Play Audiobook Sample
King Jack and the Dragon Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.08) - 332 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Peter Bently's unique mix of rhyming verse, storytelling, and humor is a surefire hit with young readers. In King Jack and the Dragon, Jack, his toddler brother Caspar, and his friend Zack build a make-believe fort capable of stopping the attacks of fire-breathing dragons and all sorts of other beasties. But as playtime draws to a close and his knights get carried away by marauding parents, Jack discovers that defending a magical fort is more fun with a few friends.
Download and start listening now!
"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 and the description of adults as giants and the boys' utter absorption in their play. The softly colored illustrations show the sometimes scary nature of the dark as well as the warmth of a parent's love that makes it possible to have all those adventures."
— Barbara (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“At once contemporary and classic.”
— New York Times -
“This one is sure to become a full-on family favorite at bedtime.”
— Washington Post -
“Though the characters are wholly modern, there is a timelessness to the cycle of excitement, apprehension and parental comfort that should give this lovely book a long stay on the nursery shelf.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“An enchanting tribute to both full-throttle pretend play and the reassurance of a parent’s embrace.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“A tale of make-believe that children will delight in hearing again and again.”
— School Library Journal (starred review) -
“Altogether, ‘King Jack’ is just about perfect.”
— Sacramento Bee -
“From this simple premise of imaginative play, Bently and Oxenbury create a classically sweet picture book.”
— Horn Book -
“The rhyming verse, large trim size, and detailed illustrations…make this a suitable story for group sharing, while the sweet, intimate tone will make it a family favorite.”
— Booklist
King Jack and the Dragon Listener Reviews
-
" 3.5 Simple and Sweet "
— JuJu, 2/15/2014 -
" Ages 3-5. Would be perfect for a "Pretend" storytime. Love the soft drawings, a throwback to books I remember as a child. The use of color really makes you feel like you are pretending with the children--seeing what they see-- as they build a fort and monsters (parents) swoop in to claim them one-at-a-time for bedtime. "
— Kate, 2/10/2014 -
" lovely illustrations--good read-aloud. "
— Amy, 1/31/2014 -
" In a word - ADORABLE. We must have read this library book half a dozen times and I certainly didn't tire of it one bit... too cute for words. "
— Trace, 1/13/2014 -
" Here there be dragons. I like this one. "
— Paul, 1/2/2014 -
" Fun rhyming story. Ah...the power of imagination. "
— Mary, 1/2/2014 -
" One of my new favorite picture books!! LOVE the baby:) "
— Allison, 12/24/2013 -
" Story and illustrations remind me of Where the Wild Things Are. "
— Katie, 12/19/2013 -
" Sweet story about boys building a fort and fighting off dragons. Even if it can be scary doing it all by yourself. "
— Jodie, 12/13/2013 -
" This combines a child's imagination and play very nicely. "
— Tracy, 12/8/2013 -
" My four year-old and I loved this book. The illustrations are beautiful. "
— Melissa, 11/6/2013 -
" Oxenbury's drawings, with their charming, innocent children, seem to stem directly from Kate Greenaway. They have the same sort of attention to detail and feel of childhood as a place, distinct and playful. This is a pleasant story of imagination. Lovely. "
— Karen, 10/4/2013 -
" Super cute story, but I LOVE the illustrations. Good for pretend or imagination storytime! "
— Sarah, 8/29/2013 -
" Aaron bought a copy of this book for Ethan on a recent trip to Asheville. Ethan loves pretending to build forts and fight dragons, so it's right up his alley! "
— Deborah, 6/20/2013 -
" With the alternating illustrations of color and black and white sketches, this book is appealing to the eye. I also liked the rhyming verse and the word choice. A great tale of childhood imagination and playfulness. "
— NancyJo, 4/13/2013 -
" Great old-fashioned story about building castles out of cardboard and fighting imaginary dragons and monsters (that remind me of Where the Wild Things are creatures!). Especially love with Jack's companions take giants (parents) by the had and lead them away! "
— Linda, 2/17/2013 -
" I loved this rollicking journey through a child's imaginative play. A great surprise ending will be sure to please young readers. Oxenbury's illustrations capture the magic. "
— libraryreeder, 1/30/2013 -
" Great imaginary play. Love the fort! There are never enough books with dragons. "
— Susan, 1/1/2013 -
" Nice enough.Oxenbury 's monsters look decidedly Sendakish--perhaps it reflects the heros' own readings. And it's nice to see kids engaging in unplugged creative free play! "
— The, 11/3/2012 -
" Wonderful portrait of childhood imagination and play. "
— Edward, 10/17/2012 -
" Picked this book up at the Library and was pleasantly surprised by how charming the story was and how my Son absolutely loved it. He even cheered once they scared the dragons away. A Quick story but fun illustrations and a good heart. "
— Justin, 10/6/2012 -
" Lovely child point of view, and illustrations add to the story. "
— Rachel, 8/3/2012 -
" Beautifully illustrated story celebrating the imagination and playfulness of childhood. "
— Susan, 7/19/2012
About Andrew Watts
Andrew Watts has over twenty
years of experience working as an architect, specializing in facade detailing
in Paris, London, Melbourne, and Dubai on projects with a wide range of
construction technologies. He runs his own company, Newtechnic, which is a firm
of London-based architects who create facades in collaboration with leading
architects.