Puff the Magic Dragon Sing-a-Song Storybooks Ser.: Amazon.co.uk: Lenny Lipton, Kenn Backhaus: Books

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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming story and a classic song, 13 Sep 2007

By	J. White "V White" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Puff, the Magic Dragon (Book & CD) (Hardcover)

The illustrations are so charming. My reception class joined in with the chorus as I read and they loved the dragon and were pleased when he found a new play mate. They enjoyed the song so much they asked for it to be played again. They then hummed the tune during the afternoon. My colleague and I felt nostalgic as we were teenagers when the song was first released. A super book for grandparents as well as chidren.

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56 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A slightly saccharine version of the beautiful original, 22 Nov 2007

By	Dr. H. Payne - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Puff, the Magic Dragon (Book & CD) (Hardcover)

I loved Puff as a child. It brought tears to my eyes even remembering the song when I placed the order for this book for my four year-old son. However, I was somewhat disappointed by both the book and the CD when they arrived.

This is a large hardback book which I feel doesn't really warrant the size and space. There are 2 to 4 lines of the original song written and illustrated on each double page. Bearing in mind that there is a lot of repetition of the chorus, this makes the book seem quite barren. The emptiness is not helped by the illustrations which seem quite plain with a limited colour palate.

My main complaint is with the changes to the poem. Maybe the writer has modified it because he had a daughter and wanted to involve girls in the story. It just comes over as appalling, unnecessary political correctness. The line:
"A dragon lives forever but not so little boys"
has morphed into
"A dragon lives forever but not so little girls and boys"
It scans awfully. Listening to the CD was painful at this point.

There is also the implication in the last two drawings that a little girl comes along and befriends Puff who is then happy again. The tragedy of the song was its strength and appeal, this addition makes it quite mediocre. I don't see that all children's stories have to have a happy ending. Why was the author so terrified of letting children learn about feelings of loss and sadness in the safe, experimental world of fiction?

Aside from my disappointment with the book, my son was not overly impressed. He did start to empathise with Puff when his friend didn't come back. However, as soon as the happy ending kicked in he simply began asking which story we were having next. I can't help but wonder if the unadulterated original would have been more satisfying for him.

I've given the book 4 stars mainly because the original song was lovely. Providing I try to ignore the awkward new line and the saccharine happy ending I can still enjoy Puff. However, I feel that I am enjoying the song/poem in spite of the book rather than because of it.

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, 5 Jan 2008

By	N. Edmunds "natty" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Puff, the Magic Dragon (Book & CD) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book capturing the imagination of both young and old. For those of us who grew up with this it is full of nostalgia. For those newcomers like my daughters it is a song which is repeated over and over again. The illustrations are beautiful and there is a lot to explore on each page. My only criticism is that the lyrics have been changed to incorporate little girls as well as little boys. In my opinion this unnecessary and takes away a part of the oroginal story. Otherwise this is a great purchase for youngsters and oldies alike.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars If only buy your children one book, ever, make it this one!
An absolutely wonderful book. The text is straight forward. It is simply the song lyrics which, of course, are a story themselves. Read more

Published 4 days ago by Mrs. K. Wakefield

4.0 out of 5 stars No need to modernise art.
Beautiful pictures in this book and of course a timeless tale. Ooops. It would be timeless if it had not been meddled with to become happier and more pc. Read more

Published 1 month ago

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely lovely book - tear jerking classic!
My little boy (who's 2) was bought this as a Christmas present last year. We're now getting towards the end of May and we've read it and played the CD every single night as part... Read more

Published 1 month ago by A. Bolan

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely
This was my dad's favourite song when he was a little boy - I'd been looking for a copy of the song for ages and to have it with an illustrated book as well, one which even gives... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Lucy Cripps

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming yet tear provoking.
Having read alot of the other reviews, I felt compelled to write my own.

It seems that alot of people have missed the fact that this 'version' of Puff the magic... Read more

Published 3 months ago by M. J. Ottway

5.0 out of 5 stars as good as it ever was
this timeless story has won a place in my sons heart. it was quite upsetting at first for him but then he realized he got a new friend which is a much nicer ending then the one I... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Ms. L. Walters

5.0 out of 5 stars Puff the magic dragon
Beautifully illustrated. Contains the lyrics to Puff the magic Dragon and a CD.
This has become a firm favourite in our house, great for children who are learning to read... Read more

Published 5 months ago by Good day sunshine

1.0 out of 5 stars DISAPPOINTING
I was really looking forward to this book, having loved the song for many years and was expecting a story - some information on Puff at the very least. Read more

Published 5 months ago by C. M. Anderson

4.0 out of 5 stars Puff the Magic Dragon
I have bought this book several times now for children aged between 3 and 7. It is beautifully illustrated and the writing style makes it accessible to a broad set of age ranges... Read more

Published 5 months ago

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic dragon

A wonderfully illustrated version of this lovely story/song, our little one thought it was just fab!

Published 5 months ago by pete'spapa

› See all 19 customer reviews...

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Puff the Magic Dragon (Sing-a-Song Storybooks Ser.) (Hardcover)

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