Raya and the Last Dragon: The Deluxe Junior Novelization

by Tenny Nellson

Walt Disney Animation Studios' fantasy-action-adventure, Raya and the Last Dragon, introduces Raya, a lone warrior from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra who teams up with a crew of misfits in her quest to find the last dragon and bring light and unity back to their world. Awkwafina lends her voice to Sisu, the last dragon, who was left in case dark forces return to the world. Exploring themes of community and hope, and inspired by the beautiful and diverse cultures of Southeast Asia, the fantasy-action-adventure Raya and the Last Dragon opens in U.S. theaters on March 12th, 2021. The Deluxe Junior Novelization retells the whole exciting story and includes a poster and eight pages of full-color scenes from the movie in this eye-catching hardcover edition. It's perfect for readers ages 8 to 12!

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Audiobook, Middle Grade, Dragons, Adventure

144 pages, Hardcover

First published March 16, 2021

Reviews

[Теодор Панов · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Рая и последният дракон“ е нова, магична и вълнуваща история, предложена ни от Дисни.
Като концепция и развитие на сюжета донякъде силно ми напомняше на Моана (*Ваяна на бг), а след нея все си мислех, че няма да успеят да направят нещо подобно, с което да я надминат. Но с „Рая и последният дракон“ категорично ме опровергаха.

Историята е забавна, изпълнена с хумор и приключения. А пък Сису (драконът) е разкошно колоритен персонаж. Като цяло и останалите персонажи са на доста добро ниво – Рая, Буун, Тук Тук, Наамари и др. И тук, както в останалите продукции на Дисни, най-добрият приятел и спътник на главния герой отново е животинче.

Книгата преразказва дословно филма, заедно с всяка една от репликите на героите оттам. Филмът пък от своя страна успя да ми хареса невероятно, та затова реших да погледна и тази книга. (Впрочем след „Голата истина за група Жигули“ това е вторият филм за тази година, който ме накара да се заливам от смях в киното 🤣)

Оценка: 4.6 ⭐



P.S. И понеже споменах, че Рая на места ми напомня силно на Моана, ето и едно видео, в което са изброени част от съвпаденията ➡ 12 Times „Raya And The Last Dragon“ Copied „Mulan“ & „Moana“

[Jheelam Nodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

অনুবাদ ভালো হয়েছে৷ অবশ্য কাহিনীটা আগে থেকে জানা ছিলো বলে তেমন নতুন কিছু লাগেনি

[Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

When i saw this at my local library I had to listen to it. I've listen to audio books before that were for kids and really enjoyed the light-heartedness of it.

This was no exception - the voice acting was good and the characters themselves were full of life and fun.

Plot overview: Raya is a trained warrior of the Kingdoum of Kumandra. Her and her father both protect the magical gem. Her father invites all of their enemies, the other five nations to their kingdom to unite. It is his dream to see all of the five kindgims untied again. However things don't go to plan, one little girl in Fang tricks Raya into showing her the last dragon egg and she steals it. Her father dies and some others turn to stone when the darkness/monsters come back again. Then there goes the start of Raya's adventure.

I love Raya as a character, she is really funny and practical and the water dragon Sisu work well. They both learn things form each other and they develop together.

Since this was such as sort read, I think they still did a really good job at the development of the story and characters. I love how in the end it's all about forgiveness and coming together. Obviously the plot was predictable - it's a children's story - but you still enjoy the journey nevertheless.

Again, would recommend for a really light read.

[Oyinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 209 of 2021

This was such a fun read omg

[Evie Loves · Rating 5 out of 5]

First chapter book to read with my 4 and 2 year old! They loved the movie so they kept up with the book really well. They laughed on parts that were funny they knew what was coming next! We enjoyed it very much!

[Julietta M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was a great novelization of a great movie. I enjoyed all of the details. Reading it after I saw the movie really helps with extra understanding.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book by chance -- I didn't know that one was being published in tandem with the movie's release -- and was so excited to read it, not least of which because one of the screenwriters is Malaysian.... and well... it has dragons!

I'm not much for watching movies (short viewing attention span and all that), but after finishing this book, I just had to. And because I knew how the plot was going to unfold, I was able to notice the many creative and subtle touches that was the embodiment of Southeast Asia embedded within the movie.

This is a novelization of a Disney movie, so one can pretty much expect how conflict and resolution will play out... but with dragons.

Tidbit: If you've seen the actress Awkwafina on screen before, look out for her facial expressions in Sisu, the dragon to which she lends her voice talent. I say that the animators did a brilliant job in rendering a remarkable likeness on the non-dragon features of Sisu.


* Read for The 52 Book Club's 2021 Reading Challenge task: Watch out for dragons!

[ReadingByTheWindow (Taniya) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels as if I am reading the script of the book. Well, I have seen Raya 5-6 times already so I have kind of learn the dialogues but with the book, it felt like seeing the movie in words.
Highly recommended
Must read

[Progoti Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

‎Sometimes, the world doesn’t break apart in a day. It breaks when we stop trusting each other...
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‎করোনা-পরবর্তী পৃথিবীর মতো, কুমান্দ্রার ইতিহাসেও আছে ধ্বংসের এক দীর্ঘ দাগ। সে একসময় ছিলো এক ইউটোপিয়া; সাধারণ মানুষের ভাষাতে যাকে বলে স্বপ্নরাজ্য... মানুষ আর ড্রাগনদের মিলেমিশে থাকা এক অপার্থিব ভূমি, যেখানে বৃষ্টি আসতো ড্রাগনের দয়া থেকে আর শান্তি ছিলো স্বাভাবিক বাতাসের মতো। কিন্তু শান্তির স্থানেই সবসময় সবচেয়ে ভয়ঙ্কর বিপর্যয়ের জন্ম হয় আর সেই বিপর্যয় নিয়ে আসে ড্রুনদের আগমন। তারা ভাইরাসের মতো ছড়িয়ে পড়ে, স্পর্শ পেলেই সবকিছুকে পাথরে পরিণত করে। ড্রুন কোনো চরিত্র নয়... এরা প্রতীক; ভয়, অবিশ্বাস, আর স্বার্থপরতার প্রতীক।
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‎ড্রাগনরা লড়াই করে। শেষ পর্যন্ত টিকে থাকে শুধু একজন; নাম সিসুদাতু। তার আত্মত্যাগে এক বিস্ফোরণে ড্রুন নিশ্চিহ্ন হয়, কিন্তু ড্রাগনদের জীবন আর ফিরে আসে না। মানুষ ফিরে পেলেও বিশ্ব হারায় তার কোমলতম রক্ষকদের।
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‎সেখান থেকেই শুরু কুমান্দ্রার পতন... পাঁচটি ভাগে ভেঙে যাওয়া, লেজ-শিরদাঁড়া-নখর-দাঁত-হৃদয়। প্রতিটি রাজ্য নিজের স্বার্থে বন্দী, ঐক্যের ধারণা যেন এক পুরোনো লোকগাথা। আর এই ভাঙনের কেন্দ্রেই লুকানো আছে সেই রহস্যময় রত্ন, ড্রাগন ম্যাজিকের শেষ স্ফুলিঙ্গ!
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‎রত্নটির পাহারায় আছে Chief Benja... শান্ত, বিচক্ষণ, হৃদয় রাজ্যের মহৎ নেতা। তার চরিত্র গল্পে এক ধরনের কোমল দৃঢ়তা এনে দেয়, যেন অন্ধকারে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকা একটি বাতিঘর। কিন্তু যে বাতিঘর যত উজ্জ্বল, ঝড় তাকে তত বেশি আঘাত করে। এই বাতিঘরের আলোয় কুমান্দ্রার বিবর্ণ রাজ্যগুলি শেষবারের মতো ঐক্যবদ্ধ হওয়ার একটি ক্ষীণ সম্ভাবনা দেখে কিন্তু মানুষের সম্মিলিত লোভ ও অবিশ্বাস সেই বাতিঘরকেই গ্রাস করার জন্য প্রস্তুত। বেনজা যখন এক নতুন ভোরের স্বপ্ন দেখেন, তখন সেই স্বপ্নের আড়ালেই লুকিয়ে থাকে ইতিহাসের সবচেয়ে মর্মান্তিক বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা... এর পরের অংশটুকু থেকে স্পয়লার শুরু...
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‎এই গল্পটি আমাদের সামনে নিয়ে আসে হারিয়ে যাওয়া ঐক্য, এবং মানুষের লোভ কীভাবে একটি সভ্যতাকে ধ্বংস করে দিতে পারে! এটি এক বিভক্ত পৃথিবীর গল্প। একটি পৃথিবী, যেখানে মানুষ নিজের ভয়ের কাছে আত্মসমর্পণ করেছে, আর ঐক্যের পরিবর্তে বেছে নিয়েছে সন্দেহ।
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‎বই: রায়া এন্ড দ্য লাস্ট ড্রাগন
‎জনরা: ফ্যান্টাসি
পেইজ: ১৪৪
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[Santosh Thapa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asoj 4, 2078, Monday

Raya and the Last Dragon: The Junior Novelization (Disney Raya and the Last Dragon) - Tenny Nellson (Random House Disney) (2021)

Genres:‌ Fantasy/ Middle Grade/ Novelization
Pages:‌ ‌144
Rating:‌ ‌7/10‌ ‌
‌
Themes:‌ Trust and Betrayal / Pandemic Loss/ Unity/ Political Reconciliation
‌
Opener:‌ ‌
“Long ago, before our time, there was a land called Kumandra, where humans lived alongside water dragons. The dragons brought water, rain, and peace to the land to help it flourish. And the humans lived in harmony, caring for one another. Life in Kumandra was paradise.”

Summary:‌ ‌
Raya, a warrior, sets out to track down Sisu, a dragon, who transferred all her powers into a magical gem which is now scattered all over the kingdom of Kumandra, dividing its people.

Verdict:‌
The movie was visually stunning, although the story was a bit derivative, reminding you of another extremely beloved something, the last of something, but not as good. So it goes without saying that the story doesn’t get too many originality points. Where the story shines is in its varied supporting cast. A con baby and her resourceful ongi companions, a brute with the soul of a poet, an overgrown armadillo, a shrimp cooking kid and a shape-shifting aloof dragon. The protagonist is a bore, though, hence her portRAYAl suffers too and not to mention the betRAYAl feels tacky too. The book rides well on the undercurrents of the themes of trust and unity and political reconciliation. It is evident that the author/ adapter Tenny Nellson put a lot of effort into making this book, hence it pains me to see that she is not even mentioned here on Goodreads. She does a commendable job of uplifting this so-so story through breezy, enjoyable writing.

[AFROZA CHOITY · Rating 4 out of 5]

#কাহিনী_সংক্ষেপ
কুমান্দ্রা রাজ্যে মানুষ আর ড্রাগন মিলেমিশে সুখে শান্তিতে বসবাস করতো। এমন সময় ভয়ংকর এক ভাইরাস ড্রুন এর কবলে পড়ে ড্রাগন আর মানুষ পাথর হয়ে যায়। এক এক করতে করতে সব ড্রাগন পাথর হয়ে গেল। একমাত্র ড্রাগন সিসুদাতু শুধু বেঁচে র‌ইলো । সে তার সমস্ত শক্তি একটা উজ্জ্বল নীলরঙা পাথরে। পাহাড়ের চূড়ায় উঠে গিয়ে ঘটালো এক বিষ্ফোরণ। সে বিষ্ফোরণে সব ড্রুন নিশ্চিহ্ন হয়ে গেল।
ড্রুন নিশ্চিহ্ন হয়ে গেলে কুমান্দ্রা ভাগ হয়ে গেল পাঁচটি রাজ্যে। আর নীল পাথর রয়ে গেল হার্ট রাজ্যের কাছে।
হার্ট রাজ্যের চীফ বেঞ্জা দায়িত্বে আছে রত্নের পাহারায়। তার পরে দ্বায়িত পালন করবে রাজকুমারী রায়া। বেঞ্জা চাইলো সবগুলো রাজ্যের ভেদাভেদ ভুলে আবার এক কুমান্দ্রা গঠন করতে। সে পাঁচ রাজ্যের সরদারকে আমন্ত্রণ করলো। সবাই একত্রে জড়ো হলো হার্ট রাজ্যে। তখন ফ্যাং এর রাজকুমারী নামারি রায়ার সাথে বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা করে নীল পাথরের দখল নিতে চাইলে নিজেদের মধ্যে যুদ্ধ বেধে যায় আর নীল পাথর পাঁচ টুকরো হয়ে ভেঙে যায়। তখনই আবার ড্রুন ভাইরাস জেগে উঠে সব ধ্বংস করা শুরু করে। পাঁচ রাজ্যের সরদার রত্নের পাঁচ টুকরো হাতিয়ে নেয় ড্রুনদের থেকে নিজেকে রক্ষা করতে।
সব হারিয়ে রায়া নেমে পড়লো পথে। সকল নদীতে অভিযান চালিয়ে খুঁজে বের করতে সিসুদাতুকে। অবশেষে সে খুঁজে বের করলো সিসুদাতুকে। সিসুদাতুকে নিয়ে বেরিয়ে পড়লো পাথরের সব টুকরোগুলো একত্র করতে। চলার পথে মিলে গেল অদ্ভুত কিছু বন্ধু। তারা কি পারবে সব বাধা পেরিয়ে রত্নের টুকরোগুলো একত্র করতে? সবাই আবার ফিরিয়ে আনতে? ড্রুনদের কে নিশ্চিহ্ন করতে??

#পাঠ_প্রতিক্রিয়া
ছোট্ট করে বলতে গেলে দারুন একটা ব‌ই। খুবই সাবলীল ভাবে কাহিনী সামনের দিকে এগিয়েছে। এক বসায় শেষ করার মতো ব‌ই। ব‌ইটি বিশেষ করে ছোটদের জন্য হলেও বড়রা পড়েও হতাশ হবে না। প্রতিটা চরিত্র সুন্দরভাবে ফুটিয়ে তোলা হয়েছে।
অনুবাদ‌ও সহজ সাবলীল। তেমন একটা বানান ভুল চোখে পড়েনি।

[Centauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think because this story is a kid's tale I will be criticized for judging too harshly. I so want this tale to be rewritten as young adult fiction, or adult fiction.
This fantasy tale has trust being a core theme, along with friendship and not categorizing people based on stereotypes. All are good themes children should learn, but I do not feel the writer really made the point. It was too "it all works out in the end" without there really being a character arc to prove the strength of friendship and trust. It was treated like a light switch.
But I really enjoyed this story and what it said about humanity lacking the "magic of hope and the belief in others" That was done well. Action sequences were nice and playful and fast and fun. I would love to read more about the styles and what not.
Okay, again, it is hard to rate a book crafted for a young mind.
If you have young children, make them read this. They'll find lots to enjoy and chat to you about. In the meantime, lets start a petition to get an adult version of the story written, so we can embrace ourselves into the character arc hinted at in here, along with the history and lore of this land and its people. This book made me want more of Kumandra

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the movie this book is based on, it did not translate well to the page. Or maybe it's just that this particular novelization of it was not written very well, but at any rate, I felt more like I was reading a very lengthy synopsis of the movie written by someone who didn't really like it very much. It was lacking the quirkiness that made the movie fun, and instead felt like an endless list of "This happened, and then this happened, and then this happened." Pushed through about half of it before I was bored enough to give up. Hopefully some kid will find this in my Little Free Library and get more out of it than I did.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a kid’s book and the writing is so-so, but I needed a feel-good, light read. I’m giving it 4 stars because on a day when my heart feels heavy, this little book was a spark of hope and made me cry.

[elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this with zero expectations because of the age group but this was actually so good. I loved the audiobook. It was short, the characters had distinct voices so I wasn't confused and the plot was simple.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Matthew J. Winbow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book just as it is a fantastic film! Loved it!

[Tanisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really interesting and I really liked

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this an an audiobook. I really enjoyed this, especially since I have not had the chance to watch the movie as of yet. I most certainly will now.

[Dini · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Anna-Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

War gut für zwischendurch. Ich glaub ich bin ein bisschen zu alt für die Geschichte, aber an sich fand ich sie ganz süß und spannend.

[sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

kid : "mom, can we buy moana?"
mom : "we have moana at home."
the moana at home :

so yeah, this book is like a rip-off moana imo, but it did help me sleep and fix my sleep schedule

[Kaprisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was really good loved the movie to really loved it

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my daughters' favorite movies, so of course, we had to read the book. It was perfect and so fun for her!!

[Cornelia Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started watching the movie but didn’t get very far into it before I had to leave. So I picked up the novelization to see what happened. Part of the low rating is just that it’s a novelization of a movie and that kind of sucks regardless of how good the movie is. I think the movie would’ve been a lot better than reading this.
I don’t want to say it was trash, because it wasn’t. But it’s clear that not much effort went into writing this. Which is a shame because I can tell the movie is pretty cute and not bad at all. The book makes the characters annoying and almost insufferable. I wouldn’t recommend picking this up. Watch the movie instead.

[Bekah Stoltzfoos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things Rebekah loved: “I like that they gave me pictures. And that at the end there was a special little secret: a fold-out poster! I like that they did the whole story from the movie, because with some books they don’t do the whole story; they just skip some of it.”

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It keeps the highlight of the movie without losing any important bits. I love how well-written it is.