Kenny & the Dragon (Kenny & the Dragon #1)

by Tony Diterlizzi (Author) Tony Diterlizzi (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

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 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.

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Publishers Weekly

Fans hooked on DiTerlizzi's (coauthor of the "Spiderwick Chronicles") goblins and fairies may be disappointed initially that his newest novel has neither, but chances are they'll warm up to this old-fashioned tale that contains at least one dragon. Kenny, a clever rabbit, befriends a dragon who has settled on his family's property. Overcoming his fears, Kenny soon realizes that Grahame is not the stereotyped fire-breathing creature he reads about in books but a well-read, insightful dragon with a flair for the dramatic arts and poetry. But news of Grahame's presence leaks out to the townsfolk, and before long the king summons a retired knight named (what else?) Georgehe is also a friend of Kenny'sto battle Grahame to the death. DiTerlizzi's novel is light-hearted and his informal pencil sketches enhance the creative interpretation of what would otherwise be a simple animal story. Some readers might struggle with the mannered vocabulary, which encompasses words like drake and varlet, and Beowulf references will probably be lost on the intended audience. Regardless, readers will understand the author's message: make friends, not unfair judgments. Ages 8-12.

Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6 Kenny's father brings home a fearsome description of an enormous creature: ."..one of them flying things that eats pretty maidens and burns castles to the ground." Instead of being frightened, Kenny, a curious and well-read rabbit, wants to meet the beast. His father, not too bright in some ways but quite sensible in others, is sure Kenny can handle it, but Kenny's no-nonsense mother insists, "Dishes and homework first." What follows is a delightful riff on Kenneth Grahame's classic "The Reluctant Dragon", starring a dragon named Grahame that can delicately torch crème brûlée with the flames from his left nostril and has no interest in killing anyone. Before long, rumors and fear create a mob mentality among the local townspeople, and Kenny has to come up with a plan to prevent the retired dragon slayer (George, of course) from killing Grahame. This is a fun story with substance. At one point, Kenny wonders, "How can they want someone killed they don't even know?... How can George just blindly do whatever the king says?" The civilizing influence of literature is another theme that has relevance for today's readers. Lively pencil sketches add to the charm. The author's reputation will enhance the popularity of this solid fantasy.--Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Tony Diterlizzi
#1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi has been creating children's books for over twenty years. From fanciful picture books like The Spider & the Fly to chapter book series like the Search for WondLa, DiTerlizzi imbues his stories with a rich imagination. With Holly Black, he created the middle grade series the Spiderwick Chronicles, which has sold 20 million copies, been adapted into a feature film, and been translated in over thirty countries. The Norman Rockwell Museum's exhibition "Never Abandon Imagination" featured artwork from the beginning of DiTerlizzi's career as a contributing artist for Dungeons & Dragons and broke attendance records. He has been featured in Time magazine and USA TODAY and on CNN, PBS, NPR, the BBC, and the Today show.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781416939771
Lexile Measure
820
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date
August 05, 2008
Series
Kenny & the Dragon
BISAC categories
JUV002210 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Rabbits
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV034000 - Juvenile Fiction | Royalty (kings queens princes princesses knights etc.)
JUV002270 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical
Library of Congress categories
Rabbits
Dragons
Books and reading
Knights and knighthood
Farm life
Theater
Volunteer State Book Awards
Nominee 2010 - 2011
Sequoyah Book Awards
Nominee 2011 - 2011
Rhode Island Children's Book Awards
Nominee 2011 - 2011
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award
Nominee 2011 - 2011
North Carolina Children's Book Award
Nominee 2011 - 2011
Golden Sower Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012

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