Puff, the Magic Dragon [With CD (Audio)]

By Peter Yarrow, Lenny Lipton, Yarrow

Book Overview

"Beautifully illustrated . . . smartly designed . . . More than 40 years after 'Puff'...was released, this volume . . . brings the land of Honalee to new life."--The New York Times

The timeless children's song . . . in a beautiful, bestselling picture book filled with enchantment.

"Puff has appeared to me both childlike and wise, a king but also a willing follower of just about any bright spirit that inspired him. Puff gives his whole heart and soul to one special friend...One day, as you can see at the end of this book, a new and special friend comes to Honalee...In this way Puff and Jackie's friendship continues through new children like you." --Peter Yarrow Puff, the Magic Dragon is simply one of the most beloved songs of all time--a classic that's become as much a part of the childhood experience as Mother Goose and fairy tales. Yet singer/songwriter Peter Yarrow and co-composer Lenny Lipton have never allowed a picture book adaptation of this magical tale...until now. With Yarrow's and Lipton's blessing, Puff, Jackie Paper, and the land of Honalee finally live on the page. The exquisite package includes a cloth case with a tipped-in illustration and an embossed jacket with foil touches, as well as an exclusive CD featuring not only Puff, but several other songs performed by Yarrow, his daughter Bethany, and cellist Rufus Cappadocia. This is a publishing event sure to attract broad attention and please Puff's many fans.
In richly-hued paintings of the deepest sea blues and greens, Puff and his friend Jackie Paper frolic in the land of Honalee--traveling in a fantastic boat with billowed sails, climbing red castle stairs onto a balcony to meet with noble kings and princes, and watching pirate ships lower their flags for the roaring dragon. Artist Eric Puybaret has brought an entire magical world into being with enthralling landscapes, color, and characters. And everyone will love the way the art cleverly turns the song's end, which at first seemed so sad, into a surprising and joyful moment.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402747829
• ISBN13: 9781402747823
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Union Square Kids
• Length: 24 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 10.7" x 12.0"
• Age Range: 3 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

The book seems to be intact but you forgot the cd audio as it says in the order

The book seems intact

Happy to have Puff again

Arrived quickly, no cd included though - thank goodness for youtube!

I Love this book!

This is a great book. It goes a little farther than the original song, which makes it a happier ending.

Just as I imagined it

I grew up with "Puff", but I never quite left that world of wonder behind. I had heard Peter Yarrow never permitted the story to be told in a book til now and seeing this edition, I'm very glad he waited. Everything about the look and feel of the book speaks excellence and love of the work within. The illustrations are delightful, the poem with all its joys and sorrows is there for us to see. Plus, they've given us a 4-song CD, including "Puff the Magic Dragon" in both sung and instrumental versions, "Froggy Went a 'Courtin'" and "Blue Tail Fly." Since I have these songs on other recordings, I have not removed them from the book for fear of damaging the interior binding. "Puff the Magic Dragon" is a great book to introduce young children to the story and older fans who have grown up loving the song will enjoy the book as well.

A MUST HAVE for library of any age

Worth the wait...illustrations are fab! The story is known to all, but the visuals are what really draw you into this book...my 7 year old son has chosen it every night since it arrived as his bedtime story! I've sent it to several adults for their "inner child"...a must have for every library!

Timeless

My son just received this book for his birthday and I have to admit I was a little more excited than him about the tale. He had never heard about Puff but once he started flipping through the pages so beautifully illustrated, he was excited to read it. I decided for his first reading we'd follow along with the song. When I was a child it was a favorite in my house, but it has been a while since I visited Honalee and I was anxious to do so. The music is wonderful and Peter and his daughter Bethany make a fabulous singing duet. I sang a long with the song and turned the pages while watching my son's face light up with the words and the pictures. It was fun to see him enjoy something so much that I did when I was his age. This book is already a favorite in our house. The only draw back for me was forgetting how the song ended. That part always made me cry when I was little and unfortunately I found out it still does. However, because the book continues where the song leaves off, giving Puff a happier ending, my son didn't shed the tears that I did. On the CD is another fun song and then the instrumental version of Puff the Magic Dragon. This is a classic tale given new life with wonderful paintings. I think it would make a wonderful gift for any child.

A gorgeous volume, and our kids love it!

The quality of this book is incredible. The authors, illustrator, and publisher were obviously invested in making this a special book for children. The cover is thick and cloth-covered, the pages are made of high-quality sturdy paper, and the cd included at the end has beautiful versions of three folk songs (Puff, Froggie Went A-Courtin', Jimmy Crack Corn, and an instrumental version of Puff). No one cut corners in the making of this book or cd--every detail is beautifully done. Even the CD case (built INTO the back of the book) is well-done! There are several things I like about the story itself. One, the illustrations are beautiful. I will definitely be looking for more of Puybaret's work. The colors he uses, the way he adds touching (and funny!) detail to his simple landscapes, and most of all--the emotion he conveys by the way he draws Puff's eyes (!)...he is a very accomplished illustrator. Also, I like that the book ends happily. Though the original lyrics are preserved (and no lyrical information is given that Puff finds happiness again), the illustrations show otherwise. Puff's friends (the pirates, the trees and flowers) comfort him during his sadness, and in the end they bring him a little girl to play with. Also, it seems that on the last page an older boy (or man) is looking at Puff and the little girl with a smile--is that the grown Jackie Paper? In any case, I'm glad that the sad ending to the song is appropriately handled for very young children. As for the "drug" references--other than the words "Puff" and "Paper" and the fact that this is a fantasy book, I don't see any connections to drugs. This is a lovely illustrated song, and my children (5 and 1) adore this book. It is definitely a treasure in our collection.

Finally a book for all generations to share

This book is incredible, the music wonderful, and the story of friendship, and the bittersweet aspects of growing up is timeless. Buy for yourself, buy for your kids, grandkids, nieces & nephews, buy for your parents, grandparents and friends. This multi-generational tale will be an evergreen in your family library.