A Gold Star for Zog (Zog)

by Julia Donaldson (Author)

A Gold Star for Zog (Zog)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Zog
Zog is the most eager student in the class at Madam Dragon's school, but he's also the most accident-prone. But a mysterious girl keeps coming to his rescue. The beloved creators of "The Gruffalo" are back with this tale of an unexpected hero who's good as gold. Full color.
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Publishers Weekly

In a fractured fairy tale of sorts from the duo behind The Gruffalo and other stories, Zog wants to be the best student in dragon school, but he crashes into a tree during flying lessons, gets a sore throat from roaring, and ignites his wings with his own fire breathing. A nice girl always appears just in time to patch him up, but she has troubles of her own: she's really Princess Pearl, who yearns to escape the royal life and be a doctor. Will Zog and Pearl get the happy endings they deserve? And what of Gadabout the Great, a knight who shows up to "rescue" Pearl? Donaldson's rhymes are somewhat lackluster ("Zog went off to practice./ He tried and tried and tried,/ But he simply couldn't manage./ 'I'm no good at this,' he cried"), but while Scheffler's characters are straight out of fantasy, they exude a sweet, down-to-earth quality that makes them instantly sympathetic. Readers will get a kick out of the genial self-awareness in his cartooning--on almost every spread, a character glances at the audience as if to say, "Can you believe this?" Ages 4-8. (July)

Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2--In this rhyming story, Zog is subpar at most dragon skills despite being the largest dragon at school. Though he wants to win a gold star, he fails flying, roaring, and fire-breathing, and each time he attempts any of them his injuries are treated by a gentle human who turns out to be Princess Pearl. The kindhearted girl agrees to be captured so that her friend can finally earn his star. She then remains as medic to all the dragons. When a knight in armor arrives to rescue her, she stops the fighting by explaining she'd rather be a doctor than a princess, and the knight agrees to work with her--with Zog serving as an ambulance. Humorous illustrations feature dragons in primary colors with comical expressions in richly colored forest and mountain landscapes. The artist cleverly captures the dragons' enthusiasm and depicts the princess with a long nose and vibrant outfits. Donaldson's rhymes have a bouncing cadence that guides the story's flow. A delightful new twist on happily-ever-after.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for A Gold Star for Zog

Donaldson... is a master of witty comic rhyme and original stories with heart...The book gets a gold star too. — New York Times


Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson served as the UK Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and has written many bestselling and beloved children's books, including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man. She lives in West Sussex in the south of the UK.


Axel Scheffler's award-winning books include Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo. His illustrations have been published in more than 30 countries. He lives in London, England.
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9780545417242
Lexile Measure
590
Guided Reading Level
L
Publisher
Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication date
July 01, 2012
Series
Zog
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV002270 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical
Library of Congress categories
Stories in rhyme
Schools
Dragons
Princesses
Knights and knighthood

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