Customer Reviews
A gorgoeus treat for children - By: Michael Payne, 18 May 2008 
This book is just perfect for toddlers. "Puff the Magic Dragon" song needs no introduction - but the illustrations are just so beautiful that it brings the whole song to life & it's so magical, it almost brings a tear to my eye reading it. The new version on the CD is so tranquil & my 2-yr old daughter asks for it every night (my wife loves it too!)
Beautiful - By: N. Edmunds, 05 Jan 2008 This is a wonderful book capturing the imagination of both young & old. For those of us who grew up with this it is full of nostalgia. For those newcomers like my daughters it is a song which is repeated over & over again. The illustrations are beautiful & there is a lot to explore on each page. My only criticism is that the lyrics have been changed to incorporate little girls as well as little boys. In my opinion this unnecessary & takes away a part of the oroginal story. Otherwise this is a great purchase for youngsters & oldies alike.
A slightly saccharine version of the beautiful original - By: Dr. H. Payne, 22 Nov 2007 
I loved Puff as a child. It brought tears to my eyes even remembering the song when I placed the order for this book for my four year-old son. However, I was somewhat disappointed by both the book & the CD when they arrived.
This is a large hardback book which I feel doesn't really warrant the size & space. There are 2 to 4 lines of the original song written & illustrated on each double page. Bearingin mind that there is a lot of repetition of the chorus, this makes the book seem quite barren. The emptiness is not helped by the illustrations which seem quite plain with a limited colour palate.
My main complaint is with the changes to the poem. Maybe the writer has modified it because he had a daughter & wanted to involve girlsin the story. It just comes over as appalling, unnecessary political correctness. The line:
"A dragon lives forever but not so little boys"
has morphed into
"A dragon lives forever but not so little girls & boys"
It scans awfully. Listening to the CD was painful at this point.
There is also the implicationin the last two drawings that a little girl comes along & befriends Puff who is then happy again. The tragedy of the song was its strength & appeal, this addition makes it quite mediocre. I don't see that all children's stories have to have a happy ending. Why was the author so terrified of letting children learn about feelings of loss & sadnessin the safe, experimental world of fiction?
Aside from my disappointment with the book, my son was not overly impressed. He did start to empathise with Puff when his friend didn't come back. However, as soon as the happy ending kickedin he simply began asking which story we were having next. I can't help but wonder if the unadulterated original would have been more satisfying for him.
I've given the book 4 stars mainly because the original song was lovely. Providing I try to ignore the awkward new line & the saccharine happy ending I can still enjoy Puff. However, I feel that I am enjoying the song/poemin spite of the book rather than because of it.
Sniff - By: Heide, 16 Nov 2007 Have a hankie handy if you're coming to this book as a new(ish) parent & remember it fondly from your own childhood. Be prepared to cry hot tears of grief for lost youth & the overwhelming finality of Puff slipping sadly into his cave. But all is not lost; Little Jackie Paper lives on thro' his own daughter & her discovery of Puff (hope I'm not giving too much away - it's a short story), cleverly embellished at the end by illustration only. And the illustrations are some of the most original I've seen. The song remains hopelessly sad. Poignantly, Peter Yarrow is accompaniedin this new recording by his own daughter. It all fits together perfectly. Love it to bits. All good children (and even the naughty ones) deserve a copy of this book & cd.
A charming story and a classic song - By: J. White, 13 Sep 2007 The illustrations are so charming. My reception class joinedin with the chorus as I read & they loved the dragon & were pleased when he found a new play mate. They enjoyed the song so much they asked for it to be played again. They then hummed the tune during the afternoon. My colleague & I felt nostalgic as we were teenagers when the song was first released. A super book for grandparents as well as chidren.
