Quentin Blake’s wonderfully airy and energetic illustrations perfectly match this quirky fantasy by that other master, Russell Hoban. A little boy called John accidentally finds a dragon beneath a manhole cover in a busy street. The passers-by take no notice of him, not even when he meets up with the dragon at an underground station. They have a couple of fights – as agreed – and when John wins, Ace takes him flying. When Ace runs out of petrol, the two are stranded on a moon before John works out a way to get back home, using another of Ace’s special skills. Funny and offbeat, it’s a lovely story of friendship and independence. ~ Andrea Reece
From the inimitable duo of Russell Hoban and Quentin Blake, the pair behind the hilarious tales of Captain Najork, comes a story about a little boy, a fire-breathing dragon, and their sky-high adventure! I can make fire come out of my nose and mouth, the dragon under the pavement tells John. I can fly. I can spin gold into straw if you have any gold. John doesn't have any gold - and he doesn't need any straw. (Not yet, anyway.) The dragon tells John that if he fights the dragon and wins, the dragon will take him flying. What a challenge! Where will it lead? John soon finds out - and he also finds out that you just never know when a bundle of straw might come in handy...
With sword-flashing excitement, a moon landing and plenty of magic, this irresistible page-turner is brought back into print in a bigger format - and a beautiful, more colourful, new edition.
Russell Hoban was born in Pennsylvania, USA. His parents were Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine; his father was the advertising manager of a Jewish newspaper as well as a dram guild director. Russell was thus exposed to the arts early on, and became interested in writing at an early age, winning prizes for his stories and poems during his school years.
As an adult
Russell served in the US Infantry during WWII. For a time he taught art in New York and Connecticut. He then worked as a freelance illustrator and an advertising copywriter. He began publishing children's books in 1958, and since then has published more than fifty. His picture book The Sea-Thing Child, illustrated by Patrick Benson, was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Russell passed away at the age of 86 in 2011.
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