Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
10th out of 97 books
—
20 voters
King Jack and the Dragon
An irresistible knights-and-dragons fantasy for the very young, in the tradition of Oxenbury's enduring classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Jack, Zack, and baby Caspar spend all day fighting dragons in their homemade fort. But when Sir Zack and Caspar are taken inside for bed, King Jack - alone on his throne - finds himself feeling a bit less brave . . . especially when he h...more
Jack, Zack, and baby Caspar spend all day fighting dragons in their homemade fort. But when Sir Zack and Caspar are taken inside for bed, King Jack - alone on his throne - finds himself feeling a bit less brave . . . especially when he h...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
August 18th 2011
by Dial
(first published July 1st 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
446)
This book is about three little boys named Jack, Zack and Caspar. They decided to make a den for King Jack and his men. They made this fort from things around their house like a sheet, a cardboard box, some sticks and bricks, and some trash bags. This fort included all of the necessities of a great king. It has a royal throne, a drawbridge and a flag. After the castle was built, they spent the whole day defeating dragons and beasts. They returned to their fort after the day was done. Zack's fath...more
King Jack and his trusty men, Zack and Casper, troop outside to build a castle in the backyard out of an old cardboard box and some sheets. With their fortress in place, they battle dragons and beasts all day long, only breaking for a fabulous feast. But then a giant comes to take Sir Zack home and Caspar is carried off to bed. King Jack sits in his castle and declares that he shall fight the dragons alone. As the wind makes the trees quiver and the sky quickly darkens, the little king wraps him...more
King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury is a knights-and-dragons fantasy for the very young.
Young friends Jack, Zack and Caspar build a castle out of a carboard box, a sheet, a blanket, some sticks, broken bricks, trash bags, and odds & ends. They fantasize about fighting dragons and beasts all day. As it gets dark, one by one, the kids are taken away by giants until Jack is left all alone. There, in the dark, a scary monster with four legs approaches.
The text...more
Young friends Jack, Zack and Caspar build a castle out of a carboard box, a sheet, a blanket, some sticks, broken bricks, trash bags, and odds & ends. They fantasize about fighting dragons and beasts all day. As it gets dark, one by one, the kids are taken away by giants until Jack is left all alone. There, in the dark, a scary monster with four legs approaches.
The text...more
Mommy's review from 12/21/11 -
I really, really think Helen Oxenbury did a fantastic job here. It's not often illustrations fit so beautifully with a story. The baby added so much to the story IMO and Julia thought that was the cutest touch.
The story isn't hard to follow - it's about a little boy and his friend and his baby brother playing knights and dragons in their backyard. Like most kids they really let their imagination go when "building" their castle and shortly after this is finished the...more
I really, really think Helen Oxenbury did a fantastic job here. It's not often illustrations fit so beautifully with a story. The baby added so much to the story IMO and Julia thought that was the cutest touch.
The story isn't hard to follow - it's about a little boy and his friend and his baby brother playing knights and dragons in their backyard. Like most kids they really let their imagination go when "building" their castle and shortly after this is finished the...more
A fun book for story time--either at bed or whenever... simply sweet. Three little munchkins head out into the backyard to play and fight dragons. They play until dark, until they're swooped up by their parents and carted off to bed. In the middle of the book there are three spreads that are fantastic! The art covers both pages, and on the first the kids are fighting dragons, on the second they're fighting beasts, and on the third spread the beasts and dragons are fleeing through the forest. So...more
In a story with which almost all of us can relate, Jack and his two good friends, Zack and Casper, spend the whole day playing out in the yard. They create a castle out of the materials available to them, and commence to defend it from all sorts of creatures. But as night falls, his comrades are forced to desert him when their parents take them home. Jack is left to defend the kingdom all by himself until his adventures are forced to end as well since it's time for bed. I loved the rhyming text...more
“A big cardboard box, an old sheet and some sticks, a couple of trash bags, a few broken bricks, a fine royal throne from a ragged old quilt, a drawbridge, a flag – and the castle was built.”
Jack, along with his friends Zack and Casper, have decided to build a fort/castle. Jack declares himself as king while Zack and Casper become his knights. They spend the day fighting dragons and beasts protecting their castle from being destroyed. After a long day of defending their stronghold, they retire...more
Jack, along with his friends Zack and Casper, have decided to build a fort/castle. Jack declares himself as king while Zack and Casper become his knights. They spend the day fighting dragons and beasts protecting their castle from being destroyed. After a long day of defending their stronghold, they retire...more
Jack makes a castle for himself and his friends and they spend the day fighting dragons and other beasts. Then night comes and, slowly, one by one, the friends go home to bed. Jack tries to be brave and stay the night, but soon his parents come and carry him off to bed.
Beautiful illustrations and rhyming text make for a lovely story.
“Jack, Zack, and Caspar
were making a den---
a mighty great fort for King Jack and his men….
‘Prepare to do battle, brave knights!’
cried King Jack.
‘Protect your king’...more
Beautiful illustrations and rhyming text make for a lovely story.
“Jack, Zack, and Caspar
were making a den---
a mighty great fort for King Jack and his men….
‘Prepare to do battle, brave knights!’
cried King Jack.
‘Protect your king’...more
I don't always love picture books that rhyme. Somehow, many of them fall short of the mark, and I wind up distracted by the the rhyming rather than getting lost in the story. Not here, however. The rhyming fits, and somehow makes the story even more cozy feeling. Cozy dragon fighting? Yes! The trio of young friends spending the day building a fort and fighting dragons is so sweet, it does indeed feel kind of cozy. Maybe that's just the "mama" in me enjoying watching young ones so wrapped up in p...more
Bentley, Peter - King Jack and the Dragon - illustrated by Helen Oxenbury - Dial Books for Young Readers - 2011 - ALSC 2012 Notable
**In this sweetly illustrated story of imagination, three little boys build a fort and fight dragons and monsters until one by one they are retrieved by their parents. Children could build mini forts out of blocks and fabric scraps. They could also draw pictures of what they would build if they are were outside in the woods playing. This book is really geared for pre...more
**In this sweetly illustrated story of imagination, three little boys build a fort and fight dragons and monsters until one by one they are retrieved by their parents. Children could build mini forts out of blocks and fabric scraps. They could also draw pictures of what they would build if they are were outside in the woods playing. This book is really geared for pre...more
Three brave little boys build their castle and defend it against "dragons" and "ogres " to the best of their abilities. But as the day wears on, one by one, they must go home untill King Jack is left to defend the castle alone, as it starts to get dark. Peter Bentley's story is one that can be easily followed by the "younguns" . The illustrations are reminiscent of some older children's books that I have adored in the past. Beautiful in their richness, kudos to Helen Oxenbury for her ability to...more
Three small boys build a den, from which they battle terrible monsters, until one by one they are snatched away by giants (or their parents). I really liked the way that it fuses reality and the children's vivid imaginings. My only reservation about this book is that it's all about boys, there are no girls, and there seems no reason for that. In class the children could build a den and act out there favourite parts, and it could be used as a catalyst to encourage children to re-imagine the munda...more
When dragons descend on the backyard, it's up to King Jack, his brother Casper and friend Zack to protect the fort. Their imaginary play last until parent come to take the knights away until Jack is the only one left. His bravery runs out when something with a large shadow and four legs heads toward his fort. Peter Bently's story is adorable and Helen Oxenbury's has outdone herself with these gorgeous illustrations reminiscent of her art in We're Going On a Bear Hunt. This book is a must have fo...more
Open this book and you are immersed in a wonderful world of make-believe that you will not want to leave. There is a timelessness to not only the story here, but the way it is told.
Jack, Zack and Caspar were making a fort for King Jack out of a large box, a sheet, a blanket, some sticks, broken bricks, some trash bags, and other odds and ends. Then they spent the entire day fighting dragons and beasts until they returned back to their fort for a celebratory feast. Unfortunately, after that a gi...more
Jack, Zack and Caspar were making a fort for King Jack out of a large box, a sheet, a blanket, some sticks, broken bricks, some trash bags, and other odds and ends. Then they spent the entire day fighting dragons and beasts until they returned back to their fort for a celebratory feast. Unfortunately, after that a gi...more
Jack and his friends build a fort and pretend play the afternoon away fighting dragons and monsters. When Jack decides to stay out late after his friends have gone home, he starts to wonder if dragons are real after all, but the shadowy creature he sees turns out to be mom and dad to take him home for the night. This one reminded me a little of Where the Wild Things Are. I love Helen Oxenbury's illustrations in this one; they really add to the story, similar to Sendak's illustration in Wild Thin...more
As the mother of young boys with great imaginations I just loved this beautiful picture book. Three youngsters play in the backyard slaying dragons and beasts until night falls and just one young night remains holding down the fort. Eventually even his courage gives out and he longs for a rescue from mom and dad. It has just enough suspense without becoming too scarey for young ones. This one is softly and beautifully illustrated and my younger sons love the rhyming text.
A lovely story about three young friends who build a fort in the back yard and protect it from imaginary dragon attacks all day. The illustrations are classic Oxenbury but, she cleverly uses black and white drawings to illustrate the boys while they are engaged in the building of their fort and then switches to her soft palette of water colors when the boys are imagining their battles with dragons and beasts. A nice touch to a tireless theme. Go outside and play!!!
Jack, his little brother, Caspar, and his friend Zack spend the day building a great fort (from a cardboard box, an old sheet, and sticks) and fighting dragons and beasts. When a giant comes and takes Sir Zack and Caspar away (it's bedtime) Jack tries to stick it out on his own, but there are some spooky noises in the dark!
I've always appreciated Helen Oxenbury's old-fashioned illustrations, and these are just wonderful. Bedtime will be much better for lots of little boys with this book.
I've always appreciated Helen Oxenbury's old-fashioned illustrations, and these are just wonderful. Bedtime will be much better for lots of little boys with this book.
What a wonderful book about the imaginations of children! In this rhyming tale, Jack, Zack, and Caspar build a back yard fort of boxes, old sheets, and sticks and defend it from dragons and monsters. Soon giants come to take Sir Zack and Caspar home, and King Jack is left by himself. Will he be brave enough to defend the fort alone? The beautifully rendered and softly colored illustrations combine with the story to make this a delightful book for all ages.
I'm a huge fan of Helen Oxenbury's illustrations and they are wonderfully suited to the story here as she does a great job with both the "real world" creations (the box-castle that Jack builds, the expressions of Jack and his friends) and the imaginary creatures Jack battles. Peter Bently's rhyming text is engaging and flows smoothly and I love the sense of imaginative play and also how skillfully he shows the change in little ones from being brave to needing Mommy and Daddy!
I guess I was just...more
I guess I was just...more
Wow....I loved it. Memories of making forts out of sheets and chairs with my brother flooded back when reading this. The illustrations were amazing. I love the little friend with the pacifier stuck in his mouth on every page. It would be great for inferring. It was fun to imagine how the things King Jack's mom and dad have read to him infused the play later on.....I saw the influence of Where the Wild Things Are.
Adorable illustrations that remind me of so many of my all time favorite pictures books. Such as Where the Wild things Are, and Alexander and the no Good Very Bad Day. Fun read aloud as well. Imagination, a cardboard box, an old sheet, and some sticks was all these three children needed to have an adventure. A great reminder during this electronic age that we live in.
Great for the younger set. Jack, Zack, and Casper (roly-poly multi-racial preschoolers) make a fort outside. When they fight dragons and beasts, the art goes full-color double-spread, reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are. One by one the noble warriors are taken by giants - home to cozy beds. Rhyming text and large, uncluttered art make this great for a storytime. Really cute.
Imaginative play time, with dragons, and drawbridges, and tents is the right of passage for every young person. When Jack, Zack, and Caspar gather up all the ingredients to make a truly magnificient backyard castle, it is sure to protect them from giants and dragons.
Soft, muted illustrations play off these once-upon-a-time-ago, gentler times of pretending.
Soft, muted illustrations play off these once-upon-a-time-ago, gentler times of pretending.
Bentley and Oxenbury have created a delightful book of make-believe. Jack and his friends build a fort to fight off dragons and monsters, but by the end of the day Jack finds himself all alone, as the day becomes darker and a bit scarier. Even for a king who has fought dragons all day, there's something to be said for having company.
This book had an entertaining plot line but was not over-the-top creative or particularly humorous. The rhyming was fun, but I occasionally had to alter the way I was reading the book in order to make it fit. The illustrations were nice. Some were simple line drawings in black and white while others were full-page and in color.
This is a fun story that celebrates children's imaginations as well as their amazing sense of wonder and creativity. The children are so sweet and fun, with such big ideas. The illustrations are a mixture of black and white and softly colored picturs and they complement the story nicely. We enjoyed reading this story together.
I loved this story about several young boys playing before dark. What I did not love, however, were the old-fashioned style of illustrations. While adults might find them charming, most of my students have to be convinced to read stories with these style of illustrations. Recommended for public library collections.
Helen Oxenbury's illustrations are beyond adorable in this sweet story of pretend. Maybe it's the trees, the crown, or the color palette, but the pictures reminded me strongly of Where the Wild Things Are.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Oct 24, 2011 08:56am