DragonQuest

by Allan Baillie, Wayne Harris (Illustrator)

A mission to find the last dragon winds through a perilous landscape, but the knight sees no trace of the creature. Can the eagle-eyed reader spot it?

A noble Dragon Fighter sets out on an expedition to fight the last dragon, inviting the reader along for the journey. Through shifting sands and tangled forests and past the whispering abyss, many awful perils are braved — witches, trolls, werewolves, ghost owls, scorpions, and vultures — but where is the dragon? Whether or not the reader is observant enough to read the subtle clues in the landscape and shadows, the final revelation of the elusive dragon’s whereabouts is sure to produce giggles and gasps of delight. Once in the know, children will want to read this tale over and over, flipping pages back and forth to compare cleverly illustrated details. A tale not to be missed by anyone with the heart of a daring adventurer.

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

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Allan Baillie was born in Scotland but has lived most of his life in Australia, where he attended several Victorian bush schools and eventually settled in Melbourne. He has worked as a journalist and published books in fourteen countries.

Reviews

[orangerful · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book with a great story. Perfect for that kid who loves dragons and knights. Would make for a good storytime book if you had an old enough audience, maybe skip a few pages here and there if the crowd is smaller. Also good for school visits.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dragon fighter gets the person reading the book to join the adventure of hunting for a dragon. I thought the narration was a little clumsy, but the ending was fantastic. My daughter loved the ending.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno. Rather too full of itself, imo. But I absolutely respect the opinions of those readers who love it.

[Ruin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book in my childhood and have been hunting it down for ages so I can read it again.

[Mari]

I liked the 'dragon' they find

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of an odd book, but not bad. I didn’t love how it just kept listing different kinds of spooky characters because it felt a bit played out as the story went on.

[Rachel Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The whole time I was like, ‘my guy, fish are friends, not food’ and stopping every few sentences to tell Bebe what scoundrels the characters were… but it ended up turning out well lol.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a fantastic book for kids who love fantasy! I have used this one several times for our library's story hour. A dragon fighter, an aging knight reminiscent of Don Quixote, takes a young boy on a quest to slay the last dragon. On the way, they pass through many fantastical perils-- deserts filled with poisonous snakes, dark woods haunted by goblins and witches, a mountain pass guarded by a two-headed troll, etc. Finally, they reach the top of the mountain, dragon country, but there's not a dragon in sight... or is there? The unexpected ending always surprises both kids and adults, like a magic trick! The illustrations are bright and entertaining; they're sure to stir any kid's imagination! There's also a certain moral element to the story's end when the young protagonist has the revelation that he does not want to kill the last dragon but only embarked on the quest for the sake of curiosity and wonder. This book deserves to become a children's classic!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An experienced dragon hunter at the end of his career and a young boy journey on an epic quest to find the last dragon. Along their way they must brave hardships and avoid myriad dangers. While the older dragon fighter monopolizes the narrative, dispensing a steady stream of commentary, wisdom and advice, a reveal in the last pages lets the reader know it is the young boy who gains the greatest insight on this dragon quest. Harris' rich painterly illustrations complement the text and provide the satisfying denouement.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously drawn epic adventure that will make any boy or girl desire to become a hero! This beautiful book is about a boy and knight traveling afar to find a dragon. The colors are not overly bright, with a muted quality that makes me feel like I stepped back in time to the Dark Ages. The pictures speak a story all on their own; the words add to the drawings, instead of detracting from it. This book uses words and pictures to weave a fun, courageous tale that your children will love enough to act out after the surprising ending is revealed!

[Marilyn Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a clever story, the narrative is carried by one of the two characters and he addresses the reader as an aside. A small boy accompanies the hero through all the treacherous landscapes filled with strange critters. The hero doesn't find a dragon but the boy finds one hidden in the landscape and decides not to tell so he can the dragon alive. The illustrations are lush and beautiful, detailed and colorful. Dragon lovers will love this one.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This picture is a new publication of the original work, and it is beautiful in a wild sense. The story is too thin, the character development is almost non-existent. There were too many questions and not enough detail. It almost became a"Where's Waldo" type of book. This does not suit the needs of my students who seek a good dragon story.

[Michelle Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated picture book. Boys would definitely like this book. It was highly recommended. I loved the surprise ending and overall I think I liked the book, but because of the references to ghosts, goblins, witches, evil spells, demons, vampire bats, etc. I wasn't sure if this would be appropriate for our school.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the illustrations in this book. They are clever, colorful, and emphasize the fantasy of the story with a fabulous reveal at the end. The story itself, however, is average but does not live up to the standard of the illustrations.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dragon hunter and a young boy are on a quest to find the last dragon. Along the way, they face many perils, but will they finally find the dragon. This has a surprise and creative ending that will make kids want to go back to the beginning and read it all over again.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lively but derivative adventure.

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is divine and it takes me back to the time of dragon obsession when my children were young.

[Diana Pettis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story. Illustrations complement the text.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

this would be a fun skit....

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second favourite PSB of all time! Love the reveal ... Love the humour ... Love reading it out loud!

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations! Great story line, we loved it!

[Natasha]

it intrested me allot. Thank you Allan Baillie.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations!! The story was fun as well; both my daughter and I loved the ending. It was a bit too scary for a bedtime read.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely detailed pictures and a simple story that makes you smile.