Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow, Lenny Lipton Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Puff the Magic Dragon
Book Review: A charming story and a classic song
Summary: 5 Stars
The illustrations are so charming. My reception class joined in with the chorus as I read and they loved the dragon and were pleased when he found a new play mate. They enjoyed the song so much they asked for it to be played again. They then hummed the tune during the afternoon. My colleague and I felt nostalgic as we were teenagers when the song was first released. A super book for grandparents as well as chidren.Book Review: Sniff
Summary: 5 Stars
Have a hankie handy if you're coming to this book as a new(ish) parent and remember it fondly from your own childhood. Be prepared to cry hot tears of grief for lost youth and the overwhelming finality of Puff slipping sadly into his cave. But all is not lost; Little Jackie Paper lives on thro' his own daughter and her discovery of Puff (hope I'm not giving too much away - it's a short story), cleverly embellished at the end by illustration only. And the illustrations are some of the most original I've seen. The song remains hopelessly sad. Poignantly, Peter Yarrow is accompanied in this new recording by his own daughter. It all fits together perfectly. Love it to bits. All good children (and even the naughty ones) deserve a copy of this book and cd. Book Review: A slightly saccharine version of the beautiful original
Summary: 4 Stars
I loved Puff as a child. It brought tears to my eyes even remembering the song when I placed the order for this book for my four year-old son. However, I was somewhat disappointed by both the book and the CD when they arrived.
This is a large hardback book which I feel doesn't really warrant the size and space. There are 2 to 4 lines of the original song written and illustrated on each double page. Bearing in mind that there is a lot of repetition of the chorus, this makes the book seem quite barren. The emptiness is not helped by the illustrations which seem quite plain with a limited colour palate.
My main complaint is with the changes to the poem. Maybe the writer has modified it because he had a daughter and wanted to involve girls in the story. It just comes over as appalling, unnecessary political correctness. The line:
"A dragon lives forever but not so little boys"
has morphed into
"A dragon lives forever but not so little girls and boys"
It scans awfully. Listening to the CD was painful at this point.
There is also the implication in the last two drawings that a little girl comes along and befriends Puff who is then happy again. The tragedy of the song was its strength and appeal, this addition makes it quite mediocre. I don't see that all children's stories have to have a happy ending. Why was the author so terrified of letting children learn about feelings of loss and sadness in the safe, experimental world of fiction?
Aside from my disappointment with the book, my son was not overly impressed. He did start to empathise with Puff when his friend didn't come back. However, as soon as the happy ending kicked in he simply began asking which story we were having next. I can't help but wonder if the unadulterated original would have been more satisfying for him.
I've given the book 4 stars mainly because the original song was lovely. Providing I try to ignore the awkward new line and the saccharine happy ending I can still enjoy Puff. However, I feel that I am enjoying the song/poem in spite of the book rather than because of it.
Book Review: Beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful book capturing the imagination of both young and old. For those of us who grew up with this it is full of nostalgia. For those newcomers like my daughters it is a song which is repeated over and over again. The illustrations are beautiful and there is a lot to explore on each page. My only criticism is that the lyrics have been changed to incorporate little girls as well as little boys. In my opinion this unnecessary and takes away a part of the oroginal story. Otherwise this is a great purchase for youngsters and oldies alike.Book Review: A gorgoeus treat for children
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is just perfect for toddlers. "Puff the Magic Dragon" song needs no introduction - but the illustrations are just so beautiful that it brings the whole song to life and it's so magical, it almost brings a tear to my eye reading it. The new version on the CD is so tranquil and my 2-yr old daughter asks for it every night (my wife loves it too!)