Where's the Dragon?

by Jason Hook, Richard Hook (Illustrator), Jason Hook

With its beautifully embossed pages, shiny spot laminations that really pop, and a fun invitation to a dragon hunt, this one-of-a-kind book feels like magic, and looks great under the Christmas tree too.

Look inside this amazing picture book and feel the embossed pages. Can you see and touch the dragon? Can you find lots and lots of dragons? They’re everywhere! That’s because Mr. Jones is simply mad about the creatures. He carves them out of wood and he tells thrilling stories about them. But he’s never seen a real dragon, so he and his grandson George have set sail in search of one. Come along and help, using your sharp sense of sight and sensitive fingers to navigate through the pictures. But remember: to discover a really, truly fire-breathing dragon, you have to hunt high and low and always, always believe hard enough. A story kids will joyously read over and over again.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Dragons, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction

26 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Jason Hook has written many fiction and non-fiction books for children, including Where’s the Dragon? (Sterling), Wendy and the Wallpaper Cat (V&A Publishing) and The Marine Team (Button Books). His illustrated ‘verse a day’ fairy-tales can be found at jasonhookbooks.com.

Jason lives in Brighton, England, where he combines writing, editing and publishing with guitar playing, long walks and birdwatching, not all at the same time. His favourite authors include Roald Dahl, Mervyn Peake, Maurice Sendak, Lewis Carroll, Julia Donaldson, Graham Greene and Joseph Conrad.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and interactive story, witty humor, and beautiful illustrations. Great for all ages.

[Annikka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summarize the book:
This book is about a boy and his grandfather setting out to look for dragons. There are dragons hidden all over the book, and poor grandpa has a difficult time finding them. This book has a fun story and illustrations that could keep anybody looking for hours to find all of the 76 dragons hidden in plain site.

Identify the characteristics from the text that support the specific genre:
In this book there are more pictures than text, and at times can mainly rely on the pictures to move the story along. The pictures are very detailed and take up the entire page, sometimes two pages, while the text is short and concise.

Identify specific concepts that could be integrated into the classroom:
This story can integrate into a senses lesson because the pictures are textured in that some of the dragons are slightly raised from the page providing a touch sense, the pictures are very colorful and students use their sense of sight in order to see the pictures and find the dragons, and finally the sense of sound when listening to the story being read out loud. This book could also be used to show the importance of paying attention to your surroundings, or else you might miss something important.

Provide any other suggestions that would be useful regarding literary content, reading level, and other ways in which the book might be integrated:
This book is geared towards ages 4-7, however I have seen multiple ages enjoy this book. It is part of a series, all with the concept of finding different things/people that are hiding in plain site, including Where's the Pirate? and Where's the Dinosaur?. The other books in the series are written by Keith Moseley, but they provide the same hidden pictures and characters.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

We brought this book home from the library two weeks ago and right away I decided that it would need to be added to the ever present list of books-to-own. The book's biggest appeal is the unique embossed cover and pages. The illustrations are captivating and the touch-and-feel effect provides a complete sensory experience.
The story is of a young boy who after listening to his grandfather's tales of a dragon living in the mountains, decides that they need to embark on a dragon-hunting expedition of their own. The reader is led along on this wild chase all the while being entranced with the eyes and faces of dragons in unexpected places. The grandfather does not see what the boy and the reader can see and the story is made more humorous and adventurous because of it. The book ends by asking the reader how many hidden dragons were found. A clue to the answer is given which sends the reader on his own hunting game. The embossed dragons of all shapes and faces make this book friendly and memorable.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pertama kali ngeliat gue langsung tertarik dengan judul dan cover-nya. Dan semakin terpesona waktu bukunya dibuka ternyata semua halamannya (termasuk cover) di-emboss. Ga pake mikir panjang, gue langsung bawa buku ini ke kasir.

Ceritanya tentang seorang anak laki-laki yang diajak kakeknya berburu naga, karena menurut kakeknya "seeing is believing" . Sayangnya si kakek udah tua jadi mata dan telinganya udah ga awas lagi. Alhasil dia ga bisa melihat apa yang cucunya (dan kita para pembaca) lihat. Disinilah letak serunya baca buku ini. :D

Di setiap halaman ada gambar naga tersembunyi dimana-mana. Tugas kita adalah mencari dan menghitung ada berapa banyak naga tersembunyi yang bisa kita temukan. Nah, gue sukaaaa banget yang kaya begini nih. Hihihihi..

Jadi ga sabar pengen bawa buku ini ke anak-anak dan mengajak mereka untuk buka mata lebar-lebar mencari para naga sambil merasakan tekstur embos yang ada tiap halamannya. Seru!

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have seen this book check out over and over again and I wasn't interested. The picture on the front didn't interest me and I don't really care to read about dragons. However, my co-worker told me to read this. This book was different than what I thought. I was about a grandfather and grandson on an adventure. They use their imagination to see dragons(well I hope it is their imagination and they don't really see dragons)as they walk through the forest. I didn't hate this book like I thought I might. It would be good for readers almost ready for chapter books as it has a lot of words. The pictures are nice and the version I read had had texture to the pages. :-D

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy and his grandfather are on the hunt for a dragon. Unfortunately, grandfather has poor vision and poor hearing. The illustrations in this book are textured. As you read this to your child you will want to encourage him or her to FEEL for the dragon. This is a delightful book and it allows your child to be better at finding the dragon than the grandfather. My cousin's children and I counted just how many dragons we could find in this book.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture storybook by Jason Hook was fun. The illustrations were made up of textured bumpy pages, mostly where dragons were hidden. In the book, George and his grandfather set out on a dragon hunt. While George and his grandfather are on their dragon hunt, children can have a dragon hunt too, by finding the 76 hidden dragons.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally the most adorable picture book ever. A clueless grandfather and his grandson go on a dragon hunt, but Grandad isn't the best at hearing...Or seeing... Or really doing anything, actually. Richard Hook's illustrations are brilliant and Jason Hook's story is great for kids just starting chapter books.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book based on the premise of an old man that is unaware of his surroundings. George is a boy that is visiting his grandfather, an expert woodcarver that spins stories about dragons. The day after his arrival, they climb aboard Grandfather’s sailboat and off they go in search of dragons.
Although George and Grandfather do not see them, there are many dragons in sight as they pursue their search for dragons. All through the book, the reader is encouraged to spot the many dragons that somehow elude the eyes of George and Grandfather. The caption, “With over 75 hidden dragons for you to find!” appears on the front cover.
Written at the level of the child in the last years of elementary school, this is a book that is expertly illustrated for the watchful eyes of discovery.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To see a dragon,” Grandfather tells George, “You must hunt high and low, and always believe hard enough.”

When Grandfather and George sail off on a dragon-hunting adventure, will George finally see the dragon?

=========

In this tactile picture book, young readers can feel and touch the dragons as the story unfolds. Each double-page illustration invites the young reader to look carefully, to discover the dragons hiding within the pictures. [Check out grandfather’s house to discover how many dragons are hiding in the pages of this book. Then see if you can find all of them.]

The clever story keeps the young reader involved; dragon-counting is sure to be part of the appeal!

Highly recommended.

[Melissa Swistek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately, adulthood covers our eyes with a thick veil of mundanity. Even as we actively seek out the fantastical in our world, our blinded vision prevents us from seeing it.

George asks his grandfather “am I too old to believe in dragons?” The grandfather scoffs at the idea and the pair set out to find a dragon. However, when the dragon doesn’t look how the grandfather expects, only George is able to see it.

This is a fun hidden picture book for children. It is tactile with image “bumped” off the page. I would love to return to this book again. Even though my son is on the younger side for this book, his favorite aspect was pointing out all of the eyes that he could find to us.

[BookWormBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was finding out books for world book day a few weeks ago this one caught my eye. The embossed cover has a lovely texture to it and the illustrations (which are beautiful) have a feel of vintage about them taking me back to my childhood.

It was in such good condition which made me think it hadn’t been read a lot by the kids at the school. I am pleased to say that it got attention at the book cafe and having now read it myself I can see that the story humour and hidden dragons would make for a good book you could read over and over again. Encouraging interaction with the children you read to.

[Tandava Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this to Guy for Christmas, and I think it went over well. I'm not actually too fond of the cover, where the dragon looks overly dopey, but the interior is generally pretty good. The hidden dragons are a good mix of obvious and subtle, and there are enough to keep a kid busy for a while finding them. :-)

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each and every year during the summer George visits his grandfather, who is a woodcarver. Every year his grandfather tells George tales about dragon. When George asks his grandfather if is he too old to still believe in dragons, his grandfather decides to take George on his first dragon hunt. What happens next is truly an adventure that will not soon be forgotten by George.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sooooooo cute! I love how tactile the book was - from Pfister-like shiny slithers to ridged and bumpy dragon scales. It almost feels as thick-paged as a board book. The actual adventure between grandfather and grandson through dragon territory was adorable in an oblivious way. I will definitely be reading this to my son.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a magical, wonderful book for a child! Chock-a-block full of stunning illustrations and a humorous story that will have young children giggling. From thoughtfully embossed artwork, to a counting challenge at the end, to a charming story, this book is engaging on so many levels. I absolutely love it, and it helps remind me what a '5 star' rating should represent!

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touch and feel, search and find, great book all around! Story was funny and illustrations were great with embossing! Kids will enjoy going through the story looking for hidden dragons.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun for kids who like look-and-find or touch-and-feel books.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is ok, but it’s fun to look for all the dragons hidden in the illustrations.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever idea well executed.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I don't read a lot of picture books, being 17, but I'd volunteered to help out at my school's book fair, it was a fairly quiet afternoon, and I couldn't help having a look at this one. It's exactly the sort of thing that I would have adored as a kid - I mean, first of all there were DRAGONS, and it also had lots of hidden details in the illustration that I can imagine my younger self spending hours pouring over. The story itself is charming, and the tongue-in-cheek humour about the grandfather's inability to see the fantastic even when it's right in front of him resonates with both kids and adults, making it a very special read. Basically, if should I be allowed pick a birthday present for any of my much-younger relatives, it's highly likely they'll end up with a copy of this (possibly so I can read it to them!)

[Susan Pace-Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

a superb combo of Author and Illustrator! Loved this book. Read this to my children over and over again and will save it for them to read to their own children. Each page is stunning and something new to discover each time we read it. CLEVER, clever, clever. The illustrator took his time and made is page fabulous...such a charming storyline and fun event to read this book by Richard and Jason Hook.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book adored by 5 year old Ben, who calls it "Funny Grandpa", and simply won't let me take it back to the library. I'm planning to buy a copy, because it is truly gorgeous, and one for the keep forever shelves. We haven't actually sat down to count all the dragons from cover to cover yet - maybe when he is older.

[Laura McLoughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say 2 stars for the story and 4 stars for the illustrations.

The story itself is pretty blah, a boy and his grandfather (+ dog) go off looking for a legendary dragon. However, the illustrations are magnificent. There are hidden dragons on every page (in the trees, water, rocks, etc.) and it can be a fun game trying to find all of them.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my son when he was about 3/4 years old. He loved it! The story is cute and the pictures are amazing. We loved searching for all of the hidden dragons and loved the embossed pictures.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. It has an embossed texture, so both kids loved touching it. It has 76 hidden dragons (you know there's 76 because "the answer is at grandpa's house"), for which they had fun hunting. And the story itself is cute and funny.

[Alnora]

It was fun identifying the dragon on each page. I also loved the big pictures and bold colors. I thought it was also cute that the main characters are an old man and a boy. It was fun feeling the textures too. I would've loved some pop-up stuff too.

[Gwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just so neat. It has a funny and cute story and it is very interactive, where the child gets to find the dragons on each page. My 4 1/2 year old son loved how the he could actually feel the Dragons on each page. The pictures are very awesome as well.

[Laura Madsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy and his grandfather go on a dragon hunt. Grandpa thinks the hunt was unsuccessful, but the boy--and the reader--see that dragons and other creatures are hiding throughout the landscape. My daughters had fun finding the hidden dragons.