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The Popcorn Dragon: A Classic Picture Book for Kids (Ages 4-8) About a Show-Off Who Discovers Friendship
You could hardly blame Dexter, ordinarily a well-behaved young dragon, for showing off when he suddenly found that he could make clouds of smoke. The temptation is irresistible, but Dexter quickly becomes insufferable. First he watches his own reflection in the river in order to admire the smoke. Then he puffs it in the faces of his friends: the zebra, the giraffe, and the elephant. He even blows smoke rings around his own tail to prove how clever he is. Soon Dexter has no friends left. He is a very lonely dragon indeed, until quite by accident he discovers a way his talent can be used to win back his playmates. This wonderful story -- first published in 1953 -- will delight both young readers and their parents, and so will Lisa McCue's appealing new pictures of this lovable show-off.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
4 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Jane Thayer
78 books15 followersJane Thayer (pen name of: Catherine Woolley) was an American writer. She is known best for the book The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy, which became the basis of a 1980s Saturday Morning cartoon series, The Puppy's Further Adventures.
Obituary from: Boston Globe, July 27, 2005
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articl...
With the 87 children's books she wrote, Catherine Woolley delighted generations of young readers around the world with stories of children, animals, a friendly ghost, and mysterious happenings.
She was so prolific that her publisher told her to use a nom de plume for some books. She chose Jane Thayer, her grandmother's name, for the many picture books she wrote.
For her older readers, she used her real name on books such as the ''Ginnie and Geneva" series about the adventures of two young girls. Many of the books were translated into foreign languages.
Ms. Woolley died Saturday in her Truro home. She was 100 and had been in failing health in recent years.
Until then, said her niece Betsy Drinkwater of Enfield, N.H., Ms. Woolley was a lover of books and a ''lifelong Democrat."
''After her 100th birthday last summer, her goal was to live long enough to vote in the 2004 election, and she did," Drinkwater said.
''She was a character," Drinkwater said. ''She never married, was very independent, and traveled all over the world. ''
A petite woman with blue eyes and curly hair, Ms. Woolley was also feisty, said a Truro neighbor, Peggy Longgood. ''She was clear in what she believed in and thought, and she would not back down on anything. She was indomitable."
Ms. Woolley continued to write into her 80s and 90s, Drinkwater said. Her last published work was 1989's ''Writing for Children," in which she advised adults how to write children's books. It wasn't easy, she warned.
Though Ms. Woolley never had children, she seemed to have a kinship with them, friends said. In her books, she often drew on her own experiences and world travels. She always urged students at the writers' workshops she taught on Cape Cod to write what they knew. In ''Writing for Children," she writes: ''There is a delight in working with words, because if you are a writer you love the magic of words and you love using words to bring children into the world you are creating."
Ms. Woolley was born in Chicago to Edward Mott and Anna Lazelle (Thayer) Woolley. She grew up in Passaic, N.J. Her father was a newspaperman in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ms. Woolley attended both Barnard College in New York and the University of California at Los Angeles, earning her bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1927.
Ms. Woolley's niece said that after college, she worked in public relations in New York and eventually moved back with her parents in Passaic in the 1930s during the Great Depression. She lived in Passaic until she was 60.
Drinkwater believes that Ms. Woolley wrote for magazines before her first book, ''I Like Trains," was published in 1944.
In the early 1960s, she moved into a house she had bought in Truro, pounding out books on an old Remington typewriter. She never used a computer.
Among her many books were ''The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy," about a dog who was looking for a master and found more than one at an orphanage, and a series about ''Gus the Ghost," a friendly apparition.
On Cape Cod, Ms. Woolley was a fixture at writing and book events. She helped start a book club, worked with the Friends of the Truro Library, taught at writing workshops, and held story hours at the library.
When the library opened its new building in 1996, it named its children's room after her.
''Catherine's writing and literary life was paramount to her," said Anne Brock of North Truro, a former library trustee.
One of Ms. Woolley's students was Yoko Kawashima Watkins of Brewster, with whom she worked for a year on a manuscript for Watkins's suc
Obituary from: Boston Globe, July 27, 2005
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articl...
With the 87 children's books she wrote, Catherine Woolley delighted generations of young readers around the world with stories of children, animals, a friendly ghost, and mysterious happenings.
She was so prolific that her publisher told her to use a nom de plume for some books. She chose Jane Thayer, her grandmother's name, for the many picture books she wrote.
For her older readers, she used her real name on books such as the ''Ginnie and Geneva" series about the adventures of two young girls. Many of the books were translated into foreign languages.
Ms. Woolley died Saturday in her Truro home. She was 100 and had been in failing health in recent years.
Until then, said her niece Betsy Drinkwater of Enfield, N.H., Ms. Woolley was a lover of books and a ''lifelong Democrat."
''After her 100th birthday last summer, her goal was to live long enough to vote in the 2004 election, and she did," Drinkwater said.
''She was a character," Drinkwater said. ''She never married, was very independent, and traveled all over the world. ''
A petite woman with blue eyes and curly hair, Ms. Woolley was also feisty, said a Truro neighbor, Peggy Longgood. ''She was clear in what she believed in and thought, and she would not back down on anything. She was indomitable."
Ms. Woolley continued to write into her 80s and 90s, Drinkwater said. Her last published work was 1989's ''Writing for Children," in which she advised adults how to write children's books. It wasn't easy, she warned.
Though Ms. Woolley never had children, she seemed to have a kinship with them, friends said. In her books, she often drew on her own experiences and world travels. She always urged students at the writers' workshops she taught on Cape Cod to write what they knew. In ''Writing for Children," she writes: ''There is a delight in working with words, because if you are a writer you love the magic of words and you love using words to bring children into the world you are creating."
Ms. Woolley was born in Chicago to Edward Mott and Anna Lazelle (Thayer) Woolley. She grew up in Passaic, N.J. Her father was a newspaperman in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ms. Woolley attended both Barnard College in New York and the University of California at Los Angeles, earning her bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1927.
Ms. Woolley's niece said that after college, she worked in public relations in New York and eventually moved back with her parents in Passaic in the 1930s during the Great Depression. She lived in Passaic until she was 60.
Drinkwater believes that Ms. Woolley wrote for magazines before her first book, ''I Like Trains," was published in 1944.
In the early 1960s, she moved into a house she had bought in Truro, pounding out books on an old Remington typewriter. She never used a computer.
Among her many books were ''The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy," about a dog who was looking for a master and found more than one at an orphanage, and a series about ''Gus the Ghost," a friendly apparition.
On Cape Cod, Ms. Woolley was a fixture at writing and book events. She helped start a book club, worked with the Friends of the Truro Library, taught at writing workshops, and held story hours at the library.
When the library opened its new building in 1996, it named its children's room after her.
''Catherine's writing and literary life was paramount to her," said Anne Brock of North Truro, a former library trustee.
One of Ms. Woolley's students was Yoko Kawashima Watkins of Brewster, with whom she worked for a year on a manuscript for Watkins's suc
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 3, 2019
I wasn't a fan of this book. The message that came across was that, if you want friends you can't ever have a talent for something they can't do, or at least you can't show it. Your friends will only stick around if the friendship is beneficial for them, but it doesn't matter if it benefits you. My toddler liked the book because, you know, dragon. The pictures were nice.
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October 30, 2014The Popcorn Dragon was an interesting fantasy book about a dragon’s new ability and his so-called friends. The main character is a dragon, Dexter, who is just learning to blow smoke with his mouth. He is very excited about his newfound knowledge that he wants to share his ability with his friends. Upon seeing the dragon’s talent, the other animals become jealous and abandon the dragon. The dragon was hurt by his friend’s abandonment and sulks in a corn field and starts to blow hot air. To his surprise, popcorn started coming out of the corn. The other animals notice the creation of popcorn and investigate the corn field. Will his friends join him again now that he can create popcorn?
This book was full of lots of lighter colors, with a light purple border surrounding the picture on the front cover. The pictures were simple and expressive, and worked well with the black plain text. The one element that I felt was not beneficial to the audience was the general message that was portrayed. The story demonstrated fair-weather friends, who only stuck around when they got something out of the relationship. They abandoned their friend Dexter, when he was very excited about his new ability. They became jealous easily and focused more on differences than understanding each other. The eventually accepted the dragon, when they received popcorn from his ability.
This book was full of lots of lighter colors, with a light purple border surrounding the picture on the front cover. The pictures were simple and expressive, and worked well with the black plain text. The one element that I felt was not beneficial to the audience was the general message that was portrayed. The story demonstrated fair-weather friends, who only stuck around when they got something out of the relationship. They abandoned their friend Dexter, when he was very excited about his new ability. They became jealous easily and focused more on differences than understanding each other. The eventually accepted the dragon, when they received popcorn from his ability.
February 8, 2009
Old stories are so strange...
This is about a little dragon who learns that he can blow smoke and just cant get enough of it. He becomes quite the show little show off and no on likes that. He is eventually shunned by the zebra, the elephant and the giraffe who are at first envious and later annoyed by the little dragons showboating.
Dexter (the dragon) ends up sad, sleepy and alone...napping in a cornfield. Dexter awakes to the sound and smell of his hot breath popping the ears of corn into popcorn. The smell attracts the zebra, elephant and giraffe over---the animals have a popcorn party and decide that Dexter is okay after all. Dexter decides that he will be less of a show off, and provide popcorn to his new friends whenever they want.
hmmmmm......
I didn't really care for this story, but my kids liked it.
This is about a little dragon who learns that he can blow smoke and just cant get enough of it. He becomes quite the show little show off and no on likes that. He is eventually shunned by the zebra, the elephant and the giraffe who are at first envious and later annoyed by the little dragons showboating.
Dexter (the dragon) ends up sad, sleepy and alone...napping in a cornfield. Dexter awakes to the sound and smell of his hot breath popping the ears of corn into popcorn. The smell attracts the zebra, elephant and giraffe over---the animals have a popcorn party and decide that Dexter is okay after all. Dexter decides that he will be less of a show off, and provide popcorn to his new friends whenever they want.
hmmmmm......
I didn't really care for this story, but my kids liked it.
February 9, 2012
a cute story of a little dragon and his lesson in blowing smoke, and braging, and how to make up with a friend by doing something nice for your friends.
July 13, 2020
I'm using "The Popcorn Dragon" for Summer Reading Program in the library where I am employed. There seems to be a fair amount of controversy over the animals in the story not accepting Dexter the dragon because they are jealous of his special ability - blowing smoke! I didn't see it this way. I do wish the word "envious" had been omitted, but It seems to me that envy here, takes a back seat to annoyance over Dexter's obnoxious boastfulness.
Dexter's friends (a giraffe, a zebra, and an elephant) reject him because he is a bragging show-off. He says "I can blow smoke and you can't!" He also chases a butterfly, a grasshopper, and a chipmunk away with his smoke. Then he puffs "accidentally, of course" right at the other animals. That was the last straw for the three friends.
Dexter learns that his prideful boasting drives friends away and he is sorry. When he discovers his ability to pop corn, he makes things right by sharing. The giraffe comments that, "Dexter is very nice when he doesn't show off." They forgive him and they all play together.
Hopefully, Dexter will realize that he doesn't need to stop blowing smoke. He just needs to stop showing off!
It is a cute, entertaining story with adorable illustrations. It is just a little too verbose for my personal taste in books for young children.
Dexter's friends (a giraffe, a zebra, and an elephant) reject him because he is a bragging show-off. He says "I can blow smoke and you can't!" He also chases a butterfly, a grasshopper, and a chipmunk away with his smoke. Then he puffs "accidentally, of course" right at the other animals. That was the last straw for the three friends.
Dexter learns that his prideful boasting drives friends away and he is sorry. When he discovers his ability to pop corn, he makes things right by sharing. The giraffe comments that, "Dexter is very nice when he doesn't show off." They forgive him and they all play together.
Hopefully, Dexter will realize that he doesn't need to stop blowing smoke. He just needs to stop showing off!
It is a cute, entertaining story with adorable illustrations. It is just a little too verbose for my personal taste in books for young children.
January 13, 2020
This was one of my favourite books as a child. Likely because the artwork by Lisa McCue is positively adorable and it’s about a dragon. What’s more? His friends are a zebra, a giraffe and an elephant. I didn’t like them very much in the beginning, but they come around eventually…
Although some reviewers tell it differently, this is what I got from it as a child:
It is the story of Dexter, a young dragon with a fancy repertoire of smoke-blowing tricks. He is a dragon struggling to find acceptance, and accomplishes such when he discovers how he can make his strengths useful.
Others, however, have posited that because he starts off quite chuff with himself for his abilities, he makes a show of it to his friends and learns a painful truth about trying to show-off: no one likes a gloater.
However you interpret it, the theme holds: Dexter doesn’t give up. Instead, he decides to prove his worth and the value of his talent, and makes popcorn for all.
Although some reviewers tell it differently, this is what I got from it as a child:
It is the story of Dexter, a young dragon with a fancy repertoire of smoke-blowing tricks. He is a dragon struggling to find acceptance, and accomplishes such when he discovers how he can make his strengths useful.
Others, however, have posited that because he starts off quite chuff with himself for his abilities, he makes a show of it to his friends and learns a painful truth about trying to show-off: no one likes a gloater.
However you interpret it, the theme holds: Dexter doesn’t give up. Instead, he decides to prove his worth and the value of his talent, and makes popcorn for all.
February 7, 2018
A dragon who just learned how to blow smoke and is playing around when other animals come to watch him. They can't blow smoke like him and think he's a show off and they don't play with him. Sad and Adobe he takes a nap and accidentally blows smoke on some corn and makes popcorn. The other animals see him eating popcorn and now they want to play.
Ok I know it probably didn't mean to but this book came of as if someone had a talent and is showing it, it's ok to be mean because he's probably a show off. Wtf? The poor dragon changes his behavior to impress the other animals, something that little kids shouldn't be taught. I'm not saying don't change your bad habits but how was blowing smoke hurting anyone. And now that the dragon has something they want the animals are like oh, ok he's cool again. Na uh. You make your own popcorn.
Ok I know it probably didn't mean to but this book came of as if someone had a talent and is showing it, it's ok to be mean because he's probably a show off. Wtf? The poor dragon changes his behavior to impress the other animals, something that little kids shouldn't be taught. I'm not saying don't change your bad habits but how was blowing smoke hurting anyone. And now that the dragon has something they want the animals are like oh, ok he's cool again. Na uh. You make your own popcorn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2018
This book was quite adorable! Dexter, the main character, was a clever little dragon who learned he had the ability to blow smoke. The other animals he interacted with were both afraid and jealous of his ability to blow smoke. As he continued to show off his ability, he saw that no one wanted to be around him. After finding his hot breath has the ability to turn corn into popcorn, things get much better for Dexter! I brought this book to tutor third graders and they loved it! I would definitely recommend this book to others!
July 22, 2017
This was a nice 'change of pace' storybook for my adult special needs son and I. Dexter the dragon was super excited when he accidently finds out he can breath smoke. So he goes about making smoke everywhere When it comes to his friends though, he starts boasting about it and they all get upset at him. In the end he soon learns the importance of not being boastful.
January 26, 2020
Cute book, about a dragon who blows smoke out of his nose. He learns that showing off is rude and that it makes it so people don't want to be around you. He ends up popping popcorn with his breath and the other animals want to play with him because he doesn't show off anymore. Creative story, and definitely makes you use your imagination when reading it.
February 20, 2020
Mixed feelings! Loved the illustrations! But the story is a bit different. On one hand you get the moral of the story to not show off because no one likes a show off but on the other hand you get the impression that you shouldn't use your amazing talents in case someone feels jealous... unless you can use them to make everyone something they love. Kind of a weird overall message.
February 25, 2021
Read to Sam.
March 16, 2023
Illustrated dragon is adorable. Story is fine.
February 18, 2025
Show off dragon 🐉 looses friends when he shows off his impressively smoky skills - wins them back with popcorn. Friends are rather fickle.
May 24, 2025
Story was 2-3 but art was 5 hence the 4 star. I liked it
March 20, 2011
3.5 - I wasn't sure what to expect here in respect to Julia actually enjoying the story. She tends to get bored easily the older the book is in a lot of cases.
This wasn't the case here and she was interested throughout. I'm especially happy that she got the message to the story that I wanted her to get.
The dragon in the story is so proud of himself when he finds he can blow smoke that he's eager to show his friends. So eager to show his friends that for awhile he cares about little, if anything, else. His friends quickly tire of this and before the dragon ends up lonely and sad he tried to alter his smoke blowing in different, frantic ways to keep his friends attention. It doesn't work in the end.
The friends, a young zebra, giraffe and elephant, are a lot like what any kid would be like in this situation. Quick to leave, quick to tell their opinion, quick to find something else fun to do without the offending person involved. Most, if not all, kids will be able to relate to the dragon and to the friends. (And the Moms and Dads to the Mom dragon.)
Dexter the dragon, feeling so lonely and bored, falls alseep and wakes up to the sounds and smell of popcorn being popped. He quickly sees that he's the one popping the popcorn with his hot breath.
How Dexter acts when his friends come upon the scene is telling I think and that goes hand in hand with the very end, when he learns to be a little more mannerly.
The illustrations are borderling amazing - McCue does a marvelous job on Dexter especially but everywhere in the story.
A few people mention it being long-winded. I'd say, IMO, it's *almost* long-winded. A little more and it would have been for us also.
This wasn't the case here and she was interested throughout. I'm especially happy that she got the message to the story that I wanted her to get.
The dragon in the story is so proud of himself when he finds he can blow smoke that he's eager to show his friends. So eager to show his friends that for awhile he cares about little, if anything, else. His friends quickly tire of this and before the dragon ends up lonely and sad he tried to alter his smoke blowing in different, frantic ways to keep his friends attention. It doesn't work in the end.
The friends, a young zebra, giraffe and elephant, are a lot like what any kid would be like in this situation. Quick to leave, quick to tell their opinion, quick to find something else fun to do without the offending person involved. Most, if not all, kids will be able to relate to the dragon and to the friends. (And the Moms and Dads to the Mom dragon.)
Dexter the dragon, feeling so lonely and bored, falls alseep and wakes up to the sounds and smell of popcorn being popped. He quickly sees that he's the one popping the popcorn with his hot breath.
How Dexter acts when his friends come upon the scene is telling I think and that goes hand in hand with the very end, when he learns to be a little more mannerly.
The illustrations are borderling amazing - McCue does a marvelous job on Dexter especially but everywhere in the story.
A few people mention it being long-winded. I'd say, IMO, it's *almost* long-winded. A little more and it would have been for us also.
September 23, 2012
The Popcorn Dragon. By Jane Thayer. Illustrated by Lisa McCue. Scholastic Inc., 1989. ISBN 0-590-43609-0
Dexter is a dragon who discovers one day that he can blow smoke from his nose. He excitedly shows off his talent to other young animals, but soon finds they are so jealous that they don't want to play with him. It is only through acts of kindness that he is able to find friendship.
I liked the initial descriptive word choice. The illustrations are engaging and the combination of these with the message of the story teach the reader about compassion, modesty, friendship, loneliness and sharing. This would be a great book to begin discussions about empathy.
Recommended ages: 4-8
Dexter is a dragon who discovers one day that he can blow smoke from his nose. He excitedly shows off his talent to other young animals, but soon finds they are so jealous that they don't want to play with him. It is only through acts of kindness that he is able to find friendship.
I liked the initial descriptive word choice. The illustrations are engaging and the combination of these with the message of the story teach the reader about compassion, modesty, friendship, loneliness and sharing. This would be a great book to begin discussions about empathy.
Recommended ages: 4-8
December 2, 2012
This book is a super cute book about a dragon who is a show off. He breathes smoke and none of the other animals can do it. He ends up getting on their nerves so they don't want to play with him. He falls asleep and wakes up to realize that his hot smoke popped the corn right off the kernels. He ends up sharing with the other animals and they all become friends. This would be a great book for teaching sequencing.
December 3, 2012
This is a cute book about a Dragon who brags about this ability to blow smoke. He loses all of his friends though but realizes that he can pop popcorn with his smoke and wins his friends back. I could read this to my class and talk about how it is awesome to be confident and be proud of yourself but there is a fine line between being confident and being cocky. This could also be a good book to use for sequencing.
May 27, 2014
I have such fond memories of this book. This was the first book that I turned into a script for a puppet show for the library. My brother was on leave from the military and helped out by starting the popcorn machine near the end of the play. The timing was perfect -- when the popcorn was mentioned in the book the popcorn was popping in the machine. Such wonderful memories, such a mediocre book.
October 24, 2015
This book is a really fun story ... and introduces the idea of taking a "liability" (even though it's cool) and turning it into an asset. Although the idea might be a bit difficult for younger ones to catch, they would enjoy the story just for the story's sake, while older children might be taught the value of turning "lemons into lemonade" ... or should I say "fire-breathing into popcorn popping".
February 22, 2010
I would actually give this only 2 stars for the story but 4 stars for the illustrations, so it averaged out to 3 stars for all. The story was written in 1953, and is subsequently a tad didactic, and the message about bragging is a little heavy-handed. But the illustrations by Lisa McGue are wonderful, making Dexter completely endearing.
September 24, 2010
An odd story originally written in the '50s. I must say that I didn't really get it. It seemed overly long and boring and just a bit jumbled--a dragon playing with zebras and elephants and giraffe in an African savanna (I assume) with a field of corn that he can pop? Lisa McCue's illustrations are adorable as ever, but overall this was a tedious read with too obvious a message.
January 23, 2012
The drawings in this book were cute. I didn't really like how the other animals were so envious or the dragon so overly proud. Neither is an emotion I want to encourage my children to exhibit. It was nice that the animals and dragon became friends at the end, but it almost felt like it was because of bribery and not out of the goodness of any of the creatures.
February 20, 2016
A cute story about Dexter the Dragon who is lonely and wants to make friends. He learns how to blow smoke and immediately begins to show of - which of course is not the best friend-making technique. Only when he decides to share his talent with others do they want to be friends with him.
Really cute illustrations.
Really cute illustrations.
February 3, 2008
A beautifully illustrated fun read aloud to share with young children about boastfulness and jealousy. Kids love books with talking animals, especially stories that involve dragons; making this a book that will be requested again and again.
December 5, 2016
Too long for storytime so one on one but a cute story of a dragon who learns to blow smoke and then alienates his friends by doing it too much. But his hot breath has an unexpected treat it can make when he falls asleep in a corn field.
July 23, 2008
Good moral, but definitely an old book.
October 4, 2008
Rylee loved it because she loves popcorn. A little wordy to hold Wyatt's attention, unless he's really tired. But a cute story!
February 27, 2009
Frank really liked it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews