Everyone has a �little dragon� inside, just waiting to assert itself. Children will be able to identify with some of the dragons in the book. �The Nasty Little Dragon� who laments �I largely pass unnoticed� feels the same frustration that most children do � they feel big inside, but everyone perceives them as small. Children who feel helpless in many situations will identify with the �disconsolate� dragon, who had his fire put out by a thunderstorm that he attempted to defy.
Some of the poems strike a more poignant note. �I Am My Master�s Dragon� describes a poor creature who is treated well by his master, and all his physical needs are met. But his master does not notice �the incalculable sadness deep within my dragon heart.� The dragon is nothing more than a slave, with no freedom to be with other dragons or make his own choices. Another dragon laments that he�s tired of doing what he�s expected to do, and the artwork shows a kinder, gentler dragon beneath his fierce dragon costume.
There is much to fire children�s imagination in �My Dragon Wasn�t Feeling Good� and �I Have a Dozen Dragons.� Sick dragons are doctored with turpentine, phosphorus and gasoline, and they enjoy eating pickles mixed with ink. One little girl bought her dragons at the mall, and a little boy has a secret dragon that bathes with him and then dries him with his wings.
The final line of each stanza in �I Am Boom!� is written to crescendo, and would be a fine piece for a chorus performance. Consonance and repetition are found in �I Am Waiting Waiting Waiting� and �Nasty Little Dragonsong,� where the word �nasty,� or some version thereof, appears at least once in every single line. In �I�m an Amiable Dragon,� three lines in succession begin with �do.�
Prelutsky is not afraid to challenge his readers� vocabulary, by using �big� words that are not ordinarily associated with children�s reading. Words like �incalculable,� �cacophonous,� �happenstance,� �despicable,� �preposterous,� �fricassee,� �malevolent,� �disconsolate,� and �obeisance� work in their contexts, maintaining tempo and adding interest.
Simile is found in �I Wish I Had a Dragon� (�claws like silver sabers, and fangs like silver nails�). Onomatopoeia is abundant in �I Made a Mechanical Dragon� and �A Dragon is in My Computer� (�clatters,� �creaks,� �rattles,� �squeaks,� �hisses,� �slither� and �douse�). Alliteration is another literary device that Prelutsky employs throughout the book (�cacophonous chorus,� �puffs of pastry,� �fiery fights,� �designed to dismember� and �fangs finely fashioned�).
Imagery is used to conjure vivid mental pictures. In �My Dragon Wasn�t Feeling Good� the sick dragon is easy to visualize: �His eyes were red and watery, His nose was running, too, His flame was but a fizzle, And his cheeks were pallid blue.� The herd of dragons in �I Have a Dozen Dragons,� are described in colorful terms: �Their horns are red and silver, Their scales are green and gold.�
Peter Sis� surreal illustrations, rendered in oil and gouache, capture a perfect mix of whimsy, adventure, and gothic drama. Each richly colored, full-spread illustration is framed with an antiqued gold border. The pictures enlarge on the stories the poems tell, providing details that give added dimension. One example is found in the illustration accompanying �I Am My Master�s Dragon.� The image of the pet dragon gazing wistfully at a �free� dragon flying in the moonlight heightens the emotion of the poem.
Most children have, at some time, been afraid of what lurks in their closets or under their beds. In The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, Jack Prelutsky and Peter Sis have created a book that may help children conquer some of their fears. While dragons conjure up images of fierce, overpowering beasts, against which mortal humans are helpless to prevail, these poems serve to de-claw, de-fang, and de-flame many imagined childish threats.
Related Web Site:
Peter Sis' Website: http://www.petersis.com