Kenny and the Dragon ~Tony DiTerlizzi
–published 2008
–Simon & Schuster
–160 pages
–7/10
Young Kenny Rabbit is a hare with few friends. His doting parents frequently chide him for spending all of his time with his nose in a book and his best, and perhaps only, friend is the old badger who runs the bookshop from which Kenny borrows at will. Things begin to change the day Kenny’s father bursts through the front door declaring that a huge, ferocious dragon has turned up in a cave on Shepherd’s Hill where the Rabbit family graze their sheep. Full of equal parts curiosity and timidity, Kenny screws up his courage, dons a makeshift set of armor and weapons, and heads out in the setting sun to discover just what this “dragon” is all about.
What Kenny discovers is a friendship to last a lifetime. But if the people of the village have their way, that lifetime might be very short indeed.
Kenny and the Dragon is a tale of friendship, good food, a love of books and poetry, and above all is a story of a little rabbit who finds courage in the last place he expected–within himself.
According to his website, author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi originally conceived this story as an homage to Kenneth Grahame’s short story, The Reluctant Dragon, that he would set in the 1950′s, giving it a Norman Rockwell vibe. And it most certainly did not feature cute fuzzy animals. When he started hitting roadblocks in the plotting, his agent suggested looking at Kenneth Grahame’s well-known story, The Wind in the Willows, as inspiration. DiTerlizzi’s response was that he didn’t do “Fuzzy Bunny” books:
“The term is actually one my editor, Kevin, and I often use. It refers to the idea that there are plenty of insipid, saccharine-y books out there for children, and that all the books we create will have some kernel of truth, of realism, that is planted in their heart.”
But then the idea took root and Kenny Rabbit was born.
I have long been a fan of Tony DiTerlizzi’s artwork. There are few illustrators who are finer at creating work ranging from pencil sketches to paintings that capture the joyous spirit of the imagination so well. Each illustration he creates begs for a story to be written about it. One of my favorite memories is reading the Spiderwick Chronicles (co-authored by Holly Black) to my daughter as they were being published. The 30+ black and white illustrations for Kenny and the Dragon are particularly lovely and I only wish more of the images from the book were present on the ‘net because I would love to share more in this post. I was reminded of this book’s existence as Jeff and I wandered through the young adult department of Barnes and Noble recently. I went to the library that afternoon and picked up a copy to read and quickly devoured it over the weekend. The promise of spring had me in a young adult mood and a book-loving rabbit seemed the perfect way to stoke those spring fires. And for the most part it was.
Kenny’s parents are a hoot. His father is quick to react wildly and is just as quickly calmed down by the presence of a good meal, or a leisurely evening pipe. His mother is level-headed and so very “mom” like that you cannot help but feel warmly about her right from the start.
As the cover imagery and text reveals, the dragon in question is far from being a fire-breathing menace. The appropriately named Grahame is a lover of poetry, a connoisseur of literature, and is himself a lover of good food, particularly creme brule. Grahame has reemerged after a long hibernation, seeking the company of like-minded individuals, which he quickly finds in the form of the Rabbit family.
Their idyllic days are soon threatened when news of the dragon’s presence reaches the local village of Roundbrook, and when an edict from the king demands a swift removal of this “scourge” from the countryside, a young rabbit must make some brave decisions or risk losing the best friend he ever had.
Kenny and the Dragon is a sweet story that is interesting in the ways in which it targets its intended audience. References to Shakespeare plays and characters from Beowulf as well as occasional high falutin’ language will surely be lost on some young readers, and yet those things may be present to plant worthwhile seeds in the minds of inquisitive young people. At any rate those elements engage the adult reader and provide potential talking points for parents whose children possess the love of reading. The story itself shies away from any real danger, playing it safe and not leaving readers in suspense too long about what the outcome of the story may be. Kenny and the Dragon is a story that works well because of its illustrations.
DiTerlizzi’s visual creations make you want to read the story. They inspire interest in Kenny, and Grahame and all the other folks you meet along the way. Without the illustrations the story would be somewhat average and that fact is what keeps this from being a phenomenal book and instead leaves it in the good to very good range, depending on one’s tastes. I couldn’t help but wish while reading it that Tony DiTerlizzi would team up with Kate DiCamillo at some point. Wow, they could really create something magical.
But don’t let that dissuade you from considering this story. It is a very quick and solidly entertaining read. It would be a nice choice for reading aloud to the family. It is a story that stays away from the saccharine and delivers its message(s) with a deft touch. Fellow bibliophiles will find a kindred spirit in both Kenny and in Grahame and if that were the only draw of the story, which it is not, that alone would have made it worth the time I spent with it over the weekend.
*the image of Kenny and the squirrel is taken from this link. The remainder of the images are from Tony DiTerlizzi’s website(a place well worth spending some time). All images are copyright Tony DiTerlizzi.
**Simon & Schuster did a great job with the packaging of this in the hardcover edition. Raised letter and cover embellishment, high quality paper, fantastic reproduction of the illustrations and the book’s comfortable size make it a work of art in and of itself. It has recently been released in paperback as well.
hmmm…I have seen this around and thought to pick it up, if only for the illustrations. Now I am going to have to do that AND read it! thanks!
great review Carl!
Thanks! I was thinking of you while reading the book because of the illustrated books you’ve reviewed lately. I think you would enjoy it. I don’t think you’ll be blown away by it, but I do think you’ll be entertained. I had a nice contented smile on my face when I turned the final page.
wow great art work!! and a dragon! what’s not to like? lol …sometimes ya books such as this are the perfect break from other things we read.
I too “found” a “dream book” on line..but it’s 89.00 *gulp*.. worth every penny though! I will just look and drool .. a lot ! lol
(It’s a leather bound copy of “dragonflight”!..ah yes, Pern! sigh.
I got into movies yesterday.. The Seven Little Foys (Bob Hope) I hadn’t seen that in eons!.. and then.. and then… (and then along came Jones).. umm no but Star Trek was on again.. so.. I watched it.. again
)
You would find it fun, Deslily. And I know you’d LOVE the illustrations. This one has really whet my appetite for the Once Upon a Time Challenge!
LOL! I knew before you even mentioned it that you were talking about a Pern book. Crack me up! You should save up those pennies, if no one snags it you may be able to snag it for yourself!
I love Bob Hope. I cannot remember if I’ve seen Seven Little Foys or not. Either way it never hurts to watch Hope movies again and again. I don’t blame you for watching Star Trek again. That is an addicting movie.
my problem with the first 3 pern books isn’t owning “collectables”…I can’t afford those.. I just want hardbacks!! now with Anne’s passing I wish the publishers would consider putting them out in hardback again they way they did with the first 6 Dragonlance books!
you got that right about Trek being addictive.. I found myself laughing when the Enterprise came to save Kirk and Spock and were shooting faster then one could count!..for a prequil the ship was better then the original one lol lol
Yes, unfortunately hardbacks at this point ARE collectibles, aren’t they? I wouldn’t be surprised if on some anniversary date they put out hardcovers of the Pern books again. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
That is the problem, if there is one, with making prequels of older films/tv shows. The graphics and the action has to be cooler and faster to please today’s audience, or at least that is what film makers believe.
I did not even know this book existed! I’m so excited–I adore his artwork, too! And like you, I have very fond memories of reading The Spiderwick Chronicles aloud to Gray. And in fact, I’m currently reading The Search for Wondla aloud to Max. Like you said with Kenny, I would definitely have to say that the art is my favorite part of Wondla as well. Not that the story is bad, by any means. But it doesn’t compare to the magic that is his art!
I think your boys for sure would really enjoy this story. I don’t know if Annie is in that stage where she wouldn’t appreciate this or not. I seem to remember going through a stage where I wouldn’t have enjoyed these kind of books (my teen years) and then turned around and started loving them again when I was in my 20′s.
I was wondering about Wondla today as I spent some time on his site. You’ll have to let me know what you all think of it when the story is over.
Your conclusion – good, but not great – was the one I reached. Still, I’m going to buy it for my grandsons, as well as The Reluctant Dragon. I love the pictures.
Good but not great is a nice concise assessment of it.
This sounds like the story is delightful. And I love the illustrations. I love these types of books. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. The illustrations look fantastic. What a great idea. I am a fan of fuzzy bunny books, even if the author isn’t. It is fun to act like a kid.
It is, and the illustrations are terrific. I felt like the last part of the book really wrapped up nicely and made me feel good. An overall honest assessment is that it is not great, but very good. And it is indeed fun to stay child like.
Excellent review! I’m always on the look out for books to read aloud to my daughter. This looks like a good one, especially with the illustrations!
I think it would be, Sarah. The characters are all very likeable, the illustrations are frequent and are wonderful, and it is a short enough story to hold a kid’s attention.
I have KENNY & THE DRAGON on order after reading your fine review. Some books can appeal to both children and adults. This sounds like one of them. Roald Dahl was a master of this approach to writing.
Roald Dahl was indeed a master. Have you ever read his autobiographies, Boy and Going Solo? Wow, such amazing books. Especially Going Solo.
Very, very tempting.
Unfortunately too much is, Richard!
After seeing this post last night, I had to go to the library and pick this up today! (OK, I had to go to the library today anyway.) It looks absolutely delightful, and I have a feeling I will be grinning my entire way through the book. Can’t wait to read it!
I look forward to your assessment and hope you enjoy it. I was so thankful my library had it available for me to just grab it from the shelf when the whim struck.
This looks cute. I will add it to my wish list.
It was. Do you think you could snag it from your local library?
Thank you for this review, I’ll look out for a copy of this to read to my son. We tried The Reluctant Dragon, but Billy wasn’t too keen on it. I think he felt it was a bit old-fashioned, so we might get on better with this updated version.
I myself haven’t read The Reluctant Dragon, but definitely feel like I need to at this point.