How to Speak Dragonese

June 1, 2006
Gr 3-5 -The misfit hero of "How to Be a Pirate" (Little, Brown, 2005) returns in another Viking tall tale. Chief -s son Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, his friend Fishlegs, and his cranky dragon, Toothless, get separated from their class during -Boarding-An-Enemy-Ship - practice. The peaceful fishing boat they are supposed to attack turns out to be a prowling Roman galley, crewed by some of the Empire -s least-distinguished legions. The invaders are plotting to provoke war among the Viking factions by kidnapping the heirs of Hiccup -s own Happy Hooligans and the Amazonian Bog-Burglar tribe. Then, while the locals are occupied, the Romans plan to make off with the entire dragon population of the islands. With the help of Bog-Burglar girl warrior Camicazi and the bumblebee-sized dragon Ziggerastica, the boys must find a way to counter the treacherous plan before they all end up facing combat to the death in the local arena. There is a lot of raucous humor and mock-heroic dialogue; ridiculous names add to the fun. The theme of brains over brawn is well defined. Warriors, Roman and Viking alike, are loud-mouthed, bullying braggarts, easy targets for clever, scrawny Hiccup. The sketchy, childlike black-and-white cartoon drawings are amusing but occasionally indistinct. Jon Scieszka -s -Time Warp Trio - books (Viking), for slightly younger readers, have a sharper, more literate sense of twisted history, but the broad humor of Hiccup -s misadventures will appeal to reluctant readers." -Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2006
In his third adventure, Hiccup is once again an unlikely hero. Here he outsmarts Roman soldiers with some luck and his ability to speak Dragonese. Chock-full of silly dialogue and gross descriptions, this book follows the others' tried-and-true formula but manages to stay fresh. Cowell's faux-naive black-and-white drawings match the general tone of the farce.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)