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Saint George and the Dragon
This special new paperback edition of St. George and the Dragon commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the Caldecott Award-winning picture book. Hodges retells an exciting segment from Spenser's The Faerie Queene, in which the Red Cross Knight slays a dreadful dragon that has been terrorizing the countryside for years, bringing peace and joy back to the land. Featuring a fresh new cover design - with artwork that highlights the dragon adventure within - and distinctive embossed gold Caldecott Award sticker, this is the perfect way to introduce the classic tale to a whole new generation of readers.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
26 people are currently reading
3562 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Hodges
72 books53 followersMargaret "Peggy" Hodges was an American writer of books for children.
She was born Sarah Margaret Moore in Indianapolis, Indiana to Arthur Carlisle and Annie Marie Moore. She enrolled at Tudor Hall, a college preparatory school for girls. A 1932 graduate of Vassar College, she arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband Fletcher Hodges Jr. when in 1937 he became curator at the Stephen Foster Memorial. She trained as a librarian at Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, under Elizabeth Nesbitt, and she volunteered as a storyteller at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Beginning in 1958 with One Little Drum, she wrote and published more than 40 books.
Her 1985 book Saint George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, won the Caldecott Medal of the American Library Association.
She was a professor of library science at the University of Pittsburgh, where she retired in 1976.
Hodges died of heart disease on December 13, 2005 at her home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. She suffered from Parkinson's disease.
She wrote her stories on a notepad or a typewriter. "I need good ideas, and they don't come out of machines," she once said.
She was born Sarah Margaret Moore in Indianapolis, Indiana to Arthur Carlisle and Annie Marie Moore. She enrolled at Tudor Hall, a college preparatory school for girls. A 1932 graduate of Vassar College, she arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband Fletcher Hodges Jr. when in 1937 he became curator at the Stephen Foster Memorial. She trained as a librarian at Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, under Elizabeth Nesbitt, and she volunteered as a storyteller at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Beginning in 1958 with One Little Drum, she wrote and published more than 40 books.
Her 1985 book Saint George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, won the Caldecott Medal of the American Library Association.
She was a professor of library science at the University of Pittsburgh, where she retired in 1976.
Hodges died of heart disease on December 13, 2005 at her home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. She suffered from Parkinson's disease.
She wrote her stories on a notepad or a typewriter. "I need good ideas, and they don't come out of machines," she once said.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 597 reviews
January 25, 2019
Fairy tales are pretty amazing. This has very detailed drawings with beautiful colors and it uses panes around the edges similar to something Jan Brett does. They almost look like stained glass windows at times. There is a big full page of illustration and a full page of text so it’s a longer story. Even with the longer story, both children were engaged in the story. The nephew kept asking what will happen next. He was very into the sword fight with the dragon and he got so wound up he would grab my arm as I was reading.
The niece was very engaged too. She asked me why the princess isn’t helping to fight the dragon? I said I guess she didn’t know how or didn’t have the skills. They both thought this was a great book and they both gave this 5 stars. They were very excited about it. Who knew.
I thought the details of the artwork were amazing. I also thought the story was very good. I don’t think I had heard this story yet. I guess tales of fighting dragons doesn’t excite me any more, but the kids were into it. They asked me to get more books like this. It was so exciting. It was fun to see the power of a story over them and how engrossed they became in it. I’ll give this book 5 stars just for that experience.
The niece was very engaged too. She asked me why the princess isn’t helping to fight the dragon? I said I guess she didn’t know how or didn’t have the skills. They both thought this was a great book and they both gave this 5 stars. They were very excited about it. Who knew.
I thought the details of the artwork were amazing. I also thought the story was very good. I don’t think I had heard this story yet. I guess tales of fighting dragons doesn’t excite me any more, but the kids were into it. They asked me to get more books like this. It was so exciting. It was fun to see the power of a story over them and how engrossed they became in it. I’ll give this book 5 stars just for that experience.
January 19, 2023
أدب أطفال
الكتاب خفيف جدًا و لذيذ اكيد بالنسبة للأطفال.
ممكن يبقي جرعة أدرينالين بالنسبة لهم كمان لو خيالهم واسع.
رسومات الكتاب حاجة أسطورية تتخطي قوة الكتابة و قوة القصة بكتير القصة بسيطة مفيهاش اي تعقيد.
لكن الرسومات جميلة جدًا و واضحة و مليئة بالحياة.
التصميم نفسه بتاع الصفحات جميل جدًا.
الكتاب خفيف جدًا و لذيذ اكيد بالنسبة للأطفال.
ممكن يبقي جرعة أدرينالين بالنسبة لهم كمان لو خيالهم واسع.
رسومات الكتاب حاجة أسطورية تتخطي قوة الكتابة و قوة القصة بكتير القصة بسيطة مفيهاش اي تعقيد.
لكن الرسومات جميلة جدًا و واضحة و مليئة بالحياة.
التصميم نفسه بتاع الصفحات جميل جدًا.
May 28, 2017
With absolutely gorgeous accompanying illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman (detailed to such an extent that they tell the story of the Red Cross Knight's fight with the fearsome dragon as vividly and as intensely as Margaret Hodges' narrative does), Saint George and the Dragon is basically the legend of Saint George (and how he became the patron saint of England) as adapted from a section of Sir Edmund Spenser's Renaissance epic The Faerie Queene. A bit long-winded and due to textual density and length thus more suitable for older children, Saint George and the Dragon gracefully and glowingly presents a tenderly descriptive and evocative old fashioned folktale type legend (and more than well deserving of the Caldecott Medal it won, as the illustrations are truly in all ways breathtaking).
Now that all being said, and as much as I truly enjoyed this retelling, I most definitely would have appreciated a bit more detailed background information than simply being told that Saint George and the Dragon is an adaptation of Spenser's The Faerie Queene. An informative author's note, while not absolutely required, as at least the literary sources are mentioned, would definitely have increased Saint George and the Dragon to a five star read for me and considerably augmented its folkloric and literary value (such as perhaps a mention of Una's name, which is Gaelic for Agnes, the lamb, and the fact that she is also leading a white lamb, which of course has allusions to Jesus Christ being the lamb of God, not to mention that Una is riding a white donkey, which is again a biblical, New Testament allusion to Jesus Christ himself, who entered Jerusalem on what is now celebrated as Palm Sunday, not astride a horse, but astride a donkey).
Now that all being said, and as much as I truly enjoyed this retelling, I most definitely would have appreciated a bit more detailed background information than simply being told that Saint George and the Dragon is an adaptation of Spenser's The Faerie Queene. An informative author's note, while not absolutely required, as at least the literary sources are mentioned, would definitely have increased Saint George and the Dragon to a five star read for me and considerably augmented its folkloric and literary value (such as perhaps a mention of Una's name, which is Gaelic for Agnes, the lamb, and the fact that she is also leading a white lamb, which of course has allusions to Jesus Christ being the lamb of God, not to mention that Una is riding a white donkey, which is again a biblical, New Testament allusion to Jesus Christ himself, who entered Jerusalem on what is now celebrated as Palm Sunday, not astride a horse, but astride a donkey).
August 11, 2022
Stupendous! Saint George is a favorite as my dear mama's name was Georgiann; she was named after her grandfather. She did not like her name, but it suited her as she had to fight many dragons over the years.
As for St. George, his battle was only three days (according to this version) but incredibly entertaining for young and old, boys and girls. The illustrations are colorful and beautiful. I cannot recommend this book too highly.
As for St. George, his battle was only three days (according to this version) but incredibly entertaining for young and old, boys and girls. The illustrations are colorful and beautiful. I cannot recommend this book too highly.
September 21, 2023
"Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon." (G. K. Chesteron, "The Red Angel," cited by James Grant; emphasis mine)
Saint George and the Dragon was published over 50 years after Chesterton died, about 70 years after he published the words above, but it is the clearest text I've encountered of Chesterton's idea of fairy tales. Hodges adapts Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene in a rhythmic, readable text for young readers, and Trina Schart Hyman's unparalleled illustrations bring Una and the Redcrosse Knight to life. Each dramatic image of the Knight fighting the dragon is tempered by an illustration of the Knight's rest and restoration until the dragon is defeated over the course of three days. The dragon fights are not overly dark or terrifying, either, though the literary depiction of the battles are intense.
Saint George and the Dragon made me want to read Faerie Queene again...and I can think of only one higher praise: I would have loved this as a child. Picture books must cohere in themselves to create a vivid reading experience for children, first and most importantly. Yet, I'm always a fan of picture books that cultivate inner lives of children toward living and loving the adult world. Saint George and the Dragon does this for Spenser, and for dragon tales (lol) more widely. Highly recommended.
Saint George and the Dragon was published over 50 years after Chesterton died, about 70 years after he published the words above, but it is the clearest text I've encountered of Chesterton's idea of fairy tales. Hodges adapts Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene in a rhythmic, readable text for young readers, and Trina Schart Hyman's unparalleled illustrations bring Una and the Redcrosse Knight to life. Each dramatic image of the Knight fighting the dragon is tempered by an illustration of the Knight's rest and restoration until the dragon is defeated over the course of three days. The dragon fights are not overly dark or terrifying, either, though the literary depiction of the battles are intense.
Saint George and the Dragon made me want to read Faerie Queene again...and I can think of only one higher praise: I would have loved this as a child. Picture books must cohere in themselves to create a vivid reading experience for children, first and most importantly. Yet, I'm always a fan of picture books that cultivate inner lives of children toward living and loving the adult world. Saint George and the Dragon does this for Spenser, and for dragon tales (lol) more widely. Highly recommended.
December 30, 2016
Another lovely book for my art collection, this one with a tale of dragonslaying, chivalric adventure, true knights, epic duels, and the gorgeous art of Trina Schart Hyman. What other reasons would I need to give this the highest rating? The art alone is worth it!
August 20, 2009
In this retelling of a segment from Spenser's Faerie Queen, Saint George, the Red Cross Knight, is guided by the lady Una to her parents' realm, where in a mighty battle he slays a dragon who has terrorized the land. After thus proving himself, he and Una are married.
Hodges' prose distills much action and color into a fairly brief text, sprinkled with quotes from the original work. The adaptation retains a courtly eloquence but should be easily understood by older readers. For younger listeners it will still be challenging, and it may be best to begin with a paraphrase of the story events, leaving time for questions, and gradually introduce the full text of the story with successive readings. Hyman's mesmerizing illustrations, augmented by lavish and intricate borders, make this book excellent for this kind of exercise, because the pictures do most of the work in capturing a child's imagination. This story of heroism and love is wonderful in its own right, but it should also whet the appetite and prepare the reader for a future experience of the full poem (original text of which is here http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6930, and audio is here http://librivox.org/the-faerie-queene...).
Hodges' prose distills much action and color into a fairly brief text, sprinkled with quotes from the original work. The adaptation retains a courtly eloquence but should be easily understood by older readers. For younger listeners it will still be challenging, and it may be best to begin with a paraphrase of the story events, leaving time for questions, and gradually introduce the full text of the story with successive readings. Hyman's mesmerizing illustrations, augmented by lavish and intricate borders, make this book excellent for this kind of exercise, because the pictures do most of the work in capturing a child's imagination. This story of heroism and love is wonderful in its own right, but it should also whet the appetite and prepare the reader for a future experience of the full poem (original text of which is here http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6930, and audio is here http://librivox.org/the-faerie-queene...).
August 11, 2014
Meh. The illustrations are pretty--have that old feel to them. But the story dragged for a picture book. Too much text. Too much description. This is what one would get if I wrote a picture book! And that's not a very good thing. I had hoped I'd see glimpses of the legend I saw portrayed in "Lark Rise." But no. And what was up with the pretty castle in the middle? Or the hermit knowing an unknown identity. I suppose legends often don't make sense. But if you're going to write or re-tell a legend in our day, I think I'd like to have some of the "Huh?" gaps filled in.
February 20, 2008
I like when he fights the dragon.
June 5, 2023
This is my favorite of all the Caldecott award winning books, partly because Trina Schart Hyman is one of my favorite children's book illustrators ever. This book is so deserving of its Caldecott award. Hyman's lush, medieval paintings are full of detail, and with gorgeous borders surrounding the pages, depicting flowers indigenous to the British Isles. The dragon is fierce and menacing, George is heroic, and Una is shown helping the knight and praying for him. There is also an unnamed dwarf servant with them, who carries some of their provisions, and helps care for the animals. In keeping with the fact that the text is adapted from Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene, the opening pages show several fairy folk in the woods. The back of the book jacket depicts the author and illustrator, in medieval clothing, walking up a path towards a house where a young boy(?) is writing. An altogether wonderful story with sterling illustrations.
July 5, 2017
Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
This is a retelling from Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene, which recounts the legend of Saint George who slew the dragon which was terrorizing the country. It’s a wonderful tale of courage, dedication, and perseverance. George is pure of heart, generous of spirit, and brave beyond measure. A lovely fable.
Trina Schart Hyman was awarded the Caldecott Medal for excellence in illustration. Her paintings are rich and vibrant, and full of small details that support the storytelling. After I finished reading the story, I started again at the beginning just to pore over the pictures.
This is a retelling from Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene, which recounts the legend of Saint George who slew the dragon which was terrorizing the country. It’s a wonderful tale of courage, dedication, and perseverance. George is pure of heart, generous of spirit, and brave beyond measure. A lovely fable.
Trina Schart Hyman was awarded the Caldecott Medal for excellence in illustration. Her paintings are rich and vibrant, and full of small details that support the storytelling. After I finished reading the story, I started again at the beginning just to pore over the pictures.
July 4, 2018
Hello friends ⚔️
This book had me absolutely transfixed ! This adaptation of the Fairy queen has made me want more . I'll be reading the original also !😊
The drawings were so lovely ! Such excellent work for a children's book . No only was it fully illustrated ,the story was framed by intricate drawings of fairies , vines ,flowers and dragons ! 🐲🌹🌿
It was unlike any fairy tale I've ever read before ! 🛡️🏹⚔️
Thanks for reading 😊
This book had me absolutely transfixed ! This adaptation of the Fairy queen has made me want more . I'll be reading the original also !😊
The drawings were so lovely ! Such excellent work for a children's book . No only was it fully illustrated ,the story was framed by intricate drawings of fairies , vines ,flowers and dragons ! 🐲🌹🌿
It was unlike any fairy tale I've ever read before ! 🛡️🏹⚔️
Thanks for reading 😊
January 10, 2024
This is probably my 5th or 6th read. Still lovely, written with such grace, clarity, and dignity. Still more delightful details to see in the art. Still miss back matter, but oh well. Still very highly recommended.
September 27, 2017
This book is a really good adventure story, and it had great details.
January 1, 2023
Beautifully done fairytale. It uses “higher” language, so some words may need to be explained to smaller children, but even my three year old was still riveted. Kids understand more than you might think they will! The language was beautiful, the retelling was very intense, and the artwork was gorgeous. The illustration style somewhat reminds me of Jan Brett. I also noticed several biblical allusions within the story and illustrations, which would be fun to explore for homeschooling in a few years. Definitely high quality children’s literature!
May 28, 2017
Excellently adapted from Spenser's "Faerie Queene", and backed by marvelous illustrations.
The language is *very* dense, with details (and sometimes quotations) coming directly from the original. Half the book is taken up by the pulse-pounding action of the duel between St George and the Dragon, but neither density nor duel has kept my very girly DD (age 3) from regarding it as one of her favorites.
On the strength of this adaptation, I've read two further depictions of Spenser's Red Cross Knight Vs Dragon rewritten for children. Neither Jeanie Lang's "Stories from the Fairie Queen" nor Sophia Maclehose's "Tales from Spenser Chosen from the Fairie Queene" handled it as well as Margaret Hodges.
Hodges and Hyman collaborated on a few other adaptations of classic literature for children. I will have to check out more of their work.
DS#1 (age 5) 4/5
DD#1 (age 3) 5/5
Me 5/5
The language is *very* dense, with details (and sometimes quotations) coming directly from the original. Half the book is taken up by the pulse-pounding action of the duel between St George and the Dragon, but neither density nor duel has kept my very girly DD (age 3) from regarding it as one of her favorites.
On the strength of this adaptation, I've read two further depictions of Spenser's Red Cross Knight Vs Dragon rewritten for children. Neither Jeanie Lang's "Stories from the Fairie Queen" nor Sophia Maclehose's "Tales from Spenser Chosen from the Fairie Queene" handled it as well as Margaret Hodges.
Hodges and Hyman collaborated on a few other adaptations of classic literature for children. I will have to check out more of their work.
DS#1 (age 5) 4/5
DD#1 (age 3) 5/5
Me 5/5
September 21, 2010
This book is wordy! As in, it is too wordy for a bedtime story. We read it in two parts. We are Shrek-loving family (and when I say Shrek, I mean the movie, not the William Steig book) and this book doesn't do it for us.
Also, this book is good for girls IF you like passive girls who watch from the sidelines while the dude slays the dragons, and then agrees to marry the dude because he is such a great dragon killer.
Also, this book is good for girls IF you like passive girls who watch from the sidelines while the dude slays the dragons, and then agrees to marry the dude because he is such a great dragon killer.
March 2, 2016
This is a GREAT book! It refers to the Bible. Jesus (Saint George) crushed Satan (the dragon's) head. Jesus saved The Church (Una), and marries her (meaning The Church). I recommend it to all!
March 13, 2024
this a rating of the Edmund Spencer book.
March 27, 2016
I have heard the basics of the story often, but have never read Saint George and the Dragon in any form. I looked forward to this book.
However, for me the story felt awkward and poorly written. It is almost as if the author tried to keep the poetry of an epic in a simplified children's tale and failed miserably, resulting in awkward phrasing. For example: "Whenever he looked at the brightness of her sunshiny face, his heart melted with pleasure." Or "Heart cannot think what outrage and what cries, with black smoke and flashing fire, the beast threw forth, turning the whole world to darkness."
I felt no fear for the knight, Una, or the kingdom. There is this fierce dragon terrorising the land, and yet they are greeted by smiling villagers on a sunny day? Farmers who are working in their fields?
In conclusion, I think this story could have been better told.
The illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman are lovely. I would not buy this book for the illustration quality, because the style is muddy and a bit stiff, but I liked the composition and some scenes were gorgeous. I also enjoyed the border designs.
Illustrations would get 4/5 stars, but the story is maybe 2/5. Therefore, together this book gets 3 stars.
However, for me the story felt awkward and poorly written. It is almost as if the author tried to keep the poetry of an epic in a simplified children's tale and failed miserably, resulting in awkward phrasing. For example: "Whenever he looked at the brightness of her sunshiny face, his heart melted with pleasure." Or "Heart cannot think what outrage and what cries, with black smoke and flashing fire, the beast threw forth, turning the whole world to darkness."
I felt no fear for the knight, Una, or the kingdom. There is this fierce dragon terrorising the land, and yet they are greeted by smiling villagers on a sunny day? Farmers who are working in their fields?
In conclusion, I think this story could have been better told.
The illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman are lovely. I would not buy this book for the illustration quality, because the style is muddy and a bit stiff, but I liked the composition and some scenes were gorgeous. I also enjoyed the border designs.
Illustrations would get 4/5 stars, but the story is maybe 2/5. Therefore, together this book gets 3 stars.
March 24, 2018
This is an old folk tale about the legend of Saint George and how he became the patron saint of England based on the Sir Edmund Spenser's Renaissance The Faerie Queene . The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous; I love medieval art. The only thing that was a bit off was the drawings/painting of the angels because they are all depicted as female and it is not Biblical considering that all the angels were created male and the first female came from the garden of Eden. I loved the metaphorical depictions of the princess riding on the donkey as Jesus once did on Palm Friday and how she is also carrying her lamb which represents Jesus Christ as the sacrificial lamb. The water with healing properties is like the living waters/springs that represents the blood of Christ and the truth of his word. The healing apple is like the fruit of life from the garden of Eden. Both the water and apple represent eternal life.
March 25, 2017
Can't do much better than a story about a hero who conquers a dragon. That's the biblical narrative, after all: "Kill the dragon, get the girl." Red Cross Knight, with his shield bearing the red cross of St. George, is revealed to be St. George in Canto 10 of Spenser's Faerie Queene. The Caldecott-winning illustrations approach the sublime.
I started reading this on March 23, a month before the feast of St. George on April 23. I ordered a copy.
I started reading this on March 23, a month before the feast of St. George on April 23. I ordered a copy.
May 27, 2017
The artwork in this little paperback book is so astonishingly lovely and vivid, I somehow ended up with two copies of this book. I'm not complaining; I will just share one copy. The text itself retells Spenser's The Faerie Queene, so that, with the artwork, makes this book pretty darn awesome for a Second Grade History class.
April 26, 2017
Anything illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman is sure to be stunning, and Margaret Hodges is a wonderful author. The legend of St. George and the dragon is one of my favorites. This book is a winner to me! Highly recommended!
March 2, 2009
The story is a bit long-winded, but the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous!!! Definitely a great "old fashioned fairy tale" sort of feel but good for boys who aren't into the princess thing.
April 23, 2021
For St George’s feast day
January 1, 2022
My four-year-old George received this for Christmas. After looking through the book himself, he couldn’t wait to read it together. We snuck away from the bustle after dinner a few days later and curled up to read the whole thing at once (about 20 min).
He was silent the entire way through and when we finished, I wasn’t sure what he thought... too intense? too mature? He turned around and his eyes were shining, his whole face beaming with the radiance of a boy who’s just experienced adventure and emerged victorious and empowered. Since that night he’s reminded me multiple times a day that we need to get all his brothers and read the whole thing together.
This is a beautifully told rendition of the old story with beautifully intricate and engrossing illustrations. I recommend it to children of any age. I know my older children will enjoy this just as much as he did.
He was silent the entire way through and when we finished, I wasn’t sure what he thought... too intense? too mature? He turned around and his eyes were shining, his whole face beaming with the radiance of a boy who’s just experienced adventure and emerged victorious and empowered. Since that night he’s reminded me multiple times a day that we need to get all his brothers and read the whole thing together.
This is a beautifully told rendition of the old story with beautifully intricate and engrossing illustrations. I recommend it to children of any age. I know my older children will enjoy this just as much as he did.
September 3, 2025
Loved the story and some of the similarities to other tales we love- pilgrims progress, Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets, my father’s dragon, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.. So enjoying books in the worlds of brave knights, good vs. evil, character and strength, and the temptations and challenges of living a faithful life until heaven.
April 10, 2019
This book has my favourite illustrations from any book I've read. I remember liking this book when I was very young.
October 20, 2020
One part was funny because George didn't know his own name. I thought it was cool when George was with the dragon and he kept dying in these special places where he would come alive again. Finally, he killed the dragon and everybody was there. This book make me feel like I could do that, in one slash of the sword.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 597 reviews