Saint George and the Dragon

Retold by Margaret Hodges
Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Little, Brown, and Company, 1984
Ages 8+
4/5

This book retells the familiar legend of Saint George's battle with a ferocious dragon. As the champion of the Queen of Faeries, George is sent to defeat a terrible dragon that is destroying the kingdom of a beautiful princess named Una. Although the fight lasts for several days, George is eventually able to kill the dragon and claim Una for his bride.

Hodges has obviously tried to remain true to the tone and style of Spenser's poem in her version of George's story; however, this means that the text is dense, with long, complex paragraphs and the rhythm of the words may be less familiar to some readers. The language is beautifully descriptive, but younger readers may become frustrated at how long it takes to get through the story.

Although I have some misgivings about the story, the illustrations are exquisite! (The book is a Caldecott winner.) The pictures are done in the style of an old-fashioned manuscript or tapestry and expertly portray both the action of the battle and the beauty of the surrounding scenery. The small illustrations that frame each page of text show another story, this one of a Viking ship that voyages across the sea and then returns home.