What do you think?
Rate this book
Dragons: Father and Son
Strokkur is a young dragon, whose father instructs him to act like a proper dragon – and to go out and set fire to some houses. But Strokker isn’t confident about his skills and he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. How will be prove himself without upsetting his dad and everyone around him? A funny and moving story about the bonds between fathers and children, with a positive, peaceful message – and all the magic and mayhem you’d hope for in a tale about dragons.
26 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2014
About the author
Alexandre Lacroix
83 books14 followersAlexandre Lacroix est rédacteur en chef de Philosophie Magazine et enseigne l’écriture créative à Sciences Po. Il est l’auteur de plusieurs romans adultes chez Flammarion, dont Voyage au centre de Paris, paru en 2013. Dragons, père et fils est son premier texte pour la jeunesse, suivi de Dragons Amoureux!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 12, 2017
Dragons: Father and Son tells the story of a father attempting to teach his son the dragon tradition of burning down houses. Drake is not exactly proficient at fire breathing, having used his abilities for cooking snacks but nothing ever as big as burning down a house!
Drake finds that he's not quite a chip off the old block when he flies to a nearby village the next day, ready to make his father proud. Humans don't seem to be as ferocious as his father has taught him. Can Drake find a way to make his father proud and still stay true to himself?
I loved the expressions captured on particularly the father's face in Ronan Badel's illustrations. The father's use of glasses near the end was a chuckle moment for me. The illustrations complemented the story well and I imagine children will enjoy the father's cranky expressions at the beginning of the book and the son getting ready to burn down parts of the village in earnest to please his father. I really liked the drawings of the bats.
My favourite picture would have to be when Drake tries to go to sleep the night before he sets out for the village. The look on Drake's face as he contemplates the next day's activities is priceless and there was a special cute factor with him holding onto his bird's leg while the bird sleeps peacefully.
Also, dragons!!! 🐉 😃
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.
Drake finds that he's not quite a chip off the old block when he flies to a nearby village the next day, ready to make his father proud. Humans don't seem to be as ferocious as his father has taught him. Can Drake find a way to make his father proud and still stay true to himself?
I loved the expressions captured on particularly the father's face in Ronan Badel's illustrations. The father's use of glasses near the end was a chuckle moment for me. The illustrations complemented the story well and I imagine children will enjoy the father's cranky expressions at the beginning of the book and the son getting ready to burn down parts of the village in earnest to please his father. I really liked the drawings of the bats.
My favourite picture would have to be when Drake tries to go to sleep the night before he sets out for the village. The look on Drake's face as he contemplates the next day's activities is priceless and there was a special cute factor with him holding onto his bird's leg while the bird sleeps peacefully.
Also, dragons!!! 🐉 😃
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.
August 31, 2019
When Drake's traditionalist father send him off to the local human village to burn some houses down, the little dragon isn't exactly pleased. After all, he's only ever used his fire to cook some small snacks. Obedient to his parent's wishes however, off he goes, only to find himself persuaded not to burn down various homes and other buildings, by their human residents. It turns out that dragons and people don't have to be enemies after all. But can he convince his father...?
Originally published in France as Dragons, père et fils, this delightfully droll picture-book pairs an engaging and ultimately heartwarming tale from author Alexandre Lacroix with amusing and expressive artwork from illustrator Ronan Badel. I loved the facial expressions on both draconite and human characters, and appreciated the sly humor of some incidents in the story, such as when Drake learns flattery from his human companions, and tries it out on his father. Recommended to all young dragon lovers, and to picture-book readers/listeners who appreciate humorous tales.
Originally published in France as Dragons, père et fils, this delightfully droll picture-book pairs an engaging and ultimately heartwarming tale from author Alexandre Lacroix with amusing and expressive artwork from illustrator Ronan Badel. I loved the facial expressions on both draconite and human characters, and appreciated the sly humor of some incidents in the story, such as when Drake learns flattery from his human companions, and tries it out on his father. Recommended to all young dragon lovers, and to picture-book readers/listeners who appreciate humorous tales.
September 19, 2017
Drake the dragon is happy young dragon who does not want to hurt people. He has a dilemma when his father orders him to go to the village and burn down a house. Drake heads off, but his adventures do not include burning down anything. He also learns how to charm his father into letting him be.
This is a great little story about being yourself and standing up for what you believe in. It also deals with the relationships between fathers and sons. I loved the illustrations. They were not cutesy dragons but a little scary and not attractive at all. The emotions on the faces of the characters were wonderful. Drake also learned to judge for himself and not just believe that people were "ferocious creatures" as his father believed. The publisher generously provided me a copy of this book via Netgalley.
This is a great little story about being yourself and standing up for what you believe in. It also deals with the relationships between fathers and sons. I loved the illustrations. They were not cutesy dragons but a little scary and not attractive at all. The emotions on the faces of the characters were wonderful. Drake also learned to judge for himself and not just believe that people were "ferocious creatures" as his father believed. The publisher generously provided me a copy of this book via Netgalley.
September 25, 2017
'Dragons: Father and Son' by Alexandre Lacroix with illustrations by Ronan Badel is a story about becoming who you are instead of who others might want you to be.
Drake is a young dragon who lives with his slightly grouchy looking father. Now that Drake is older, his father wants him to go out and terrorize villages by burning them down. Drake has misgivings about doing this. Along the way, he meets characters who convince him that he shouldn't torch their buildings. Could Drake's father be wrong?
It's a very cute story with great illustrations to accompany. I loved the grumpiness of the dad. I loved Drake's pose as he tilts his head back before he is about to torch a building. The story has a gently message and doesn't serve to make any character look stupid, which I appreciated.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Drake is a young dragon who lives with his slightly grouchy looking father. Now that Drake is older, his father wants him to go out and terrorize villages by burning them down. Drake has misgivings about doing this. Along the way, he meets characters who convince him that he shouldn't torch their buildings. Could Drake's father be wrong?
It's a very cute story with great illustrations to accompany. I loved the grumpiness of the dad. I loved Drake's pose as he tilts his head back before he is about to torch a building. The story has a gently message and doesn't serve to make any character look stupid, which I appreciated.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
September 27, 2017
Dragons is a very enjoyable story about Drake, the young dragon, learning how to be a real dragon by breathing fire. His father sets him a task but as Drake sets out on his journey, he feels unable to complete the task (breathing fire and setting light to things) based on the people he meets. It's a nice heartfelt story about finding the good in people and Drake learning along the way, before returning home and sharing his learnings with his father. A nice story which shows the sweet bond between father and son. The graphics are beautiful, and as is always very important with me, the text is brilliantly clear and easy to read.
April 22, 2021
یک بچهاژدهای گرد و قلمممبه که وقتی نفس میگیره تا جایی رو آتیش بزنه قیافهش خیلی خوردنی میشه
September 25, 2017
This book is delightful. A strict, crusty dad dragon tells his son, Drake, that it's time to grow up and it is tradition that he must go out and burn down some houses to actually become a real one.
"Listen, son, you're a big boy now. It's time you behaved like a real dragon. Tomorrow, you will go to the village on the other side of the mountains, where you will burn down a few houses."
"But why?" asked Drake.
Poor Drake is caught off guard with the request, after all the only time he had hardly breathed fire was to grill himself a small slug or caterpillar as a snack. Oh my. He tosses and turns all night dreading the upcoming day and the mission his dad is sending him on. He doesn't want to do that... no way!
Being obedient to his dad Drake flies off into the village to find his targets to burn. He comes upon the perfect wooden victim and is ready to incinerate it when a little boy appears and is thrilled to meet a real, honest to goodness dragon. Drake confesses to the little boy that if he doesn't follow through with the plan he will be told off by his dad. The little boy has a great idea and takes Drake by the arm and leads him to the perfect solution to his problem... his schoolhouse. You see the boy hasn't completed his homework so Drake could actually do him a favour by burning down that old place. The students inside the classroom give Drake a change of heart just before he strikes. The kids soften and melt his heart by creating a wonderful picture of a dragon and presenting it to him as a gift. Drake cannot believe how generous and kind they are to him. He continues on his dreadful assignment to do what his dad requests him to do but each time he receives kindness and acceptance from the human contacts.
He returns back to his cave to face his domineering dad and Drake cleverly outsmarts him by spreading the warmth and kindness he receives from the humans and pours it right into the stone-cold heart of his autocratic father. Mmmmm? Wonder how the little guy manages that feat? He manages it superbly and his grouchy dad's heart gets to experience the fruit of kindness from the humans also.
The illustrations are truly spectacular! Activity abounds and the expressions on all are a sight to behold. "Dragons: Father and Son " spreads a peaceful, positive message that is successfully achieved in this magical tale about dragons. I truly love the story and especially the illustrations. I highly, highly recommend this book.
"Listen, son, you're a big boy now. It's time you behaved like a real dragon. Tomorrow, you will go to the village on the other side of the mountains, where you will burn down a few houses."
"But why?" asked Drake.
Poor Drake is caught off guard with the request, after all the only time he had hardly breathed fire was to grill himself a small slug or caterpillar as a snack. Oh my. He tosses and turns all night dreading the upcoming day and the mission his dad is sending him on. He doesn't want to do that... no way!
Being obedient to his dad Drake flies off into the village to find his targets to burn. He comes upon the perfect wooden victim and is ready to incinerate it when a little boy appears and is thrilled to meet a real, honest to goodness dragon. Drake confesses to the little boy that if he doesn't follow through with the plan he will be told off by his dad. The little boy has a great idea and takes Drake by the arm and leads him to the perfect solution to his problem... his schoolhouse. You see the boy hasn't completed his homework so Drake could actually do him a favour by burning down that old place. The students inside the classroom give Drake a change of heart just before he strikes. The kids soften and melt his heart by creating a wonderful picture of a dragon and presenting it to him as a gift. Drake cannot believe how generous and kind they are to him. He continues on his dreadful assignment to do what his dad requests him to do but each time he receives kindness and acceptance from the human contacts.
He returns back to his cave to face his domineering dad and Drake cleverly outsmarts him by spreading the warmth and kindness he receives from the humans and pours it right into the stone-cold heart of his autocratic father. Mmmmm? Wonder how the little guy manages that feat? He manages it superbly and his grouchy dad's heart gets to experience the fruit of kindness from the humans also.
The illustrations are truly spectacular! Activity abounds and the expressions on all are a sight to behold. "Dragons: Father and Son " spreads a peaceful, positive message that is successfully achieved in this magical tale about dragons. I truly love the story and especially the illustrations. I highly, highly recommend this book.
September 16, 2017
Remarkably Expressive Characters
I particularly enjoyed this book. The story is perfectly fine, but I was captivated by the remarkably engaging drawings.
Lots of children's books have charming or "cute" or attractive and pleasant characters. But often they are static and posed for maximum cuteness effect. Here, by distinction, each of the drawings in this book is loaded with character and energy. Attention has been paid to body language, facial expressions, and all of the little bits of detail that breathe life into a drawing.
As an example, there is one scene toward the middle of the story in which Little Dragon is mobbed by a group of school children who are wild about dragons and excited to meet a real dragon. More than a dozen little kids crowd around Little Dragon. Each one is distinct, and for each one you can see a different personality, attitude, and level of excitement. A little reader could look closely at this illustration and make up or imagine a slew of different back stories about the events depicted.
I don't know how an artists achieves this level of communication with just a few strokes of the pen and some color washes, but there it is. (I don't know if this holds true or not, but I've realized that several of the "words and pictures" books that I've admired recently have been, like this one, English language reissues of French originals. Maybe there's a "French style" that strives to capture what I've been describing?)
In any event, this was a very pleasant find and a most amusing and entertaining book.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
I particularly enjoyed this book. The story is perfectly fine, but I was captivated by the remarkably engaging drawings.
Lots of children's books have charming or "cute" or attractive and pleasant characters. But often they are static and posed for maximum cuteness effect. Here, by distinction, each of the drawings in this book is loaded with character and energy. Attention has been paid to body language, facial expressions, and all of the little bits of detail that breathe life into a drawing.
As an example, there is one scene toward the middle of the story in which Little Dragon is mobbed by a group of school children who are wild about dragons and excited to meet a real dragon. More than a dozen little kids crowd around Little Dragon. Each one is distinct, and for each one you can see a different personality, attitude, and level of excitement. A little reader could look closely at this illustration and make up or imagine a slew of different back stories about the events depicted.
I don't know how an artists achieves this level of communication with just a few strokes of the pen and some color washes, but there it is. (I don't know if this holds true or not, but I've realized that several of the "words and pictures" books that I've admired recently have been, like this one, English language reissues of French originals. Maybe there's a "French style" that strives to capture what I've been describing?)
In any event, this was a very pleasant find and a most amusing and entertaining book.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
September 18, 2017
I liked that the drawings weren’t the normal ‘cutesy’, soft, bright purple or green colors you often see in Dragon stories. These images were tougher and reflected the personality of the story being told. The images practically tell the story without the words making it a great book to open discussions with kids.
You can see the anger on the Dad Dragon’s face when he’s interacting with his son, the fear on the son’s when he can’t sleep because he has to go do something he doesn’t want to the next day, the inquisitiveness on the children’s faces from the classroom and the fear on the teacher’s as she’s trying to stop her classroom from getting incinerated.
When you get done smiling at the artistic pursuits across the pages take a moment to enjoy the words that bring even more meaning to the images. A story about family, finding yourself outside expectations, redefining traditions and discovering the best when you were expecting the worst.
It’s a story about more than fathers and sons. It’s a story about finding your own identity, making your own decisions and enjoying the best the world has to offer.
You can see the anger on the Dad Dragon’s face when he’s interacting with his son, the fear on the son’s when he can’t sleep because he has to go do something he doesn’t want to the next day, the inquisitiveness on the children’s faces from the classroom and the fear on the teacher’s as she’s trying to stop her classroom from getting incinerated.
When you get done smiling at the artistic pursuits across the pages take a moment to enjoy the words that bring even more meaning to the images. A story about family, finding yourself outside expectations, redefining traditions and discovering the best when you were expecting the worst.
It’s a story about more than fathers and sons. It’s a story about finding your own identity, making your own decisions and enjoying the best the world has to offer.
September 26, 2017
A young dragon has to prove himself to his father by annihilating a village with fire. He questions whether this is necessary and reluctantly heads out to complete his task. Along the way he meets several human characters who demonstrate cleverness, kindness, and understanding.
The message is well-intentioned and as an adult reader I appreciate the story. My preschool-aged daughter loves dragons and thought the best part was when “the dad got angry, because it was funny.”
Unfortunately I was disappointed with the ending. I felt it dropped off and ended abruptly. A few more sentences summarizing the moral of the story so younger readers could understand would have been appreciated.
I received a copy of this ebook from Netgalley and Quarto Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
The message is well-intentioned and as an adult reader I appreciate the story. My preschool-aged daughter loves dragons and thought the best part was when “the dad got angry, because it was funny.”
Unfortunately I was disappointed with the ending. I felt it dropped off and ended abruptly. A few more sentences summarizing the moral of the story so younger readers could understand would have been appreciated.
I received a copy of this ebook from Netgalley and Quarto Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2017
It's always difficult to break from tradition and choose to follow your head and heart rather than fuel the obligation of following in your father's footsteps. So when Drake, a young dragon, is asked to fulfill his role as a dragon by flying down to the local town and burning a house, he lies awake at night worrying about doing something that simply isn't in his nature at all.
Dragons: Father and Son is a humorous picturebook which explores a young dragons internal struggle to find himself and to follow his own path. There is something wonderfully Sempé and Goscinny about the story and the characters (especially the children who all adore the little dragon). I also enjoyed watching the expressions on Drake's little bird friend.
Dragons: Father and Son is a humorous picturebook which explores a young dragons internal struggle to find himself and to follow his own path. There is something wonderfully Sempé and Goscinny about the story and the characters (especially the children who all adore the little dragon). I also enjoyed watching the expressions on Drake's little bird friend.
September 25, 2017
You know dragons. They're there to look splendid and fierce, and to burn down human villages in rampages, with or without treasure in mind. But they need to be trained in that. And our father dragon has just tasked his son dragon with that very errand - to go and torch a human house. The lad is reluctant to cook anything more severe than lunch - what could possibly happen?
Please feel free to find the rest of my review at:-
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
Please feel free to find the rest of my review at:-
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
September 27, 2017
What do you do if you are a dragon? Do you terrorize the people, because your dad says to do so? Do you burn down the school, because a kid says that would be a good idea? Do you burn down the shack by the river, because it is old?
Nope, because you find that the people don't want to be terrorized, the school is good for teaching, and the man who goes to the shack to fish, shares his cooked fish with you.
Cute story about making choices that bring harm to none, and help people.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Nope, because you find that the people don't want to be terrorized, the school is good for teaching, and the man who goes to the shack to fish, shares his cooked fish with you.
Cute story about making choices that bring harm to none, and help people.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
October 5, 2017
This is a highly enjoyable story about Drake, the young dragon. His father tells him that he must go to the village and set fire to a house. As Drake gets to know the villagers, he discovers that they are friendly and kind, and he can't imagine burning a single thing down. When he returns home to his father, will he be able to win him over to his point of view?
The illustrations were well done and quite funny at times. They enhance the story and will draw the attention of the Pre-K and early reading children.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The illustrations were well done and quite funny at times. They enhance the story and will draw the attention of the Pre-K and early reading children.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 26, 2017
AAAHHHHHHhhhhhh. Drake is a dragon. As tradition he must go to the village to burn down a house. He is a dragon after all. But he meets a boy, then lots of boys and girls, and finally a fisherman that changes his mind. He goes back home and explains why he failed in his mission. He learned, and passed on the lesson that you don’t have to do something just because that is the way it has always been done. Plus the illustrations are sure to put a smile on the reader’s face.
November 22, 2018
Challenges morals.
This book is about a father and son. The father sets clear expectations and the boy feels massive amounts of pressure to please his father. However, the child challenges the dad's morals that he would rather be admired than feared. He helps show his dad that he dragons dont have to be scary. This could be applied in different contexts (idea of men being masculine). It challenges this and the dad feels the same at the end of the book.
This book is about a father and son. The father sets clear expectations and the boy feels massive amounts of pressure to please his father. However, the child challenges the dad's morals that he would rather be admired than feared. He helps show his dad that he dragons dont have to be scary. This could be applied in different contexts (idea of men being masculine). It challenges this and the dad feels the same at the end of the book.
September 22, 2020
Beautiful picture book looking at perceptions and being admired. The young dragon wanted to please his father but in not doing so he showed him that people actually liked him. Lots of good pictures that could be reflected on by a class and it could be a good discussion book about characters and first perceptions.
September 19, 2017
This book might be titled "Father and Son" but it's actually much more than that - its a great little story about making your own decisions, weighing up the options you have and making the right choice for you. The images are simple but very effective - 4 stars
December 21, 2017
Father dragon wants his son to burn down houses in the village. Instead he makes friends with the humans. Dad decides it is better to be admired than feared. A funny read aloud about breaking traditions for elementary children.
May 9, 2018
A young dragon is told by his father to go burn down a house in the nearby village. The young dragon sets off on his task but gets distracted along the way. A cute story with a cute ending. A bit long for storytime, but would do well for older groups.
September 27, 2017
A bit long for storytime but I really liked it!
October 6, 2017
Clever. Unique. And the illustrations are wonderful.
December 8, 2017
Great read-aloud for older kids! Illustrations are expressive and interesting too.
January 16, 2018
Darling character shares an important. message!
February 1, 2018
“It’s better to be admired than feared”. What does that mean?
People were nicer than they thought, once they got to know them.
People were nicer than they thought, once they got to know them.
February 2, 2018
Great message!
February 9, 2018
Would be a fun read aloud for 2nd grade, nice bits of humor and a good story of how it can be difficult living up to parent expectations.
April 10, 2018
Ahaha! This book is hilarious! Clever humans, clever dragon. Would be a good read aloud.
August 26, 2018
In the English translation, the little dragon is named Drake. Very cute story. Amusing, cartoon illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews