This collection of children’s poem from Jack Perlutsky is centered around dragons. Most of the poems are happy or funny, a few heartfelt, but all are lovely. They are all set off by great illustrations by peter sis. This book may be old but it can and will stand the test of time. ( )

Begun and done. A wonderful little collection of clever rhyming prose that will delight the kiddos, while still enchanting adults with its witty wordy wonders. Hard pressed to pick a favorite, but I have to say, the imagery combined the poem itself of IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN DRAGONS, definitely had me smiling. ( )

This book is a perfect fun read aloud for children. This book is also perfect for creating activities. These poems are extremely creative, all contain a fun rhythm, and detailed and fun pictures. This book is also fictional, because it includes dragons and people together. On one of the pages there is a girl lying on a dragon and at the end of the poem, she says, "I wish I had a dragon... with eyes of shinging gold...but not a lazy dragon, who sleeps all day like mine!" This was my favorite poem, because I wasn't sure the whole time if the picture was a dream, or the girl actually had a dragon for a pet. That poem would be very exciting for children when reading aloud because they would never know, she actually had a dragon until the last line of the poem. My second favorite poem in the book is the poem on page 16 called the Nasty Little DragonSong. The poem is about a dragon saying how is nasty to his parents, has a nasty temper, etc. but if you look at the picture you see that he is the size of your hand. I would recommend this book, because it is a very fun, and funny book to read aloud to your students or children. ( )

a series of fun songs and poems about dragons
1 book

This book contained some very good poems. The overall theme of the book talks about the dragons that live among us in this fantasy setting. One of the things I like about this book is some of the themes this book covers. In the poem “I am my Masters Dragon” the poem talks about a dragon that is treated well by his master but wishes to roam free, but feels as though that this isn’t important because his master is smart and treats him well. While I feel like this could be interpreted in a variety of ways, I like to view this as a parallel as to how we treat other animals as pets, making us question if they are truly happy or want to be free. Another thing I like about this book is the illustrations. Each page has a different kind of dragon on the page. Some are as tall as mountains, while some are half an inch tall. While some are super realistic, others look as though they are pixilated and belong in a computer. This variety is refreshing and does not make the illustrations become boring between each poem. Overall, this poetry book was a fun read that I had a blast reading. ( )

This book is full of rhyme and voice. ( )

I had mixed feelings about the story of short poems “The Dragons Are Singing Tonight”. One aspect I had mixed feelings about was the writing. Each poem in the story was about a different type of dragon or how a child did or did not believe in dragons. The one poem I liked was about not believing in dragons. “If you don’t believe in dragons, it is curiously true that the dragons you disparage choose to not believe in you.” The writing flowed together well but I do not think little children would understand what the word disparage meant. I think some of the wording is too complicated for young children. One aspect that I liked was the illustrations. They took up the entire page and gave the readers a sense of the different types of dragons that there are. The big idea of this story is to be creative and have a good sense of imagination. ( )

This book is a collection of poems centered on the theme of dragons. The poems describe different things that dragons do, but each poem seems to hold a similar writing style.

Reading Level: Primary to Intermediate
Genre: Poetry

I have loved this collection of poems since I was a little girl and I was so excited to go back and read them again. This was the first book that got me excited about poetry and I can even remember my teacher reading it to me. The book features a collection of poems about different types of dinosaurs in fun situations. My favorite was always "BOOM, the thunder dragon." ( )

This is a beautiful book from every angle. Amazing illustrations bring the heart felt and imaginative poems to life. The poems express various subtle and explicit emotions, concepts, and ideas. Poems such as "I Am My Master's Dragon" about a dragon who wishes to fly free but does not want to show his master disloyalty, strikes an emotional chord with anyone who has ever had to balance commitment with conflicting desires. Children will love the poem, "Nasty Little Dragonsong" about a nasty little dragon who is a half of an inch tall, and ,despite his cloudy disposition, usually goes unnoticed. An underlying theme of wonder and nostalgia pervades this book. ( )

This book is a fantasy poem about all the kinds of dragons there are. It shows the sleepy dragons, the pet dragons, and the unhatched dragons. It is a fun book for kids to use there imaginations and imagine dragons as fun and silly instead of big and scary. ( )

Z pulled this one off the shelves for a re-visit last night. We had forgotten how much fun it is to scream out Boom the Thunder Dragon in unison. ( )

Children will love Jack Prelutsky's light and humurous poetry in this collection of works entitled, "The Dragons Are Singing Tonight", about dragon themed tales. Prelutsky takes you on an adventure with various dragon tales that will have each reader giggling and creating their own experiences with a dragon. Prelutsky utilizes iambic tetrameter, a specific rhyming scheme where the last words of the second and fourth lines will rhyme. One example is his poem entitled, "If You Don't Believe in Dragons", that goes as follows: "If you don't believe in dragons, it is curiously true, that the dragons you disparage, choose to not believe in you."

These silly poems will encourage students to tap into their creativity while using the iambic tetrameter rhyming style. Children can have so much fun using their imaginations and creating their own wacky poems.

I really enjoyed the simple and funny dragon-themed poetry of Prelutsky. He writes lighthearted poems that put a smile on your face. It would be easy for anyone to become interested in poetry after lines like, "My dragon wasn't feeling good, he had a nasty chill, and couldn't keep from shivering, I saw that he was ill. His eyes were red and watery, his nose was running too, his flame was but a fizzle, and his cheeks were pallid blue." Hopefully his sing-song poetry inspires many children to create their own dragon poem.

This book of poetry could be use for fantasy.
The “If You Don’t Believe in Dragons”, poem really gives a twist on this idea- that if we can believe we can do anything, we will have success.
Ages 1st grade to 3rd. Dragon/Castles/Fantasy week theme.

I saw this book at the PA Renaissance Faire on Sunday and picked it up because I love dragons. I collect dragon statues, have honestly not read many dragon stories, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book full of rhyming poetry. The woman at the Faire’s “Scriptorium” (book store) said her favorite poem was called Nasty Little DragonSong, and that is definitely up there with some of my favorites too. It is hard to choose but I think my favorite is this one.

Once They All Believed In Dragons
Once they all believed in dragons

When the world was fresh and young,

We were woven into legends,

Tales were told and songs were sung,

We were treated with obeisance,

We were honored, we were feared,

Then one day they stopped believing –

On that day, we disappeared.

Now they say our time is over,

Now they say we’ve lived our last,

Now we’re treated with derision

Where we once ruled unsurpassed.

We must make them all remember

In some way we must reveal

That our spirit lives forever -

We are Dragons! We are real! ( )

This is a rhyming book with great intricate illustrations of dragons. This could lead into an inquiry of where dragons come from and why do people love to talk about them? I want to know what my students like or dislike about dragons? Each poem has a dragon theme, but they are all on different topics. Jack Prelutsky has written so many wonderful poems, yet I had never read this. Most students adore his rhyme and enjoy hearing them read aloud. After the students read the book I may have them lift one poem to that speaks to them and talk with others about why that one appealed to them over the other ones. If they chose, they could read them aloud with partners or in pairs.

This is a great collection of poems all about dragons. I especially like A Dragon's Lament.

I loved the poems, they are really funny and cool. I love the illustrations. My favorite poem was about the mechanical dragon because it's crazy.

As far as I can remember, this was the only book of poetry I ever enjoyed when I was little, and is still a favorite. ( )

811

Clipped. ( )

"An "excellent collection....Prelutsky and Sis...bring to life so many sorts of dragons: the large, the small, the ferocious, the technological, the gentle, the ominous, and the disconsolate. There's a `just right' quality to the verse that makes it a pleasure to read the words aloud. Their sounds fit together with seamless craftsmanship and their sense rewards listeners with humor, imagination, and occasional poignancy....Because it appeals on so many levels, this is one poetry book that won't siton the shelf for long." (Amazon)

ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice, and Horn Book Fanfare. ( )

JE, Children's Poetry, Picture Book ( )