Monday, April 20, 2015

Teapot and the Dragon

Hi everyone! I was very honored to be sent a copy of "Teapot and the Dragon" by Nick Jordan and right away, my kiddos were intrigued by the cover.  We had studied maps so they quickly realized that it was a teapot-shaped sort of island or country. The characters, Princess Rosehip, Prince Spoon, and Lord Lid of Lid, left my kids snickering in the background as I read.  "Lord Lid of Lid!" one girl would exclaim. 
 What I liked about "Teapot and the Dragon" was that it was different than other children fairy tale books.  Normally, you see princesses in stories that have everything they could ever want, maybe run away, or set out to meet Prince Charming.  This story, Princess Rosehip does need to choose a Prince, but I like that she is independent and could do without a prince (as long as she was saved from boredom.)

Below is one of my students' favorite pages.. she likes the illustrations and the fact that (surprise!) one of the dragons is not what they seem ;)
Overall, this book was cute... but it was not an appropriate read aloud level for my Kindergarten/First graders.  Some of it went over their heads, and a lot of characters were introduced randomly that confused them.  I answered their questions and we took it slow - they are very advanced for their grade level, but I would think this would be better for second or third grade. I look forward to reading more from Nick Jordan in the future!  Check out his website where you can learn more about "Teapot and the Dragon," and also purchase if you would like.

I leave you with a couple pictures that 2 of my lovely students drew based on the cover of the book - two kindergarteners - look how artistic they are! :) I am one proud teacher.

2 comments:

  1. I think it is helpful to read books that are over kids heads once in a while. I love to see whether they are asking questions or trying to "get it".
    Great review!

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  2. I did comment at the time but my reply got deleted somewhere along the way. Still, I hope better late than never!
    ‘Teapot and the Dragon’ was written and drawn with the intention of amusing the adults who might be reading the story, as well as the kids they were reading it to.
    Many thanks for the review. I love your kindergarteners versions of the map! I’m also grateful to Bekki Sayler as I too like to challenge kids to work stuff out by asking questions when things aren’t clear.
    Thanks again to both Laura and Bekki.
    All the best

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I appreciate all of your comments. Thank you so much for stopping by! :)