A Poor Excuse for a Dragon (Step Into Reading: Step 4 Reading Paragraphs)

by Geoffrey Hayes (Author)

A Poor Excuse for a Dragon (Step Into Reading: Step 4 Reading Paragraphs)

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 funny bone.

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School Library Journal

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

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Geoffrey Hayes
Geoffrey Hayes has written and illustrated over 40 children's books, including the popular Otto & Uncle Tooth Mysteries (Step into Reading), the Patrick Bear books, and the Benny and Penny series. Geoffrey received the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for Benny and Penny in The Big No-No!
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780375868672
Lexile Measure
470
Guided Reading Level
M
Publisher
Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date
August 20, 2011
Series
Step Into Reading: Step 4 Reading Paragraphs
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV043000 - Juvenile Fiction | Readers | Beginner
JUV002270 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical
Library of Congress categories
Dragons

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