Boys, as well as girls, love stories about knights and dragons. The most popular of these stories is the tale of how Saint George defeated a dragon and saved a city from
There are many different versions of Saint George and the dragon. The late Sabine Baring-Gould (1967) believed that "these legends contain almost unaltered representative myths of the Semetic and Aryan peoples, and myths which may be traced with certainty to their respective roots" (p. 266). Baring-Gould then shows how these ancient myths, associated with a number of solar gods, were attached to Saint George.
These days, we know Saint George as the patron of Merry England, of arms, and chivalry. His festival is celebrated on April 23, and since April is only a stones throw away, I'll introduce you to two of my favorite picture books about Saint George and the wicked (or not-so-wicked) dragon.
The first picture book, Saint George and the Dragon (Little, Brown and Company, 1984), retold by Margaret Hodges, is a beautiful retelling of this old tale. There are fairies, a dwarf, a High City, a magical spring and dew, and, of course, the dragon.
The illustrations, by Trina Schart Hyman, are incredibly eye-catching. Both my children have spent hours just looking through this book and marveling at the dragon. Saint George and the Dragon is the perfect introduction to the legend of Saint George.
The second picture book, Kenneth Grahame's The Reluctant Dragon (Orchard Books, 2004), retold by Robert D. San Souci, portrays a wise and friendly dragon who is looking for a new home. The dragon befriends a boy, Jack, and the two of them become close friends. However, danger is afoot when Saint George rides into town searching for a dragon to battle against.
The Reluctant Dragon is a beautiful story about friendship and cooperation. It's the perfect book for sensitive children who would rather hear about how Saint George befriended a dragon.
References
Baring-Gould, S. (1967). Curious Myths of the Middle Ages. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books.
Walsh, W. S. (1925). Curiosities of popular customs and of rites, ceremonies, observances, and miscellaneous antiquities. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co.
