Incredible illustrations really support this book. (George And The Dragon - Chris Wormell)

Member Name: destiny2909

Product:	George And The Dragon - Chris Wormell
Date:	17/08/08 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The pictures are great

Disadvantages: Poor use of "and"

This book tells the story of a fearsome dragon who causes mayhem and destruction wherever he goes... and the only thing he is scared of... Mice.
As George the mouse finds out.
This book starts by reading like a list of all the terrible things the dragon gets up to, like burning down forests, or smashing a hole in the walls of castles. Gradually the story switches to George the mouse's point of view, eventually listing all the things he has to eat with the Princess he has saved from the dragon. In my opinion this book is a good introduction to a use of lists and facts. It shows children in a simple and graphic way how events happen in sequence and how they can use lists to quickly and easily give out a lot of information and give a sense of speed to their own writing. The only feature of the writing that I'm not keen on is the repeated use of "and" when describing the meal he has with the Princess. So many uses of "and" is not good practice, and should be pointed out to children during a shared reading session.
This book taps in successfully to children's own experiences, particularly if they are familiar with the "normal" legend of George and the Dragon. To find out that the book is not about a heroic dragon slayer, but a tiny little mouse should be an amusing surprise to children, and adults who are not previously familiar with the book.
The text is easy to read and to understand and even an unsure reader should be able to, with support, be able to read and enjoy the book.
A feature that I particularly enjoyed was how the illustrations supported the text so well. In fact, in some places the text was hardly necessary as the illustrations told more. The illustrations were so detailed and so witty that an adult would probably enjoy them more than a child would. They revealed so many more details than the text did, which is probably a sign of a really good book that can appeal to both adults and children. There are so many tiny details in the drawings, that an adult and child together could have fun pointing them out and talking about what they might mean in the context of the story. This would be a good activity for a guided or shared reading session as well, getting the children to point out interesting features of the illustrations and to suggest what is going on and how George the mouse might be feeling. This might also be a good book to use a story sack with as the story is quite simple but has a very clear and defined structure.
This book also lends it well to a discussion on punctuation and good practice for children's own writing, particularly when baring in mind the repeated use of "and" which I mentioned earlier. The book can also be used by the class in extending the story. For instance, what happens between George and the Princess when the dragon has fled? Or what might happen if the dragon wasn't scared of George at all? Would they be friends? There is a lot of potential for expansion of the story through group discussion and/or individual work. A highly recommended book.

Summary: Read just to take a look at the pics!