The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky

1. Bibliograhpy
Prelutsky, Jack. 1993. THE DRAGONS ARE SINGING TONIGHT. Ill. by Peter Sis. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 068809645X.

2. Summary
This is a collection of poems about dragons, including small ones, secret ones, amiable ones, and even mechanical ones.

3. Critical Analysis
Prelutsky gives readers a collection of superbly fun poems rull of rhythm, rhyme, and word play. Lots of alliteration and onomatopoeia make these poems a blast for children and adults to read aloud. The humor is appropriately subtle for the topic yet engaging enough to hook young readers: "Once upon a happenstance/ I met a knight in armor./ I fixed my flame upon his lance--/ It was a four-alarmer!"


Peter Sis's illustrations complement the dragon poetry. Rich colors--deep golds, reds, greens, and blues-- set the mood, yet the portrayal of the dragons is playful. Viewers will love finding the household items that make-up the mechanical dragon and giggle at the tanker trunks full of "turpentine/ And phosphorus and gasoline--"prescribed for the sick dragon in "My Dragon Wasn't Feeling Good."

4. Review Excerpts
School Library Journal--"the richness of [Prelutsky's] language and the playfulness of the imagination are abundant; and Sis's illustrations are charmingly unique, sometimes deceptively simple, and certainly filled with the kind of playful wizardry that invites viewers to return again and again to these pages."

5. Connections

*Other poetry books by Jack Prelutsky

AWFUL OGRE'S AWFUL DAY. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. ISBN 0688077781.
THE BABY UGGS ARE HATCHING. Ill. James Stevenson. ISBN 0688009220.
BENEATH A BLUE UMBRELLA. Ill. by Garth Williams. ISBN 0688064299.
THE FROGS WORE RED SUSPENDERS. Ill. by Petra Mathers. ISBN 0688167195.
THE GARGOYLE ON THE ROOF. Ill. by Peter Sis. ISBN 0688096433.
THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN RIDES TONIGHT: MORE POEMS TO TROUBLE YOUR
SLEEP. Ill. by Arnold Lobel. ISBN 0688802737.
IF NOT FOR THE CAT: HAIKU. Ill. by Ted Rand. ISBN 0060596775.
THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. Ill. by James Stevenson. ISBN 0688022715.
NIGHTMARES: POEMS TO TROUBLE YOUR SLEEP. Ill. by Arnold Lobel. ISBN 0688840531.
A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. Ill. by James Stevenson. ISBN 0688132359.

*More Dragon Poetry

Nash, Ogden. THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON. Ill. by Lynn Munsinger. ISBN
0316598801.
Nash, Ogden. CUSTARD THE DRAGON AND THE WICKED KNIGHT. Ill. by Lynn Munsinger.
ISBN 0316598828.

*Other poets children enjoy
Douglas Florian
X.J. Kenndy
Shel Silverstein