Here Be Dragons
You’ll never guess what the other knights said.
“There’s no such thing as a dragon.”
I said, “Forsooth! There is TOO such a thing!” And I’m gonna find one. AND battle it. So there! HUZZAH!
You only have to know where to look. And I do know where. I have a map, and it says…
HERE BE DRAGONS!
This book is about a knight on a quest: to find and slay a dragon. But will our hapless knight spot the dragon before it's too late?!
Young readers will love spotting the dragon in the background in this laugh-out-loud story.
Reviews For Here Be Dragons
"A brilliant example of what a picture book should be doing, that there is something going on in the images that is telling a story all of its own."
Elaina Ryan, CAO of Kids Books Ireland on Ireland AM TV
‘"Donnelly has made a splash in the picture book world with his vibrant, lively style. children will love ‘reading’ the pictures and being one step ahead of the knight at all times."’
"A glorious, rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud, girls-rule picture book from an exciting, creative duo!
In Here Be Dragons one hapless, hilarious knight makes it his mission to go find and slay a dragon and prove the other unruly knights wrong. Past treasure and bones, up a suspiciously spiky dragon-like hill and into a cave of pearly white chompers, will the knight spot the dragon before it’s too late... or will a fearless damsel step in and save the day?!
With eccentric old-English jargon and superb illustrations that cleverly incorporate the dragon into the landscape, Here Be Dragons is a wildly witty and wonderfully wholesome gem that little readers will adore!"
"It is a hilarious story about a knight on a mission to find and slay a dragon! I am a huge fan of Susannah, we love her other book The Terribly Friendly Fox. In Here Be Dragons, we are once again introduced to Susannah’s unique way of telling a story. It is a story with a twist, a story with lots of subtle clues for you and your little ones to figure out - where exactly is the dragon? We had so much fun looking for clues. The illustrations are hilarious. We LOVE the facial expressions of the knight and the bold colour. We love this book!."
Sissi Reads
"Like a Pixar cartoon in book form, this funny and subversive tale pokes fun at a brave knight, whose self-proclaimed mission is to find and slay a dragon. Despite the naysayers, he has complete self-confidence and a map with an X saying ‘HERE BE DRAGONS’. As he begins his quest, readers will delight in spotting the tell-tale signs and clues that the pompous knight describes, yet fails to notice. Even when he’s stomping all over the dragon, staring into its face or wandering through its stomach, he remains oblivious. The relationship between text and picture is what makes this work so well.
Most older readers will probably know some real-life knight types, so it is refreshing to see the parts that the knight’s trusty steed and the damsel-in-distress play. The message is humorous yet relevant, and won’t go unnoticed by most younger readers either. The vivid illustrations are full of funny and clever details, and there is something new to discover with each reading. It feels like too short of a time to spend in this world of creatures and characters, and hopefully a return is imminent."
Children's Books Ireland
"We LOVE IT!!! Rosie’s Walk meets the Mr Bean of the Knights’ Realm...Just utterly unique brilliant, and love the illustrations. HUZZAH!"
The characters are full of expression and a sense of silliness that will entertain. Susannah Lloyd's story is full of humour and the language is ye olde style in keeping with the period. It's also not just about the stereotype. This story has a damsel in distress who turns the tables and shows that girls can be strong and clever and win the day as well.
Verily, Here Be Dragons is a story awaiting young knights and maidens who are looking for adventure and laughs. Huzzah!
‘"A funny, witty and engaging adventure is sure to prove to be a fun story time for young
readers.’"
"This one’s had us chortling for weeks. Brace yourselves for some medieval mansplaining and a mighty maiden...This is one of our absolute favourites to read aloud at the moment, verily. I’ve settled on a voice modelled on Rik Mayall’s Flashheart (from Blackadder) and love all the medieval lingo. It is absolutely guaranteed to make both children fall about laughing...
The symbiosis between word and picture here is spot on - the expressions of the horse, the swaggering assuredness of our protagonist, and the humour of the clues dotted throughout are brilliant; there is so much going on, to which the knight is hilariously oblivious."
"This book is brilliant! It is funny, quirky and I just love how it gets the reader questioning and thinking. It is one of those books where the pictures are telling a different story to the words and children get to notice and infer what is really happening! The illustrations are brilliant and the text hilarious. It is bursting with historical ‘knightly’ vocabulary like ‘verily’ and ‘dashed’ and ‘egads’ which really helps you to imagine the character and time! FABULOUS!"
"This is a unique, immersive, and unforgettable bedtime story.
A remarkably clever, inventive and exciting story with exceptional illustrations. It's a wonderful example of the power of picture books....A highly entertaining reading experience, with many hilarious, pantomime-like elements, and lots of suspense... Extremely detailed and dynamic with beautiful colours and a magical, fairy tale quality. There is so much happening in every scene and so much to laugh at, even in the background... I love that every time we read Here Be Dragons, we spot something new. There is just so much to love about this book!"
"One of my favourite read alouds of 2021."
"A brilliantly fun tale ... There was great delight on every page as my son spotted the tell-tale clues that the knight did not... This story feels both traditional and original and has a strong character voice. The character is loveable, the drama is tense and the stakes are high in this story and we highly recommend it. Dragon hunting here we come!"
"Think Don Quixote meets Inspector Gadget. Witty text, brilliantly matched with warm, humorous artwork. A storytelling feast."
Here Be Dragons is also available in
French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan, Danish, Hungarian, Slovenian, Croatian and Brazilian Portuguese
