Diterlizzi happened to fall into my lap. Not in the habit of reading fantasy aimed at a younger market, there is certainly something in the cover illustration that catches the eye and the heart just a little bit. A definite childish glee inhabits the
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features of Kenny Rabbit and Grahame Dragon as they race along a country road. The illustrations that pepper the length of the book capture the characters comfortably living their lives and are more like etchings that give the book an elegant timeless quality. While aimed at children, there is a classical allusion to St. George & the dragon as well as Grahame dropping Elizabethan bon mots here and there encouraging children just a little to think beyond what they might be used to. The story involves the classic children’s story trope of the importance of friendship, but does so in a fresh way. Kenny is a bit of a loner and really only has two friends—both of whom he bonds with through reading. When during the course of events his two friends are forced to face each other on the field of battle, one friend being a dragon and the other a retired knight, Kenny uses his love of reading to imagine a way out of their predicament. It is a slight tale but one told with a warm and gentle touch. Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
A delightful story with really splendid illustrations on the perils of taking the world at face value.
Subjects
Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2012)
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award (Nominee — 2010)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Children's — 2011)
Bluestem Award (Nominee — 2011)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2011)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2018)
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
160 p.; 8.46 inches
ISBN
1416939776 / 9781416939771
Local notes
Kenneth, the little rabbit, has a problem. His best friend, Graeme the gentle dragon, has been found by the townspeople to be running loose in their village. Called by the townspeople, George the retired knight is brought in to take care of the dragon. Unfortunately, he is also one of Kenneth's very best friends.