In this YouTube read‑aloud, Dave Edgren narrates the picture‑book Where’s the Dragon? (written by Jason Hook, illustrated by Richard Hook) with occasional character voices from a second speaker. The story follows young George, who visits his grandfather each summer. The grandfather, a crafty woodworker with a dog named Meg, tells George tales of a massive dragon that lives on a mountain. Determined to prove dragons exist, the grandfather outfits George with a telescope, umbrella, magnifying glass, an old map, and his flamboyant dragon‑hunting hat, and they set off on a boat to search. Throughout their adventure they ask questions about the dragon’s size, fire‑breathing, and whereabouts, climbing the mountain, spotting the moon, and finally confronting a hidden dragon that sneezes when the hat’s feather tickles it. The hunt ends with the dragon’s sneeze shaking the mountain, and the grandfather declares they’ll hunt again next year, believing even harder. The narration repeatedly invites viewers to re‑watch and count the hidden dragons in the illustrations, turning the story into an interactive visual scavenger hunt.
Chapters
Hi, my name is Dave Edgren, and I'm going to read Where's the Dragon? illustrated by Richard Hook and written by Jason Hook. Where's the dragon? Where's the dragon? Each and every year, on the first day of summer, little George hurried off to visit his grandfather. The old man had a dog named Meg and a workshop full of wonders. He could carve anything George asked him to: kites, clocks, flutes, fiddles, and wonderful wooden dragons. As he carved, Grandfather told amazing tales. About an enormous old dragon who lived in the mountains. His tales seemed so real that George felt he could almost see the dragon. But this year, as Grandfather finished his tales, George asked, "Do you think perhaps I'm too old to believe in dragons?" "Seeing is believing!" cried Grandfather. "It's time I took you on a dragon hunt." He asked George to carry all sorts of strange things down to his boat: a telescope, an umbrella, a magnifying glass, and an ancient yellow map. Finally, Grandfather put on a hat with a long fluffy feather.
"This," he chuckled, "is my dragon hunting hat." Off they sailed to hunt for the dragon.
George was so full of questions, it was a wonder he didn't burst. "Is he a big dragon?" asked George.
"As big as the sky!" roared Grandfather.
"He must be easy to see," said George.
"No, no, not at all," said Grandfather. "To see a dragon, you must hunt high and low and always believe hard enough." When night fell, they tied up the boat and found a nice place to sleep.
As they settled down on the riverbank, George, Grandfather, and Meg stared up at the dark sky. Look, Grandfather, whispered George, pointing up at the stars. What's that winking up in the sky?
Ah yes, sighed Grandfather, what a beautiful moon!
They all slept well. They all dreamed of dragons, and Meg snored so loudly that the ground seemed to shake and shudder. In the morning, Grandfather's boat had vanished into thin air. Was it the dragon? George wondered.
"Not at all," grumbled Grandfather, who was a little short-sighted. "Dragons always leave footprints." "And dragons always live on mountaintops," said Grandfather, striding off up a path.
"A tale! A tale!" George cried, trying to catch up with the old man.
"We've no time for tales," puffed Grandfather.
"There's a dragon to hunt." 'Do dragons breathe fire?' panted George.
'Not at all,' wheezed Grandfather, taking off his dragon-hunting hat and mopping his brow.
'But my, it's hot today.' As they reached the top of the mountain, George was sure He believed in dragons. He pointed and shouted, "His eye!" "Yes, it is high," said Grandfather, who was a little hard of hearing.
"Dragons always live up high." "The mouth!" shrieked George. "Of a cave!" shouted Grandfather.
"So that's where the dragon's been hiding." And with that, He leapt into the darkness, waving his umbrella about his head. George yelled out. Meg barked. But it was too late. Perhaps it was dragon hay fever. Perhaps it was a dragon cold. Most likely it was the long fluffy feather on Grandfather's dragon hunting hat. Whatever it was, It made the dragon sneeze—a sneeze that shook the mountain! "Quite a breeze blowing!" bellowed Grandfather as he somersaulted over their heads. The dragon hunt was over.
"Next year we'll hunt higher and lower and believe even harder!" cried Grandfather. "Then we're sure to see the dragon!" Of course.
Chuckled George, holding Grandfather's hand and winking at Meg. "After all, seeing is believing." How many hidden dragons did you find in this book? The answer is at Grandfather's house. You might want to watch the video again and count every little dragon you see. Look for the eyes.
