This is a story about a little dragon named Zog who wants to be the best student in his dragon school. His first test is learning to fly. Zog ends up flying into a tree and falling and hurting his head. He meets a nice little girl who puts a band aid on his head and he feels better. He flies away. A year goes by and Zog must learn to roar like a proper dragon. He roars and roars until his throat starts hurting. Along come the same little girl, just a year older, and she gives him a peppermint stick. He feels much better and he flies off. Another year goes by and Zog must learn to breathe fire. He tried and tried and he accidentally catches his wing on fire and he falls from the sky. Along comes the girl who bandages his wing and he feels better. Another year passes and the dragons must pass one final test. They must capture a princess! Zog tries and tries, but he cannot capture a princess. Along comes the girl again and guess what?! She is a princess!! Her name is Princess Pearl and she allows Zog to capture her. Zog takes her back to the class and he gets his gold star. However, this is not the end. Pearl stays with the dragons for a year healing all of their scrapes and burns. A prince comes by looking for a princess to save. Zog doesn't want to let her go. It looks like a fight is about to break out...when Pearl stands between the prince and Zog and says that she doesn't want to be a princess anymore. She wants to be a doctor. Both the prince and Zog think that being a doctor sounds like a good idea and they all fly off to help others. Zog is a young dragon learning how to be a dragon at dragon school. Throughout his schooling he is helped out of various scrapes by a little girl who grows up to be a princess. The story is told in rhyming verse and is beautifully illustrated. The thing I love most about this book is how it subverts the traditional tropes: the princess wants to be a doctor, the knight who comes to 'rescue' her decides he'd rather she taught him medicine, Zog chooses a career as an air ambulance and even the knights horse stays with the dragons as their pet. This could lead into students thinking about what they really want to be, or imagining how other fairy tale characters might be happier living different lives.
What do You think about Zog (2010)?
Cute take on the princess/dragon/knight story, but a little long for a story time.
—chever
I'm yet to find a Julia Donaldson book we don't like!
—raeneesmith
5 stars from start to happy ending. -Monty K.
—Logan
