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The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons
A collection of five tales adapted from French legends including: The Invisible Demon / The Carpenter's Crop / The Terror of Nerluc / The Lady of the Moor / The Flying Serpent.
84 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Felice Holman
39 books7 followersFelice Holman was born October 24, 1919, in New York City. She graduated from Syracuse University in 1941 and later worked as an advertising copywriter. She married Herbert Valen in 1941 and some of the experiences of their daughter, Nanine Elisabeth Valen, would serve as the model for her first book, Elisabeth, The Bird Watcher, which was published in 1963.
During the 1960s, she published two more "Elisabeth" stories and wrote some humorous books for children. In 1970, she published her first book of poetry for children: At the Top of My Voice. Critics praised the poems for their "originality, humor, and point." She continued to write humorous stories for young readers, including The Escape of the Giant Hogstalk (1974) that critics called filled "with giggles interspersed with horse laughs all the way."
In the 1970s, she also began writing realistic fiction for young adults. Her book Slake's Limbo (1974), the story of a boy who lives in a cave below Grand Central Station, was lauded for its "authenticity of detail" and as "remarkably taut" and "convincing." In 1975, she co-wrote The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons, a collection of French legends with her daughter, Nanine Valen.
Throughout her long and prolific career, Felice Holman has received several honors, including a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for young adult's literature and an American Library Association notable book citation for Slake's Limbo in 1978. Felice lives in California.
During the 1960s, she published two more "Elisabeth" stories and wrote some humorous books for children. In 1970, she published her first book of poetry for children: At the Top of My Voice. Critics praised the poems for their "originality, humor, and point." She continued to write humorous stories for young readers, including The Escape of the Giant Hogstalk (1974) that critics called filled "with giggles interspersed with horse laughs all the way."
In the 1970s, she also began writing realistic fiction for young adults. Her book Slake's Limbo (1974), the story of a boy who lives in a cave below Grand Central Station, was lauded for its "authenticity of detail" and as "remarkably taut" and "convincing." In 1975, she co-wrote The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons, a collection of French legends with her daughter, Nanine Valen.
Throughout her long and prolific career, Felice Holman has received several honors, including a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for young adult's literature and an American Library Association notable book citation for Slake's Limbo in 1978. Felice lives in California.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 21, 2024
Co-authors Felice Holman and Nanine Valen present five tales taken from French folklore and legend in this slim but engrossing collection organized around the theme of dragons, demons and devils. Here we find:
The Drac —The Invisible Demon. In this story from the Provence and Camargue regions, an enchanter-dragon known as the Drac, living in the Rhône river between Arles and Avignon, kidnaps a young woman who spends seven years in his underwater home caring for his sickly child. Her carelessness in washing her hands, after applying a magical ointment to the young dragon's eyes, leaves her with the ability to see the Drac (otherwise invisible), once she returns to dry land...
The Devil's Field — The Carpenter's Crop. In this tale from Normandy, an unlucky and rather greedy carpenter named Evariste encounters the devil in a field in Clécy late one night, as he is making his way home from the tavern. Convinced to go into business with the devil, Evariste buys the field, and eventually replaces its owner as the local moneylender. Enriching himself over time, he imagines he will use his newfound wealth to get out of his deal with the devil, in which he promised his soul, little imagining that what is valuable to him might not interest that personage...
The Tarasque — The Terror Nerluc. This story is set in the same area as in The Drac —The Invisible Demon, along the Rhône river between Arles and Avignon, and concerns a terrible beast known as the Tarasque, who plagued the countryside around the town of Nerluc. A massive monster with the body of an ox, bear legs, turtle-like plates with spikes and scales, a scorpion's tail, the head of a lion and the face of a man, he remained unfazed by the many attempts to destroy him. It was only when Saint Martha arrived, with her prayers and holy water, that the beast was finally defeated, giving his name to Nerluc, which became Tarascon.
The Evil Weed — The Lady of the Moor. Set on the moors of the Val-de-Sair (Vale of the River Saire) in Lower Normandy, this tale follows young Gaston Bianchon as he returns to his ancestral village by the sea. Stopping at a local cottage along his way, he is regaled with tales of the Evil Weed and the Lady—one and the same, according to the storyteller—an evil ghost said to haunt the moor and lure unwary travelers to their demise. Scoffing at such stories, Gaston sets out on his journey again, only to encounter the Lady himself...
The Vouivre — The Flying Serpent. In this story from the region of Franche-Comté, a flying serpent known as the Vouivre terrorizes the community around Bourg, guarding the treasure she had gathered in the cave at the top of a cliff. When an impoverished mother, determined to claim some of the treasure on the one night of the year that the Vouivre was absent (midnight on Palm Sunday) instead loses her son to the cave, she is terribly distraught. Keeping vigil near the cave for an entire year, the woman manages to rescue her son, realizing that he is only treasure she needs.
I greatly enjoyed The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons, finding the stories themselves fascinating and enjoyable, and appreciating the accompanying illustrations—alas, only one per story—from Stephen Walker. I also appreciated the note from the storytellers after each selection, describing the background, and giving sources. Unfortunately, none of these appears to have been translated into English (I checked), so I cannot read further, but I certainly hope to track down more French folklore in this vein. Nanine Valen herself has retold one other similar tale, in her picture book, The Devil's Tail , which I have already read and enjoyed. Highly recommended to folklore enthusiasts young and old, and to anyone looking for French legends and traditional tales.
The Drac —The Invisible Demon. In this story from the Provence and Camargue regions, an enchanter-dragon known as the Drac, living in the Rhône river between Arles and Avignon, kidnaps a young woman who spends seven years in his underwater home caring for his sickly child. Her carelessness in washing her hands, after applying a magical ointment to the young dragon's eyes, leaves her with the ability to see the Drac (otherwise invisible), once she returns to dry land...
The Devil's Field — The Carpenter's Crop. In this tale from Normandy, an unlucky and rather greedy carpenter named Evariste encounters the devil in a field in Clécy late one night, as he is making his way home from the tavern. Convinced to go into business with the devil, Evariste buys the field, and eventually replaces its owner as the local moneylender. Enriching himself over time, he imagines he will use his newfound wealth to get out of his deal with the devil, in which he promised his soul, little imagining that what is valuable to him might not interest that personage...
The Tarasque — The Terror Nerluc. This story is set in the same area as in The Drac —The Invisible Demon, along the Rhône river between Arles and Avignon, and concerns a terrible beast known as the Tarasque, who plagued the countryside around the town of Nerluc. A massive monster with the body of an ox, bear legs, turtle-like plates with spikes and scales, a scorpion's tail, the head of a lion and the face of a man, he remained unfazed by the many attempts to destroy him. It was only when Saint Martha arrived, with her prayers and holy water, that the beast was finally defeated, giving his name to Nerluc, which became Tarascon.
The Evil Weed — The Lady of the Moor. Set on the moors of the Val-de-Sair (Vale of the River Saire) in Lower Normandy, this tale follows young Gaston Bianchon as he returns to his ancestral village by the sea. Stopping at a local cottage along his way, he is regaled with tales of the Evil Weed and the Lady—one and the same, according to the storyteller—an evil ghost said to haunt the moor and lure unwary travelers to their demise. Scoffing at such stories, Gaston sets out on his journey again, only to encounter the Lady himself...
The Vouivre — The Flying Serpent. In this story from the region of Franche-Comté, a flying serpent known as the Vouivre terrorizes the community around Bourg, guarding the treasure she had gathered in the cave at the top of a cliff. When an impoverished mother, determined to claim some of the treasure on the one night of the year that the Vouivre was absent (midnight on Palm Sunday) instead loses her son to the cave, she is terribly distraught. Keeping vigil near the cave for an entire year, the woman manages to rescue her son, realizing that he is only treasure she needs.
I greatly enjoyed The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons, finding the stories themselves fascinating and enjoyable, and appreciating the accompanying illustrations—alas, only one per story—from Stephen Walker. I also appreciated the note from the storytellers after each selection, describing the background, and giving sources. Unfortunately, none of these appears to have been translated into English (I checked), so I cannot read further, but I certainly hope to track down more French folklore in this vein. Nanine Valen herself has retold one other similar tale, in her picture book, The Devil's Tail , which I have already read and enjoyed. Highly recommended to folklore enthusiasts young and old, and to anyone looking for French legends and traditional tales.
July 21, 2023
Good dragon stories. Lovely illustrations.
November 13, 2023
Great illustrations, but I wasn't so crazy about the stories.
March 12, 2012
The Drac: French Tales Of Dragons And Demons by Felice Holman and Nanine Valen, illustrated by Stephen Walker, is a collection of five tales adapted from French legends including "The Invisible Demon," "The Carpenter's Crop," "The Terror of Nerluc," "The Lady of the Moor," and "The Flying Serpent."
This collection includes a preface, an illustrated map showing the locations and drawings of each creature, information about each creature, and a bibliography for each tale. Walker draws one illustration for each tale. The creatures of the tales include the Drac, an invisble dragon; a very tall gentleman who is the devil; the Tarasque, a enormous dragon with terrible claws, armor, and burning dung; a ghostly lady who is also a weed who lures men into the wilderness; and the Vouivre, a winged serpent of fire with a magical eye.
These tales were all new to me. The first three were my favorites, but all were interesting. I appreciated the explanation after each story and the bibliographies. They could be useful for storytelling or as read alouds. I give this a four for providing folktales that are new to me.
For ages 9 to 12, myth, folktale, legends, France, and fans of Felice Holman and Stephen Walker.
This collection includes a preface, an illustrated map showing the locations and drawings of each creature, information about each creature, and a bibliography for each tale. Walker draws one illustration for each tale. The creatures of the tales include the Drac, an invisble dragon; a very tall gentleman who is the devil; the Tarasque, a enormous dragon with terrible claws, armor, and burning dung; a ghostly lady who is also a weed who lures men into the wilderness; and the Vouivre, a winged serpent of fire with a magical eye.
These tales were all new to me. The first three were my favorites, but all were interesting. I appreciated the explanation after each story and the bibliographies. They could be useful for storytelling or as read alouds. I give this a four for providing folktales that are new to me.
For ages 9 to 12, myth, folktale, legends, France, and fans of Felice Holman and Stephen Walker.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews