Kenny and the Dragon

What do you do when your new best buddy has been designated a scourge by the community and marked for imminent extermination? Just ask Kenny Rabbit. When the simple folks in the sleepy little village of Roundbrook catch wind that there's a dragon running loose in the countryside, they get the wrong idea and the stage is set for a fight to the death. So it's up to Kenny to give his neighbors front-row seats to one of the best-known battles in history -- the legendary showdown between St. George and the dragon -- without losing a friend in the fray.

Publishers Weekly

Fans hooked on DiTerlizzi's (coauthor of the Spiderwick Chronicles) goblins and fairies may be disappointed initially that his newest novel has neither, but chances are they'll warm up to this old-fashioned tale that contains at least one dragon. Kenny, a clever rabbit, befriends a dragon who has settled on his family's property. Overcoming his fears, Kenny soon realizes that Grahame is not the stereotyped fire-breathing creature he reads about in books but a well-read, insightful dragon with a flair for the dramatic arts and poetry. But news of Grahame's presence leaks out to the townsfolk, and before long the king summons a retired knight named (what else?) George-he is also a friend of Kenny's-to battle Grahame to the death. DiTerlizzi's novel is light-hearted and his informal pencil sketches enhance the creative interpretation of what would otherwise be a simple animal story. Some readers might struggle with the mannered vocabulary, which encompasses words like "drake" and varlet," and Beowulf references will probably be lost on the intended audience. Regardless, readers will understand the author's message: make friends, not unfair judgments. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)

Tony DiTerlizzi is co-creator and illustrator of the bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles, the author and illustrator of Jimmy Zangwow’s Out-of-this-World MoonPie Adventure, as well as the Zena Sutherland Award winning Ted. His brilliantly cinematic version of Mary Howitt’s classic The Spider and The Fly earned Tony his second Zena Sutherland Award, and recieved a Caldecott Honor. Tony’s art has also graced the covers of such well-known fantasy writers as Peter S. Beagle, J. R. R. Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, and Greg Bear. He has also made significant contributions to Dungeons and Dragons and Wizards of the Coast’s Magic; The Gathering. His first chapter book, Kenny & the Dragon debuted as a New York Times Best Seller. He lives with his wife, Angela and their daughter in Western Massachusetts and Jupiter, FL. Visit Tony on the web at diterlizzi.com.