Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Woodland Folk in Dragonland (Tony Wolf)

The Woodland Folk in Dragonland
(The Woodland Folk series)
Tony Wolf
Rand McNalley
Fiction, YA Picture Book
***+ (Okay/Good)


DESCRIPTION: For centuries, the primitive villagers of Dragonland, where the Dragosaurs rule, had no idea that, just beyond the high mountains surrounding their home, lay the green world of the woodland gnomes. Then the evil gnome Franz kidnapped the hapless Dragonsir for vengeance against his own people. Thus two worlds collide in a conflict that may lead to all-out war.

REVIEW: An older picture book, I unearthed it during reorganization efforts. The illustrations brim with imagination, full of fun little details that create a whole, if distinctly blunt-edged and cartoonish, world. The story itself feels very old-fashioned, however, with simple stereotype-based characters acting out a plot in which nobody really gets hurt (even if naughty little dragonlings get spanked by their mother - but their skin's tough, so the audience is reassured that it's not so bad.) The bad gnome even has an over-the-top German accent. Still, the pictures are fun, and it brought back some nice memories, even if it doesn't hold up particularly well for adult readers.

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