Gramps and the Fire Dragon

Gramps and the Fire Dragon is a 2000 book by children's author Bethany Roberts, with illustrations by Melissa Iwai. The book, which tells of a grandson and grandfather who must escape a dragon that emerged from the flames of their fireplace, was published to positive reviews.

Gramps and the Fire Dragon
AuthorBethany Roberts
IllustratorMelissa Iwai
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's fiction
PublishedSpring 2000[1][n 1]
PublisherClarion Books[3]
Pages32[3]
ISBN0-395-69849-9

Plot

One night, a boy named Jesse asks his grandfather (nicknamed "Gramps") for a bedtime story near their fireplace. The latter tells of a dragon within the flames, which grows in size and prompts the two to escape from its path until Jesse extinguishes it with a water hose.[3][4][5]

Development

Illustrator Melissa Iwai, who hailed from Lompoc, California, respectively modeled Jesse and Gramps after her husband Denis (via portraits from his youth) and Denis' own father.[1]

Reception

Amid positive press, reviewers noted the fast-paced proceedings in Gramps and the Fire Dragon,[3][4][5] and also noted that Jesse and his grandfather's victory was never in doubt for the sake of young readers.[3][4] Barbara Buckley of the School Library Journal commended the friendliness of the titular dragon's design, and "the use of two-page spreads [which] highlights the crisis spots in the text."[3] Shelle Rosenfield of Booklist said, "[Their] adventure ends on a warm, comforting sleepy-time note, as it celebrates both the delights of storytelling and the special relationship between grandparent and grandchild.... The exciting and sometimes silly story conveys a message about love and sharing".[4] In 2001, Gramps was honored as a Children's Choice selection by the International Reading Association and Children's Book Council.[2][6]

Notes
  1. Listed with a 1997 date (predating its official publication) in Gale's Something About the Author series.[2]

References
  1. Poe, Brenda (July 11, 2003). "Woman enjoys working for kids". Santa Maria Times. Santa Maria, California. p. C6. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Kumar, Lisa, ed. (2010). "Roberts, Bethany 1949–". Something About the Author. Vol. 202. Gale Research. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-4144-3499-5. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  3. Buckley, Barbara (November 2000). "Review: 'Gramps and the Fire Dragon'". School Library Journal. Vol. 46, no. 11. p. 130. ISSN 0362-8930. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  4. Rosenfield, Shelle (January 1–15, 2001). "Review: 'Gramps and the Fire Dragon'". Booklist. Vol. 97, no. 9/10. pp. 970–971. ISSN 0006-7385. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  5. "JS" (Spring 2001). "Preschool: 'Gramps and the Fire Dragon'" (PDF). The Horn Book. Vol. 12, no. 1. p. 22. ISSN 1044-405X. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  6. "Children's Choices for 2001: Young Readers: 'Gramps and the Fire Dragon'". The Reading Teacher. International Reading Association/Wiley. 55 (2): 178. October 2001. ISSN 0034-0561. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via JSTOR.
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