Zog

Product Information

Find some other images of dragons and use these as the starting point for your own? (see Resources below). Whilst ‘Zog’ may not quite have the feel of a Donaldson/Scheffler classic (a la ‘Gruffalo’ et al) it’s not far off and nevertheless it’s a very strong addition to their already impressive canon of excellent children’s books. Zog is definitely a new favourite in our home, it is a beautifully written story with lots of nice rhymes and repetition , but it is perhaps not as good as some of the other Julia Donaldson books like the Gruffalo. However, the illustrations are spectacular and it really is one of the brightest, well illustrated baby books that we own so far.

A family film based on the much-loved picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler come up with another winner with 'Zog', who is the biggest and keenest dragon in school but who proves to be accident prone when undertaking any task. He is trying to win a golden star but finds himself thwarted at every turn. Lesson 1: I hosted a 'Book Talk' about the front cover. After discussions, all the children wrote down questions for Zog. The story of the dragons made me smile alot. It’s great to see them learn how to be dragons and make plenty of mistakes along the way. Dragon school looks cool and is a great idea for children to relate too. Before my little Moongazer came onto the scene, I had no idea who Julia Donaldson was. Now I find myself actively seeking out her titles in the library and in bookshops. She is a truly remarkable author.

This book inspired and allowed me to teach the best two weeks of lessons I have ever taught. This book saw my confidence grow as a teacher and facilitated opportunities in the classroom I didn’t know were possible. In this much-loved picture book, a little mouse walks through the woods and encounters a fox, an owl and a snake. My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes. The children then used their own story maps and had two lessons to re-tell the story in their own words in their Literacy books (I included an input on rhyming here - children to identify and match the rhymes from Zog)

There are numerous twists in the tale; the girl turns out to be a princess whose ambition it is to be a doctor rather than wearing silly dresses and hiding in castles, and the knight who comes to rescue her would rather ‘wear a twisty stethoscope’ than armour. What a good idea!” I’d like to introduce you to my new favourite dragon, Zog. He’s Madam Dragon’s most enthusiastic student and he desperately wants to earn one of his teacher’s golden stars. Throughout the book Madam Dragon’s students learn all of the dragon basics, including flying, roaring and breathing fire. “Now that you’ve been shown, you can practise on your own” While Zog is practicing his new skills he encounters Pearl, a caring, friendly young girl. Throughout the years they continue to meet and become friends.

Zog is a keen dragon at Dragon School who aims to be the best in his class and win a golden star. The story follows his attempts at learning to fly, roar and breathe fire, leading to a series of minor injuries for which a mysterious girl provides assorted bandages and plasters. Class got into groups and came up with an action for each scene in the story. Volunteers then showed their actions to the class to remember the story. The story of the adorable dragon with a heart of gold is now available in a chunky board book format perfect for Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler's youngest fans. Investigate which materials would be suitable for Sir Gadabout’s armour. Which materials are the strongest?

Lesson 2: ‘Flying Lesson’ - I filmed all the children acting and then we watched the videos and described our flying styles as a class on a piece of sugar paper. I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.

I knew that our editor really wanted a dragon story, but it wasn’t till I hit on the name “Madam Dragon” that I decided the book should be a school story.