Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #208 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-07
• Binding: Hardcover
• 24 pages

Synopsis
Welcome to Honalee, an enchanted land of imagination and love. In this special place, you can share in the playful adventures of Jackie Paper and his childhood friend, Puff, the magic dragon. Peter Yarrow of the beloved musical group Peter, Paul and Mary and co-writer Lenny Lipton present their timeless song in an unforgettable children's book. Become lost in artist Eric Puybaret's remarkable illustrations that capture the magic of Honalee and its extraordinary inhabitants, then enjoy two vibrant new interpretations of the song plus two other tracks (Froggie Went A-Courtin' and The Blue Tail Fly ) in an exclusive CD.

Customer Reviews

A gorgoeus treat for children
This book is just perfect for toddlers. "Puff the Magic Dragon" song needs no introduction - but the illustrations are just so beautiful that it brings the whole song to life and it's so magical, it almost brings a tear to my eye reading it. The new version on the CD is so tranquil and my 2-yr old daughter asks for it every night (my wife loves it too!)

Beautiful
This is a wonderful book capturing the imagination of both young and old. For those of us who grew up with this it is full of nostalgia. For those newcomers like my daughters it is a song which is repeated over and over again. The illustrations are beautiful and there is a lot to explore on each page. My only criticism is that the lyrics have been changed to incorporate little girls as well as little boys. In my opinion this unnecessary and takes away a part of the oroginal story. Otherwise this is a great purchase for youngsters and oldies alike.

A slightly saccharine version of the beautiful original
I loved Puff as a child. It brought tears to my eyes even remembering the song when I placed the order for this book for my four year-old son. However, I was somewhat disappointed by both the book and the CD when they arrived.

This is a large hardback book which I feel doesn't really warrant the size and space. There are 2 to 4 lines of the original song written and illustrated on each double page. Bearing in mind that there is a lot of repetition of the chorus, this makes the book seem quite barren. The emptiness is not helped by the illustrations which seem quite plain with a limited colour palate.

My main complaint is with the changes to the poem. Maybe the writer has modified it because he had a daughter and wanted to involve girls in the story. It just comes over as appalling, unnecessary political correctness. The line:
"A dragon lives forever but not so little boys"
has morphed into
"A dragon lives forever but not so little girls and boys"
It scans awfully. Listening to the CD was painful at this point.

There is also the implication in the last two drawings that a little girl comes along and befriends Puff who is then happy again. The tragedy of the song was its strength and appeal, this addition makes it quite mediocre. I don't see that all children's stories have to have a happy ending. Why was the author so terrified of letting children learn about feelings of loss and sadness in the safe, experimental world of fiction?

Aside from my disappointment with the book, my son was not overly impressed. He did start to empathise with Puff when his friend didn't come back. However, as soon as the happy ending kicked in he simply began asking which story we were having next. I can't help but wonder if the unadulterated original would have been more satisfying for him.

I've given the book 4 stars mainly because the original song was lovely. Providing I try to ignore the awkward new line and the saccharine happy ending I can still enjoy Puff. However, I feel that I am enjoying the song/poem in spite of the book rather than because of it.