This special new paperback edition of St. George and the Dragon commemorates ... read full description
reviews
Mar 02, 2009
Kathryn
rated it: 
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.
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Jan 25, 2012
Anne
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“Saint George and the Dragon” retold by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman was deserving of its Caldecott Award. Although wordy for some younger children, the pictures told the story very well too. In the book a comparison is made between the events of George and Una with that of a sailor’s journey and experience, which was also told in pictures bordering the words. Some events of the story are shown in the pictures bordering the words as well. The book has a good story but i
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Nov 30, 2011
1. Picture book, Traditional Literature
2. This epic story is about a knight, the Red Cross Knight, that was given a shield with a red cross on it. He is given a quest by the Queen of Fairies where his strength will be tested by killing a fierce dragon. On his journey, he encounters a princess, lamb, and dwarf who join him in his quest to help lead him to the dragon. Along their way to find and fight the dragon, the knight is faced with decisions that may pull him away from his objective.
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2. This epic story is about a knight, the Red Cross Knight, that was given a shield with a red cross on it. He is given a quest by the Queen of Fairies where his strength will be tested by killing a fierce dragon. On his journey, he encounters a princess, lamb, and dwarf who join him in his quest to help lead him to the dragon. Along their way to find and fight the dragon, the knight is faced with decisions that may pull him away from his objective.
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Jul 19, 2011
Aaronschafer
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This epic story is about a knight, the Red Cross Knight, that was given a shield with a red cross on it. He is given a quest by the Queen of Fairies where his strength will be tested by killing a fierce dragon. On his journey, he encounters a princess, lamb, and dwarf who join him in his quest to help lead him to the dragon. Along their way to find and fight the dragon, the knight is faced with decisions that may pull him away from his objective. What choices does he make? How does the battl
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Mar 18, 2010
Josiah
rated it: 
The action rages with all the intensity of medieval romanticism in this retelling of a renowned mystical tale taken from the pages of Sir Edmund Spenser's classic, The Faerie Queene.
At the behest of the powerful Fairy Queen who owns his servitude for six years, the noble and brave Red Cross Knight sets off with the Princess Una on a journey to vanquish the unimaginably horrible dragon that has cast its shadow over Una's kingdom. The task set before the Red Cross Knight is more tha More...
At the behest of the powerful Fairy Queen who owns his servitude for six years, the noble and brave Red Cross Knight sets off with the Princess Una on a journey to vanquish the unimaginably horrible dragon that has cast its shadow over Una's kingdom. The task set before the Red Cross Knight is more tha More...
Aug 20, 2009
Shanna
rated it:
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 you More...
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 you More...
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Oct 14, 2011
Jason
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I love this illustrator (Trina Schart Hyman). Her style here is formal but fluid, ornate and posed but dynamic, not wooden. The illustrations are mostly very, very good. Unfortunately the dragon is disappointing. Nothing makes up for a bad dragon, I’m afraid. :(
The prose is fairly tight—moody and romantic, but in a good way—until we get to the climactic fight scene. Then it goes completely off the deep end. “The knight brandished his bright blade, and it seemed sharper than ever, his h More...
The prose is fairly tight—moody and romantic, but in a good way—until we get to the climactic fight scene. Then it goes completely off the deep end. “The knight brandished his bright blade, and it seemed sharper than ever, his h More...
Dec 13, 2011
Bryce
rated it:
This is one of my all-time favorite picture books, and has been for much of my life. The writing style hearkens slightly to the language of antique story-telling, but not enough that children won't enjoy it. However, my favorite aspect of the book is the amazing artwork. It is simply beautiful, and I find myself staring each image for lengthy periods of time on each occasion I find myself with the book. I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone, though. The book isn't as fast-paced and fluffy as mo
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Oct 20, 2009
Kate
rated it:
I'm sure I read this before, but I definitely read this while I was in high school and dreaming up stories about the middle ages, because I distinctly remember drawing the dress that Una wears at the end of the book. I loved the illustrations in this book because there was more to them the longer you looked - they were done like illuminated manuscript pages, and all along the borders there was this allegory comparing George's quest to slay the dragon with a ship sailing across the ocean. I did
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Nov 25, 2011
Anita
rated it:
Caldecott Award winning book Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman is childrens fantasy book. The author tells the tale of a brave knight fighting and slaying a dragon who is destroying the land. He does this from the request by the Queen of the Fairies. The reader finds out that he is accompanied by a princess. Once the dragon is slayed and the people are safe the king gives the knight his daughter the princess as his wife. This is an excellent
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Jul 10, 2011
The brave knight must slay the dragon to win the princess. This no-frills book tells the classic tale in its most basic form. The Red Cross Knight, later St. George, travels to a kingdom terrorized by a foul dragon. The battle between the knight and dragon last for days, with St. George eventually slaying the beast and marrying the king's daughter. The illustrations are beautiful and feel authentic, capturing the medieval feel of the story, right down to the marginalia. Adapted from a version of
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Apr 26, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
(Legend)
I was familiar with St. George and the Dragon, having read Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene in college. However, that is not an easy story for a child to follow and Margaret Hodges does a wonderful job of adapting it in a way that is child-friendly but still captures the poetic language of the original. The illustrations are also wonderful, colorful and detailed. They're drawn in a way as if to look like a medieval tapestry and often the bordering panels illustrate another as More...
I was familiar with St. George and the Dragon, having read Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene in college. However, that is not an easy story for a child to follow and Margaret Hodges does a wonderful job of adapting it in a way that is child-friendly but still captures the poetic language of the original. The illustrations are also wonderful, colorful and detailed. They're drawn in a way as if to look like a medieval tapestry and often the bordering panels illustrate another as More...
Jul 13, 2008
Charity
rated it:
I remember pouring over the pictures of this book as a child. It is still just as beautiful and this time I was able to read the story to myself.
Based on The Faerie Queen, it tells the tale of a knight who grew up among the faerie but is a human. He must become a saint and a king before he can go to the Holy City. A princess brings him to her land to fight the dragon that is ravaging their countryside. He fights the dragon the first day and collapses in a holy spring of water t More...
Based on The Faerie Queen, it tells the tale of a knight who grew up among the faerie but is a human. He must become a saint and a king before he can go to the Holy City. A princess brings him to her land to fight the dragon that is ravaging their countryside. He fights the dragon the first day and collapses in a holy spring of water t More...
Aug 13, 2007
hypothermya
rated it:
I have been read this book nearly one hundred times, if not more. I still pull it out and look at it when I have time or the inclination. It is one of the earliest books I can remember, and it (along with an edition of a rhyming Little Red Riding Hood illustrated by Edward Gorey) shaped my formative years.
My father would always pause on each page and ask questions, such as "Can you see where the fairies are hiding?" The reason why he would always pause, instead of only More...
My father would always pause on each page and ask questions, such as "Can you see where the fairies are hiding?" The reason why he would always pause, instead of only More...
Mar 22, 2010
Beth
rated it:
Red Cross Knight is having his first adventure, which is to slay the dragon. Princess Una and a dwarf accompany. The Knight does not know much at all about his past but the hermit informs him that he is to become St. George of Merry England. The battle is a struggle for both the Knight and dragon. First the water and then the apple tree heals the knight. He eventually conquers the dragon and is given riches from the royalty. The knight gives all of his riches to the poor and marries Una.
Jul 20, 2011
Aaron Schafer referred me to this book. This book sounds good to me because I have hear of Saint George and his dragon, but never read a story about them or understood where they came from. Plus we live in a city called Saint George, not after this man and his dragon of course, but it is still very appealling to me. Throughout Austalia Saint George and his dragon are the staple of the safe bank, another reason I would love to read a story about them.
Sep 25, 2011
Yalonda
rated it:
This book could be appealing to students because it presents a fantasy which includes, a knight, dragon, maiden and the triumph of good versus evil. This traditional tale satisfies the ultimate win of good over evil. This book would be great to use in a genre study on fairy and folk tales or medieval (renaissance) literature. In addition there are many popular children's and young adult books that deal with dragons such as the How to Train Your Dragon. This book could also fit in on a unit on fa
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Sep 05, 2009
Dolly
rated it:
This is a wonderful tale about a brave, valiant knight and a fair maiden princess who sees him through his terribly difficult task of slaying the vile dragon who is threatening her kingdom. The story is crisp and has elements of fantasy, heroism, magic and celebration. The illustrations are a bit graphic for younger children, but for school age children, I think they are fine. They are gorgeously drawn and worthy of the Caldecott Medal award.
Sep 21, 2010
Kirei
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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.
Jul 08, 2010
Chandra
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The illustrations in this book are incredible! Odds are that you haven't seen much like it, that is unless you're already familiar with the incomparable illustrator Trina Schart Hyman. The art alone makes the book worth it even if you decided that the story was complete crap, but how could you really? This is an illustrated and adapted-for-children version of Edmund Spencer's The Fairy Queen. Yep, you read that right! How fantastically ambitious is that? But full disclosure - despite seriou
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Jan 01, 2011
Emily
rated it:
The illustrations in this book are pure art - mystifying, beautiful, and intricate. They alone are reason enough to treasure this book. Medieval fairy tales and legends have few lessons applicable to the every day lives of children, but they are part of our history, and should be read at an appropriate age.
The violent slaying of the dragon is not for young audiences, and the princess as a reward is not a value I would want to ingrain in my kids. However, as she always did, Trina S More...
The violent slaying of the dragon is not for young audiences, and the princess as a reward is not a value I would want to ingrain in my kids. However, as she always did, Trina S More...
Apr 13, 2009
Rachel
rated it:
Beautifully written and illustrated. The story of the man who would become St. George, patron saint of England (as well as many other countries) and slays a mighty dragon to win the fair princess Una. The author uses Edmund Spencer's "Faerie Queene" as the basis for his story. I am definitely going to check out more illustrated works by Trina Schart Hyman.
Apr 22, 2008
Jeremiah
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A great story and some of the best illustrations I've ever seen! They are so detailed, precise and realistic that the love for the craft shows through on every page. This is a book for kids in the 3-6th grade and does have a few words that may not be immediately known; it's not a kids book for the very young. I did read it to my older daughter in one sitting, but she has a pretty broad vocabulary and asks tons of questions; so by the end of the book she had followed everything really well. This
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Mar 05, 2011
Lynne
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I picked up this book because I realized that beside the fact that he was famous for killing a dragon I knew nothing about the story of St. George. I liked this book a lot. I am interested to read more stories about St. Gearge as I know that they often vary and I want to glean the "real story". The artwork in this book was fantastic.
Apr 27, 2011
Anna
rated it:
Wonderful, detailed illustrations! A really beautiful book. More text-heavy than most Caldecott winners, so it might appeal to a slightly older age group than the majority of the winners. The story felt a little incomplete to me, and that may be because it is just part of a larger story (Spenser's Faerie Queene).
Oct 16, 2010
Erika
rated it:
"What did you think of the book?"
"so-so."
"What did you like about it?"
"The fight with the dragon was AWESOME!"
"Why only so-so then?"
"Because the love-y part at the end was dumb."
--6 year old review
"Mommy I love it when they get married together! The princess Una is sooo beautiful!!"
--3 year old review
"so-so."
"What did you like about it?"
"The fight with the dragon was AWESOME!"
"Why only so-so then?"
"Because the love-y part at the end was dumb."
--6 year old review
"Mommy I love it when they get married together! The princess Una is sooo beautiful!!"
--3 year old review
Mar 13, 2011
Amy
rated it:
Award: Caldecott Medal
Genre: Epic, young reader
This story is told through it's illustrations as well as it's text which makes it a good read for a young reader. It is a classic tale of man against beast and in the end good winning out over evil. It emphasizes not giving up when facing a challenge and persevering unitl you succeed.
Genre: Epic, young reader
This story is told through it's illustrations as well as it's text which makes it a good read for a young reader. It is a classic tale of man against beast and in the end good winning out over evil. It emphasizes not giving up when facing a challenge and persevering unitl you succeed.
Sep 03, 2011
Heather
rated it: 
1985 Caldecott Medal Winner
Ink and watercolor--I think.
In a story adapted from a section of Spenser's Faerie Queene, an unnamed knight (later revealed to be George) and a princess named Una set out to rid Una's kingdom of a terrible dragon. The illustrations were gorgeous, but the story was a little silly. The epic fight between George and the Dragon reminded me of something out of Dragonball Z.
Ink and watercolor--I think.
In a story adapted from a section of Spenser's Faerie Queene, an unnamed knight (later revealed to be George) and a princess named Una set out to rid Una's kingdom of a terrible dragon. The illustrations were gorgeous, but the story was a little silly. The epic fight between George and the Dragon reminded me of something out of Dragonball Z.
Nov 22, 2011
Beth
rated it:
Ah goodness, this is possibly the most visually striking book of my childhood. In addition to being Spencer's The Faerie Queen for kids, the textual adaptation is exceptional, including linguistic turns that make even grownups smile. Plus extra feminism for the modern child!
