Duffy The Christmassy Dragon

by Kate Noble

Beautiful, unique rhyming verse Christmas story, suitable for 3-8 year olds. Duffy The Dragon helps Santa one icy Christmas Eve. 24 pages - fully illustrated. A lovely gift and fun to read.

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable book for children. I would gift this book to my grandsons in a heartbeat.

The storyline is simple. Duffy the dragon must help Santa and his reindeer save Christmas. With colorful illustrations and a rhyming prose, Duffy the Christmassy Dragon is sure to please any child. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Five stars -- I loved it.

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is adorable! This 24 page, illustrated children's book tells the delightful story of how Duffy the Dragon saved Christmas. The illustrations are so cute and colorful, and the story is written as a fun kid's poem.

I loved this book and I can't wait to read it to my grandson. You can't get any higher praise than that.

I received a free digital copy from the publishers via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

[... Lost Bookland... · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children just want to fantasize and see the world in a slightly different way. Fairies, mermaids, miraculous creatures, talking animals ... are just some of the things that children need to understand the world around them.

Parents as well as teachers have a huge burden of responsibility towards children. Although there are many modern and up-to-date tools and applications that can help, books are still one of the best choices for educating children.

‘Duffy The Christmassy Dragon’ by Kate Noble, a cute story about a dragon called Duffy who helps Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve is a great choice for a good night story. Rhymed stories and interesting events are especially appealing to children, and beautiful illustrations will allow them to be fully immersed in the story.
But what honestly amazed me was the fact that the main character in the story was a dragon, something that is typically associated with evil, a bad creature that only hurts and harms. Showing Duffy as a hero is a fantastic choice for the author, as it gives children a great chance to get closer to the realization that everything that looks nice and good is not always good, and vice versa. It does not necessarily mean that if someone looks bad it really is. Children need to understand that they should not be deceived by the appearance of things.

Another thing that honestly sparked a discussion between me and my daughter is the friendship between Turtle the cat, Mizzle the mouse and Duffy the dragon. "But mom, won't the dragon eat them?" And "How can they be friends?" are just some of the questions we discussed. The well-inserted message that diversity is a wonderful thing and not to be judged by looks touched my child's ears, and raised even more questions about true friendship.

Yes, there may be imperfect rhymes, as I read in some of the reviews, but children do not seek perfection. They are looking for a topic that will be interesting and presented in a way that they will be able to understand, and this book definitely contains all those qualities, and is a great choice for a wonderful read with children.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has been around for over a decade. It's obviously being released again. And a re-release would've been the perfect time to give the text a polish. Sadly, that opportunity wasn't taken.

Duffy appears to be the pet dragon of a king. On Christmas Eve, the king is away visiting an aunt, leaving Duffy with his friends in the castle. Santa Claus ends up slipping on all the icy roofs, and he needs Duffy's help to melt the snow with his dragon breath. The dragon helps, and Christmas is saved.

And what does Duffy get for his troubles after all of that? A photo of himself. Way to cheap out, Santa. (Aren't dragons supposed to be fond of... well, "stuff"?)

The whole book is written in rhyming verse. The meter isn't great, but I've seen worse. (Oops... Sorry about that inadvertent poem there.) The problem is the writing. The punctuation is off. Capitalization is inconsistent. There are made-up words that I can't figure out (like "wooping"... which may just be a misspelling of "swooping"). The continual use of "reindeers" as a plural is just annoying.

Overall, this is a fairly weak Christmas story. Kids might like it if they're big fans of dragons, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing a digital ARC.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Christmas tale! Who doesn't love a good Christmas story? Except, with dragons!

This rhyming tale is utterly adorable and a fun way to make Christmas more fantastical. Duffy the Dragon is all Christmassy and gets into the spirit we are all desiring during this fantastic season. She ends up helping Santa and the reindeer out, because that's what good dragons do!

Also, colourful illustrations are my fave! They are bright and fun.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

[Nicci · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I loved the illustrations for this book! There is something so incredibly old-worldy and timeless about them... They just make you feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic.
Secondly, the story is utterly charming! It flows lyrically and tells the story of how Duffy the Dragon helps Santa on Christmas. It gave me Night Before Christmas vibes in how it flowed from one verse to the next... It's a perfect story to read to the little ones on Christmas Eve!

[Jennifer Kirkwood (Levac) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special little Christmas book. Whimsical pictures of a red winged dragon helping Santa and his reindeer deliver presents on Christmas eve. It is a quick, fun read for youngsters that could be read each and every year. Duffy is a sweet dragon left alone for the night by the King who went to visit his Aunt. Duffy saves the night with his cool fiery breath making the rooftops safe for Santa and his reindeer to land.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Westveil Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for granting me access to Duffy the Christmassy Dragon in exchange for an honest review.

Duffy the Christmassy Dragon is the story of a king's pet dragon, Duffy, who must stay home on Christmas Eve while his beloved King visits a house too small and full of fragile things for such a large pet. While Duffy waits, Santa stops by looking for help.

This story is so charming, and the watercolour illustrations are beautiful! I could look at them all day, and they fit with the story so well. My daughter is almost three and just starting to have the patience for a book with this many words on one page, and I think she'll be ready to appreciate it at Christmas time. I look forward to re-experiencing this book with her then!

The inclusion of a recipe for Duffy's culinary invention, Podgepickle Stew, is an adorable finishing touch, too. Sounds far too spicy for me, but perfect for a dragon!

I would definitely pick up a copy of this book or any other Duffy story from this author-illustrator pair as gifts for any other kids I know and recommend it to primary grade teachers for their classrooms.

[Lindsey Rojem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may have actually been published in 2006, but NetGalley just gave me a copy of it. I thought this story was really cute. It may have been a little predictable, but it is very whimsical and a pleasure to read. I enjoyed how it included his recipe in the back, I would definitely consider picking up this book as a gift.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a delightful book. Duffy is called upon to help Santa with his delivery. The story is in rhyme and the illustrations are so colorful that they held the attention of my grandchildren, via video call, while I read it to them.
This will be included in my grandchildren's gift next Christmas.

I received this book from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable story about how duffy the dragon saved Christmas. Duffy is a very sweet dragon who is very sad to be alone for the holidays. Luckily he's around when Santa needs his help. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and children are sure to love the adventure.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was an alternative Christmas read that was really enjoyable.

I liked the illustrations in the book and the leading role that Duffy plays.

It was an easy book to read and follow and a will be a great Christmas read.

It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley.
Charming story of a dragon who felt alone as his friend the king went to visit his aunt for Christmas. He was feeling sad so cooked quite a meal with his friends. As he drifted off to sleep with a full stomach, Santa arrived and asked for help. Duffy set off to melt the ice and snow on roofs so Santa and the reindeer could deliver presents all over.
The rhythm flows smoothly for most of the book - just a couple lyrical breaks. Young readers will love the brightly colored softly focused illustrations. They set a gentle mood for readers to join the action and travel along with Duffy. A great addition to holiday read alouds.

[Pam Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the hunt for a Christmassy story for young relatives I stumbled across this book. With stunning illustrations, even in black and white on a Kindle, and a lovely rhyming approach to story telling this book definitely makes the list. Recommended for small people for Christmas.

[Christina Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A perfectly charming Christmas tale! After being left alone for Christmas, Duffy the Dragon gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to help Santa and his reindeer save Christmas. This story is sweet, adventurous and full of heart; a great choice for a Christmas story!

[Susan Underbrink · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's book. This is a cute Christmas book. Duffy is quite the hero. I liked the rhyming it's not perfect but kids don't care. 4 stars

[Misa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalle and the publisher for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the cutest story with a Dragon I have ever read. This book was so beautiful, I trully love this style of art in books for kids or any kind of books. I loved it with this cute dragon!
I hope that the author with the artist will work on more stories of Duffy and the King. The story was well written in rhymes and thanks to the illustrations, It ended up so adorable and enjoyable. A great book for kids to have and a nice dragon for them to discover.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and original Christmas story. Duffy the Dragon has to help Santa and the reindeer deliver all the presents safely! Children with great imaginations and/or with a love of dragons will become absorbed in this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free digital copy of this to review.

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated children's book would make a great Christmas gift for any child, especially those aged 3-8 years old. The book is about a dragon called Duffy who helps Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve. My daughter and I really enjoyed this book, especially the rhyming words and illustrations. My daughter was a little bit scared of the dragon at the beginning of the book, but by the end, she liked him.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely adorable kids book with a great story told in verse. loved the illustrations.

Read for review from netgalley.

[Duffy]

Such a lovely lyrical, rhyming verse story about Duffy an adorable young dragon who is left alone by his King on Christmas Eve. A little sad, Duffy and his pals Mizzle the Mouse (who lives in Duffy's horns), and Turtle the palace cat make up a batch of Duffy's favourite meal - PODGEPICKLE STEW. Duffy settles down in his draongy nest for the night to wait for his King to return and is awoken suddenly by Santa and the Reindeers who crash into the nest looking for Duffy's help. An ice storm has made it impossible for the sleigh to land on the rooftops. I bet you can guess how a dragon can help! The illustrations are amazing.

[Caroline Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Noble, ably assisted by Kara Olson's beautiful illustrations, has written the perfect Christmas gift for children aged 3 to 8...although I must admit to being thoroughly smitten with it myself. Written in rhyme, which most children love, it tells the tale of Duffy, who is left at home by the King, whilst he goes on a short visit. Duffy is sad at being left behind but understands that some people think dragons are too big to be house pets. (I don't get this myself, as far as I'm concerned all dragons are welcome.)

Anyway Duffy has a huge meal, (recipe included at the end of the story - a thoughtful touch) and settles down with his two friends plus his teddy, for a good night's sleep. He is woken a short while later by none other than Santa Claus! Santa has a problem and needs Duffy's help. Needless to say Duffy saves the day. This book is destined to be a Christmas classic, it's beautifully written and illustrated and the story is guaranteed to provide a warm glow when shared with small children and grandchildren. Very, very highly recommended.

[Danielle Bailleu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about a dragon that is by himself on Christmas Eve when all of a sudden he finds Santa asking for his help. It is a cute, fun read that I would enjoy reading every Christmas to my young girls.

This book was given to me an an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, honestly I'm in awe here. How could someone made a marvelous book for children that rhyme? I was taken to a snowy castle which had a dragon inside! And have a pretty imagination thanks to the illustrations that comes with. Though Christmas is still quite some months away, I can recommend you to grab this book for a present to kids in elementary school.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines two things I love, dragons and Christmas, and does so ADORABLY. The whimsical art really fits the theme, and the cadence of the story definitely brings to mind the traditional Night Before Christmas. Also? That podgepickle recipe at the end is the cherry on top of all the fun of this book; SO cute.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines two things I love, dragons and Christmas, and does so ADORABLY. The whimsical art really fits the theme, and the cadence of the story definitely brings to mind the traditional Night Before Christmas. Also? That podgepickle recipe at the end is the cherry on top of all the fun of this book; SO cute.

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received for free, loved it! Decided to read it closer to Christmas, love the story and art. Would buy.

[Linde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so much fun to read! I loved the drawings, and the story, and everything. It's the perfect one to read to your kids! It's adorable. The perfect Christmas read. Highly recommend.
I got this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a review

[Andréa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.