Komodo!

by Peter Sís

"Mad about dragons, the boy who narrates this picture book is pleased when his doting parents decide to take him to Indonesia, home of the Komodo dragon....[The boy] takes the road less traveled through the jungle, where he encounters the dragon of his dreams....Full of intriguing detail....picture book, original in concept and beautiful in design."--Booklist.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Dragons, Travel, Fiction, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 27, 1993

About the author

PETER SÍS is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, filmmaker, painter and author. Born in 1949 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and grew up in Prague. He studied painting and filmmaking at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. His animated work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He came to America in 1982, and now lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his family. Peter Sís is the first children's book artist to be named a MacArthur Fellow. In 2012 he won The Hans Christian Andersen Award.

His many distinguished books include Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet: Through the Red Box, Madlenka, Rainbow Rhino, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, and The Conference of the Birds.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a family who travels to Indonesia because their little boy loves Komodo dragons. The visit isn't quite what he expected, but it wasn't completely a disappointment. The illustrations are very good, comparable to other books by Peter Sis. But the story wasn't overly engaging. It teaches a little about where Komodo dragons live and the tourism industry that centers around these ancient, fearsome creatures. We enjoyed reading the additional information about the dragons in the illustration of the Komodo dragon book within the story as well as in the author's note in the back of the book. But it certainly wasn't our favorite of his stories...

[Demeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Komodo draci sú cool. A knihy Petra Sísa sú krásne. Treba čítať!

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple story about a girl who loves dragons so her parents take her to Indonesia to see the komodo dragons.

There is little text, but the pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are large and complicated with lots of little extras and hiding dragon's for the observant reader. There is also a lot of factual information about the komodo dragons worked into the illustrations as well as a factual paragraph at the end of the book.

This could be a fun book to use to discuss that most myths and legends begin with a truth.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is mostly about the illustrations. Dragons and lizards galore scattered throughout. It felt like a Hidden Treasures search from a Highlights magazine. I was rather intrigued by the school photo--particularly the woman who looked like she was wearing a bathrobe. A very informative book considering it's a picture book with a very basic plot. If the dragony lizards really did look that cute, I wouldn't mind seeing one.

[SARAH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations and the prose. The story-line was missing closure. The boy was alone on Komodo island...having heard a large roar and then the next page he is safely on the boat traveling home with his mom and dad. What happened!?

[Shannon Tisone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this book because the illustrations are merely active, although the storyline could be a tad bit better in order to balance out the illustrations.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are wonderful but I wish the author had allowed the boy to have more of an encounter with the dragon.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child and have such fond memories of trying to deduce which leaf or tree might actually be a camouflaged dragon.

I introduced my 2 year old to this book a few months ago and it is all she wants us to read now (along with 'A River' by Marc Martin). She loves finding the main character on each page, and talking about what dragons she can see in the child's bedroom or house. The search continues when the child arrives in Bali and it's so fun discussing the helicopter, planes, buses, and all the hidden items. Her favorite scene is when we can see the dragon eyes watching but hiding.

Although there aren't many words, the opportunities to use your imagination and observational skills abound in this wonderfully illustrated story. We love to count different items, search out repeated characters, and talk about how the komodo dragons use camouflage to hide from humans.

I disagree with other reviewers that say there isn't a satisfying ending. I think the whole story is an opportunity to glimpse this wild creature in its natural habitat and a feast for your observational senses. Even the last page where the family is leaving the island is a treat as the island itself looks like a sleeping dragon.

One of my only qualms with this story is the portrayal of the indigenous people selling merchandise to all the tourists. I feel this could have been illustrated more thoughtfully.

[Daniel Palička · Rating 3 out of 5]

Čtenářská výzva na Goodreads 2018 (26/205)
Čtenářská výzva Lovci perel 2018 (Třináctá kniha)
Už po třetí se v rámci výzvy Lovci perel setkávám s českým autorem Petrem Sísem, který opět ukazuje, jak moc mu jde vytváření knih, které excelují zejména díky stylu vyprávění prostřednictvím různorodě barevných stran, z nichž jdou cítit opravdu velké detaily. Předchozí dvě knihy - konkrétně “Pilot a Malý princ” a “Zeď: Jak jsem vyrůstal za železnou oponou” - nebyly vůbec špatné (zejména druhá zmíněná mi vyrazila dech) a určitě dokážou zaujmout čtenáře. Pak jsem ovšem dostal do rukou knihu “Komodo”.
“Komodo” bych hodnotil jako lepší průměr, považuji ji tedy za nejhorší knihu, kterou jsem, aspoň tedy dosavadně, mohl číst od již zmiňovaného autora. Nic převratného totiž nepřináší a dějově to je poměrně obyčejné. I přesto se ale Sísovi povedlo příběh odvyprávět prostřednictvím úžasných ilustrací, které mě u knihy dokázaly úspěšně udržet.
Jestliže patříte mezi obrovské fanoušky Petra Sísa, knihu si pořiďte. Předem vás však upozorňuji na to, že převratné dílo rozhodně neočekávejte.
3/5 (55%)

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a boy who loves dragons and his family trip to the island of Komodo. There is information at the end and in the story about the real Komodo dragon. The art is intriguing and the plants all seem like animals making the scenery very fantastical and magical--exactly as the little boy would see it. His imagination makes the simple touristy visit into a wonderful adventure.

[Charity · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dragon-loving boy gets a chance to travel to see real-life dragons and learns some tough lessons about tourism. Beautiful illustrations, especially when the narrator goes off-trail. The plot is a little lacking.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute little book about the komodo dragon! Has wonderfully detailed artwork and really good facts on the lizard. The pages are mostly drawings with shirt description so I would highly recommend reading aloud to young children who love to look at illustrations.

[plachá srnka · Rating 4 out of 5]

milé čítanie (aj na dobrú noc) s krásnymi ilustráciami.

[Kristen Thorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

66/365

[Bela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilustrace Petra Síse mám moc ráda, Varana Komodského taky, takže jsem si tuhle knížku hezky užila. No a děti samozřejmě taky :-)

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A trip to see a dragon leaves a boy happy to have seen one close up.

[Jacob Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the fascinating and fearsome Komodo dragon. It's a great introduction to this unique species for kids.

[Emily]

Intricate illustrations as usual with Peter Sis's work. It was almost like a search-and-find book, filled with facts about Komodo dragons. Super cool!

[Gao Dongdong · Rating 4 out of 5]

这是一本艰深复杂的书，尽管故事看似非常简单。

[Rosemary Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A central theme in Peter Sis' book "Komodo!" is the belief that you have to venture off the beaten path to find experiences that are worthwhile. This includes flying to Bali, then taking a ship to the small island of Komodo. The narrator of the book, a young dragon enthusiast, does this so he can see a real dragon, the Komodo dragon, in its natural habitat.

While at Komodo, with his parents who have surprised him with this trip, he finds that the elusive dragon isn't where all the tourists are gathered. So, he ventures out on his own to find the lizard. This takes us to the climax of the journey, which is a short-lived, yet exhilarating encounter.

Given all the fascinating facts that Sis shares about the lizard and the build-up of the narrator's devotion to all things dragon as well as the flight to Indonesia, I would have preferred that boy and dragon would get to hang out together a little longer, (though I'd want him to be safe, not dragged off like a goat in broad daylight, as Sis writes they have been known to do). But then I remembered that all it took to spark my enduring devotion to giraffes was the brief moment when a giraffe walked toward me while I was perched on my father's shoulders at a zoo. These moments matter in a young life. They will live on in one's memory.

In addition to what is hopefully a life-long fascination that is sparked by an animal encounter, I enjoyed the book because of Sis' detailed illustrations. For example, the class photo at the beginning is like a "Where's Waldo?" in finding the narrator. His room features everything dragon from an overhead light to a throw rug. The drawings of Bali and Komodo are interesting as well, showing several different types of ships and tourists with their backpacks, straw hats and video cameras. Curiously, we don't see any locals. Maybe Sis is suggesting that they have been overrun by the tourism industry.

Still, our eager narrator finds the source of his fascination, while donning his favorite dragon t-shirt and red baseball cap. The Komodo dragon does not disappoint with its long, powerful tail. They observe each other. It is a rare opportunity.

[Anthony Morello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Komodo! is the story of a young boys obsession with dragons and his family's trip to the island of Komodo in Indonesia to see real life ones. A young boy with a strong interest in Komodo dragons and all types of dragons is surprise by his parents with a trip to Komodo, but when it doesn't turn out to be all he hoped for, he goes exploring. Walking away from the tourist part of the island, the young boy meets a real Komodo dragon, or does he?! This realistic fiction by Peter Sis offers factual information about Komodo dragons and the island of Komodo and makes the young reader think about what if they met their animal interests in real life.

Komodo! is a realistic fiction story that pairs the interests of a child with meeting them on vacation. The text and illustrations are fairly basic and done through large frames and sidebar text, with the illustrations done in pen ink and water paints. Sis' illustrations draw the reader in through drawings of Komodo dragons initial and "figuratively" in the many of the scenes as plants and shapes. The cover of the book grabbed my interest, even though it isn't an actual scene in the book. Overall I enjoyed this book and it provides good factual information and realism for young readers, but it also left me wanting more plot and stronger illustrations.

[Lana Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boy int he story goes with his parents to Komodo to see real dragons.

There really are Komodo dragons in this part of the world, but what makes this a fantasy is that the boy comes face to face with one after he walks away from his family. In real life this could never happen, if it did the boy would most likely not survive such an encounter. In the story his fantasy of coming face to face with this dragon comes true and he is able to go back to his normal life. This book would be appropriate for k-3rd graders. It was rated a 1 by the Hornsbook Guide and described as a "perfect fantasy". If you are teaching a unit on fantasy, lizards or islands this would be a great book to read! The illustrations are very detailed and the text is short and to the point.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, the cover on this book did not inspire.

But, I picked it up anyway.

Marvelous! A terrific example of text and illustrations working together. The text is quite simple and spare; the illustrations are frequently FULL of details to notice. And the contrast between the two is very fun. For instance, in one early page, the boy narrator says, "It is always easy to find me in school pictures because of my dragon T-shirt." But the photo is of hundreds of children massed together--a "where's waldo" type exercise to hunt down the narrator (which you can do, I promise!). Throughout the book, dragons are scattered and each picture offers much to peruse. One of my sons, in particular, will love this book!

Interesting author's note at end about Komodo dragons.

[Friend of Pixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story, although L didn't ask for a re-read. A boy goes to Indonesia to see a real komodo dragon. Logan was fascinated that there is a real place that they live and that it takes so long to get to. That's one of tthe problems with zoos; they take the animals so far out of context that it's hard to imagine where they actually live. The illustrations were lovely, showing bunches of "hidden" komodo dragons in the leaves and shadows. I'm not sure why this didn't merit a second reading. I think it might be that L is currently most interested in adventure/magic stories and this wasn't exciting enough.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy, who loves dragons, gets to go on a trip to Indonesia with his parents to see a real Komodo Dragon. At first the boy is disappointed. There are crowds waiting to see a "dragon show". He wanders off into the jungle alone. It is on his lonely trek away from the "dragon show" and crowd that he has the experience that he's always imagined having.

Fantastic illustrations like always, easy vocabulary and short text on each page make this a good ELL read aloud and discussion starter on travel, our expectations, and in what ways things are different from what we believe could happen.

[Whole And · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Sis has an exquisite talent in creating incredible illustrations. Here he combines detailed learning of the Komodo dragons, where they live and what they can do through imaginative adventure. If your child loves dragons, this is a great book to read learning about Indonesia and knowing that real live dragons exist!

[Pita-eater · Rating 2 out of 5]

A boy who is crazy about dragons gets to take a trip to the Island of Komodo. This odd little book is sparse on text and pretty much all about the illustrations. Komodo dragons are hidden everywhere in the detailed pictures, making this a fun "I Spy" kind of book. Unfortunately, the book is showing its age (e.g., fax machines) and the text is not engaging at all.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy likes dragons so much his parents take him to Indonesia to see the Komodo dragon. They end up in a large crowd to see one in a controlled situation, but the boy goes off by himself to explore. He isn’t disappointed like his parents are. Nicely illustrated. Early in the story there are two pages of amazing and very interesting information about the Komodo dragon.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is alway so much going on in a drawing by Peter Sis. The detail is rich, but more than that, there's a slight grin askance underlying many of them, something wry and warm. I enjoyed this as a reading-aloud book more than as a reading-by-myself book.

[Miri Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting not so much for the story as the fact that komodo dragons are just really interesting creatures. The only ones left over from the carnivorous dinosaurs, and only found natively in Indonesia. And of course I always like Peter Sís.