Author Julia Donaldson
Illustrator Axel Scheffler
First published 2010
Publisher Scholastic Press
All Zog wants is to be the best dragon in his class.
Story
Zog is determined to become the best dragon in his class but despite his willingness to learn he is quite clumsy. Luckily, he meets a little girl who always knows how to help – but can she help him achieve his biggest task of all…capturing a princess?
Why we chose it
Zog was one of the most popular stories in our Pumpkin tent storytelling sessions and children loved to join the dragon’s lessons. It’s great to watch a class of 5 year olds learn to ‘breathe fire’.
Where it came from
Julia Donaldson used to go busking with her husband before they had children. She grew fond of writing songs about the strangest things, pasta, crumpled up paper, guinea-pigs ….. Her passion for song writing inspires the rhymes in many of her famous books.
Where it went next
Zog has become a phenomenon and has hit the screen in a BBC animated film which was created in 2018. A live show has also been created, which is planning to tour around the UK in 2020!
Associated stories
Zog appears in a sequel, Zog and the Flying Doctors.
Other hugely popular Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books include The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, Squash and a Squeeze, The Scarecrow’s Wedding, The Highway Rat, Tabby McTat, Stick Man, Tiddler, The Smartest Giant in Town and Monkey Puzzle.
Julia Donaldson has worked with other illustrators on books like Cave Baby illustrated by Emily Gravett, The Paper Dolls illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, What the Ladybird Heard illustrated by Lydia Monks, The Magic Paintbrush illustrated by Joel Stewart.
Axel Scheffler is the illustrator of Philip Aardagh’s series of stories for older readers about The Grunts.
Author Julia Donaldson
Illustrator Axel Scheffler
First published 2010
Publisher Scholastic Press