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Dear Dragon
Merry Christmas Dear Dragon
Reading Levels vary with each set, but range from 1.5 - 2.5. Give your primary students more varied book choices in a wider range of reading levels to meet both their interests and abilities successfully-and watch their skills soar! The complete collection features 96 books, many written by well-known author, poet, and former teacher, Margaret Hill. The series is organized into four sub-collections by student interest and reading level. Each sub-collection is accompanied by a helpful Teacher's Guide.
31 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Margaret Hillert
209 books23 followersMargaret Hillert has written over 80 books for children who are just learning to read. Her books have been translated into many languages and have helped children throughout the world learn to read. She first started writing poetry as a child and has continued to write for children and adults throughout her life. As a first grade teacher, Margaret realized that the books available for students just learning to read were beyond their comprehension. She then began to write her easy readers and poetry for children. Her first collection of poetry Farther Than Far was published in 1969. Her many awards include the Chicago Children's Reading Round Table Annual Award for outstanding contributions to the field of children's literature. Other honors include the David W. Longe Prize and the Michigan Bookwoman of the Year Award. A teacher for 34 years, she is now retired and lives in Michigan where she continues to write stories and poetry.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 16, 2016
The Dear Dragon series is made up of several books that are easy readers. They use site vocabulary that is printed in the back of the book. It reminds me of the books I learned to read with. This is a reissue of the original book with updated illustrations.
In this book, the boy and his dragon experience several winter activities as well as touching on some of the traditions surrounding Christmas. The dragon helps out with shovelling snow by melting it as well as starting the fire in the fireplace. They cut bring home a Christmas tree which they decorate, push a car out of the snow, make a snow dragon and bake and eat Christmas Cookies. All this with only 70 words. The illustrations are bright, colourful and fun. My grandson, who is too young to read, enjoyed the illustrations and we engaged in a conversation about what was happening in the pictures.
These Beginning-to-Read books capture the imaginations of beginning readers and help them on their way to independent reading. They could also be read aloud to young children who are not able to read yet. At the back of the book they list the vocabulary as well as tips for helping your child develop reading fluency. A great addition to a family library or a primary classroom. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
In this book, the boy and his dragon experience several winter activities as well as touching on some of the traditions surrounding Christmas. The dragon helps out with shovelling snow by melting it as well as starting the fire in the fireplace. They cut bring home a Christmas tree which they decorate, push a car out of the snow, make a snow dragon and bake and eat Christmas Cookies. All this with only 70 words. The illustrations are bright, colourful and fun. My grandson, who is too young to read, enjoyed the illustrations and we engaged in a conversation about what was happening in the pictures.
These Beginning-to-Read books capture the imaginations of beginning readers and help them on their way to independent reading. They could also be read aloud to young children who are not able to read yet. At the back of the book they list the vocabulary as well as tips for helping your child develop reading fluency. A great addition to a family library or a primary classroom. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
October 6, 2017
This is a simple story about a boy and his pet dragon, and the winter fun and activities they take part in, in the run-up to Christmas. The special thing about this book however, is that the story is told in both English and Spanish, with sentences told twice, once in English and once in Spanish. This is a brilliant (and sneaky!) way to teach young people another language without making it seem like a chore. The story is nothing spectacular, but the illustrations are bright and fun. There are some extra teaching points at the end of the book, as well as phonetic pronunciation suggestions, which is a good addition. A good aid for teaching new languages, but not the finest of stories.
October 6, 2017
I thought that this book was an ok read, I did like that the Spanish was written and then the English underneath so you could learn words from both languages if you wanted too. It is a simple book that would be good for young children and early readers as there is an awful lot of rhyming and repetition - which is exactly what they need to learn, even if I'm not a huge fan! 3 stars from me.
March 21, 2017
As in all the books in the Dear Dragon series, the illustrations are beautiful and colorful.. And as in all the Dear Dragon books, I don't understand why the words most important to the story, words that would make the story rich and colorful, words the child should be learning -- to read and to speak -- are omitted.
"Look at this." Look at what?
"Down, down it comes." Down what comes?
"It is work." What is work?
"I can make it go away." Make what go away?
"I see it." I see what?
"It is a good one." What is a good what?
Why not specify? Why not name the words: snow, tree, shovel, fire, etc.?
If the book is designed to be read to the child, it can easily afford to have more vocabulary words in it. Children's brains are like sponges -- there is no reason for words like "this" and "it" and "ones" and "here" and "something" to be overloaded in a book, as is the case here. Studies have shown that the best time to learn languages is from the prenatal period until about three years old.
If the book is meant for new readers, say the preschool to first grade level, then the vocabulary choices are much too sparse in this book -- even more reason to substitute "this," "it," "here," "ones," and "something" for more specific words. It's never too early to encourage children to express themselves -- and this book does the exact opposite. It encourages children to be vague and nonspecific in their sentence formulations, which is counterproductive to language learning.
Replace "it" and "this" and "something" and "here" and "ones" with real words and you would have a really lovely story. I would not give this book to my daughter to learn to read -- it would be an insult to her intelligence.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"Look at this." Look at what?
"Down, down it comes." Down what comes?
"It is work." What is work?
"I can make it go away." Make what go away?
"I see it." I see what?
"It is a good one." What is a good what?
Why not specify? Why not name the words: snow, tree, shovel, fire, etc.?
If the book is designed to be read to the child, it can easily afford to have more vocabulary words in it. Children's brains are like sponges -- there is no reason for words like "this" and "it" and "ones" and "here" and "something" to be overloaded in a book, as is the case here. Studies have shown that the best time to learn languages is from the prenatal period until about three years old.
If the book is meant for new readers, say the preschool to first grade level, then the vocabulary choices are much too sparse in this book -- even more reason to substitute "this," "it," "here," "ones," and "something" for more specific words. It's never too early to encourage children to express themselves -- and this book does the exact opposite. It encourages children to be vague and nonspecific in their sentence formulations, which is counterproductive to language learning.
Replace "it" and "this" and "something" and "here" and "ones" with real words and you would have a really lovely story. I would not give this book to my daughter to learn to read -- it would be an insult to her intelligence.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2017
If only dragons were real it’d make snow shoveling so much easier. The book focuses on winter and family activities like baking cookies, decorating the tree, shoveling snow and more.
It’s written in a very easy to read and understand rhythmic pace. Kids can learn to read and learn a new language at the same time thanks to the bilingual story.
The illustrations are brightly colored, depict the fun of the story and will help keep children focused while bringing the book to life.
There are educational lessons after the story that show the multiple levels this book can be used for at home and in the classroom.
As a parent reading this with my kids one of the fun things for me was that not every piece of the story was given which allowed me to make it more interactive, ask my daughter questions, and help increase her critical thinking skills. For example:
The story has the following sentences:
“Look at this. Down, down it comes.”
After reading that I asked my daughter what was coming “down” in the picture – which was snow. That led to me talking to her about snow, how it forms, what you can do with it, etc. There were many instances where the simplicity of the story allowed for much deeper lessons and more quality with my kids.
I like the series and have found it to be very educational and helpful. My kids adore the dragon.
It’s written in a very easy to read and understand rhythmic pace. Kids can learn to read and learn a new language at the same time thanks to the bilingual story.
The illustrations are brightly colored, depict the fun of the story and will help keep children focused while bringing the book to life.
There are educational lessons after the story that show the multiple levels this book can be used for at home and in the classroom.
As a parent reading this with my kids one of the fun things for me was that not every piece of the story was given which allowed me to make it more interactive, ask my daughter questions, and help increase her critical thinking skills. For example:
The story has the following sentences:
“Look at this. Down, down it comes.”
After reading that I asked my daughter what was coming “down” in the picture – which was snow. That led to me talking to her about snow, how it forms, what you can do with it, etc. There were many instances where the simplicity of the story allowed for much deeper lessons and more quality with my kids.
I like the series and have found it to be very educational and helpful. My kids adore the dragon.
February 22, 2017
This is an updated title in the "Dear Dragon" series and features the boy and his dragon celebrating Christmas. It begins with the pair shoveling snow, playing in the snow and helping a motorist stranded in the snow. Then the boy and Dragon select a tree to take home and decorate. At home, there are cookies and decorations, and Dragon dresses up like Santa. Dear Dragon helps out by using his fire-breathing powers to start a fire in the fireplace. The boy and dragon enjoy being together to celebrate the holiday. The limited vocabulary and brief sentences are suited to emerging readers eager to practice reading skills. The bright cartoon illustrations add visual appeal. Like all titles in this series, back matter includes reading reinforcement activities for parents, teachers or caretakers. The repetitive and pedestrian text is largely unappealing for adults, but is ideal for the intended audience.
December 17, 2023
Just the typical ways that a boy and his pet would spend a Christmas. Only, maybe not so typical, that "pet" is a neon-green pet DRAGON.
Such an industrious boy, doing something as sophisticated as cutting down a Christmas tree, and yet this is how -- in this easy reader book -- how he talks:
See what we can make.
Cookies. Cookies.
Look at this!
All the human essentials are there for a fabulous Christmas. Only the reading skills are still under development. Still this storybook definitely gets the job done.
TECHNICALLY, THIS BOOK IS A TOUR DE FORCE
Number of different words used in the story: 70
Linguistic and phonemic essential: /m/
Rating by an appreciative Goodreader: FIVE STARS
Such an industrious boy, doing something as sophisticated as cutting down a Christmas tree, and yet this is how -- in this easy reader book -- how he talks:
See what we can make.
Cookies. Cookies.
Look at this!
All the human essentials are there for a fabulous Christmas. Only the reading skills are still under development. Still this storybook definitely gets the job done.
TECHNICALLY, THIS BOOK IS A TOUR DE FORCE
Number of different words used in the story: 70
Linguistic and phonemic essential: /m/
Rating by an appreciative Goodreader: FIVE STARS
October 20, 2017
I officially want a dragon snow shovel. So much quicker and easier. While this is Merry Christmas Dear Dragon, it focuses more on family and being together than the holiday. I love that the book is bilingual, and that the old easy readers are being brought to a new generation.
October 5, 2021
Every single book in the large Dear Dragon series is perfect for your kindergartener! Focus on this and the "There wad an Old Lady" books and your midget will be reading ahead of their classmates in no time!
May 20, 2017
As a Homeschool mother, I adore this series. I have found them to be encouraging to young readers in both visual illustrations and ability to read independently and aloud.
December 7, 2021
A boy and his pet dragon celebrate Christmas.
The text is somewhat stilted, but the vocabulary is simple and easy to read. All 69 words used in the text are listed on the final page.
The text is somewhat stilted, but the vocabulary is simple and easy to read. All 69 words used in the text are listed on the final page.
December 12, 2016
Who doesn't love that first snowfall that arrives just before Christmas.... hurray it's going to be a white Christmas after all! Donning his winter gear a young boy and his pet dragon engage with the new visitor in town... welcome Winter!!
Together they shovel, play games and make tracks in the snow, help a poor stranded woman who's car is stuck, hunt down the perfect Christmas tree to take home and decorate, and then curl up in front of a warm cozy fire sipping hot chocolate and eating yummy cookies (with sprinkles on top of course). All-in-all the perfect rewards after all the Christmas hustle and bustle and busyness!!! Whew!!! MMMMMMM.... nice!!!
The illustrations are beautifully done. They are crisp, vibrantly coloured and they invite the reader in to a magical Christmas adventure. I especially like at the end of story the reading activities and a word list that is included. Kids can use these to practice and strengthen their beginning reading skills. This series is reminiscent of the "Dick and Jane" readers that I grew up reading. Sometimes teaching reading comes full circle and you find that the older, more traditional methods of doing so are still the best. As a former primary school teacher, having taught beginning reading in Kindergarten, Grades 1 and Grades 2, I can endorse these books wholeheartedly.
Together they shovel, play games and make tracks in the snow, help a poor stranded woman who's car is stuck, hunt down the perfect Christmas tree to take home and decorate, and then curl up in front of a warm cozy fire sipping hot chocolate and eating yummy cookies (with sprinkles on top of course). All-in-all the perfect rewards after all the Christmas hustle and bustle and busyness!!! Whew!!! MMMMMMM.... nice!!!
The illustrations are beautifully done. They are crisp, vibrantly coloured and they invite the reader in to a magical Christmas adventure. I especially like at the end of story the reading activities and a word list that is included. Kids can use these to practice and strengthen their beginning reading skills. This series is reminiscent of the "Dick and Jane" readers that I grew up reading. Sometimes teaching reading comes full circle and you find that the older, more traditional methods of doing so are still the best. As a former primary school teacher, having taught beginning reading in Kindergarten, Grades 1 and Grades 2, I can endorse these books wholeheartedly.
December 26, 2016
Margret Hillert has done it again! Who would think you could write a Christmas book with only 70 words? That is how many different words this Dear Dragon book has.
They clean the sidewalks, find a tree, make special treats and more in this beginning to read book.
Once again there is a Reading Reinforcement section that includes: phonemic awareness, phonics, reading comprehension, vocabulary concepts, and fluency activities. This section I think is a very important part of these books!
Thank you Norwood House Press and NetGalley for the free digital copy of this book to give my honest opinion!
They clean the sidewalks, find a tree, make special treats and more in this beginning to read book.
Once again there is a Reading Reinforcement section that includes: phonemic awareness, phonics, reading comprehension, vocabulary concepts, and fluency activities. This section I think is a very important part of these books!
Thank you Norwood House Press and NetGalley for the free digital copy of this book to give my honest opinion!
December 6, 2016
My daughter came home with this from the school library. She has read other Hillert books. Like the others, you really need the pictures to fit in the gaps in the simple text.
The boy in the story has a dragon. They shovel snow, build a snow dragon, find a Christmas tree, get Christmas cookies and decorate their tree.
The boy in the story has a dragon. They shovel snow, build a snow dragon, find a Christmas tree, get Christmas cookies and decorate their tree.
Read
September 26, 2013***9/25/13
***10/15/13MR
***10/15/13MR
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews