Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4-8. Gross is the word for this wildly enjoyable comic fantasy that takes the old heroic Norse battle myths and covers them in slime and snot. Narrator Hiccup, the son of the ruler, is meant to be the next Warrior Chief, but he's a classical nerd, the least heroic boy in the old Hooligan tribe, so how is he to slay monsters? Grandpa says times are changing and the tribe needs a new leader, not just a big violent lump, but someone clever and cunning. Well, Hiccup tries, but he fails the initiation rites. Eventually, though he shows up Snotlout and the other bullies by getting the two gigantic monster dragons to fight one another, and though events take a bad turn after one of the dragons swallows him, things turn out fine; he escapes through the dragon's nose. The hilarious farce will appeal to heroic fiction fans as much as to scaredy-cats, especially since the author extends the nonstop parody with messy black-and-white pencil sketches of the bumbling bedlam. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Legendary Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III comes to life thanks to a spirited performance from narrator Tennant. In this first volume of Cowell's popular series, Hiccup must, as a rite of passage, catch a dragon. When he manages to capture one-which he names Toothless-Haddock endeavors to train the creature via his own methods. In this winning audio edition, Tennant's narration is theatrical and sure to entertain listeners of all ages. The narrator's pacing is perfect, his character voices unique, and the accents he creates believable. An enthusiastic performance from Tennant makes this a must-listen, especially for fans. Ages 8-12. A Little, Brown paperback. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of the Viking King Stoick the Vast, must learn how to train a dragon in order to pass Hero Initiation; failure to do so will lead to banishment. Hiccup captures a toothless, diminutive sized dragon, making him the laughingstock of the community. Despite obstacles, Hiccup attempts to train the dragon, he aptly names Toothless, in kinder ways than instructed. It is on Thor'sday Thursday that Hiccup fails the initiation and is facing the reality of living in exile. Soon after, an urgent war council meets to discuss a solution for the Sea Dragon looming near their homeland. The council eventually seeks Hiccup's help because he is the only one who can speak Dragonese. Hiccup has the chance to redeem himself and lead the entire clan as he formulates a plan to defeat the enormous creature. Gerard Doyle narrates Cressida Cowell's novel (Little, 2004), giving each character a distinctive voice and personality; appropriate sound effects suit the text. Listeners will delight in the occasional bard-like singing. Kids are enthralled with dragons, and this unique and humorous title will intrigue them.-Beth McGuire, Fannett-Metal School District, Willow Hill, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This special collector's edition includes two new short stories along with the original first volume of Hiccup and Toothless's friendship. In "How to Train Your Viking" Cowell tells a story from Toothless's perspective, and Vikings band together in "The Day of the Dreader." Cowell's crude black-and-white illustrations demonstrate humor and motion. The book jacket unfolds into a full-color poster. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Facing sneering peers, plus a cave full of vicious young dragons and two mountainous, malign adult ones, brings an ordinary Viking lad around to becoming a "Hero the Hard Way" in this farcical import. Dispatched to capture and train some breed of dragon as a rite of passage into the Hairy Hooligan Tribe, unprepossessing Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III returns not with a mighty Gronkle, or an aptly named Monstrous Nightmare, but a shrimpy creature laughingly dubbed "Toothless"--who also turns out to be about as trainable as a cat, with an attitude to match. But Hiccup and Toothless develop into a doughty team when two humongous, fire-breathing Sea Dragons pull up to shore, looking for the odd village or army to devour. Cowell adds lots of jagged, William Steig-like sketches to a narrative rich in dragon muck, cartoon violence, and characters with names like Snotlout and Dogsbreath the Duhbrain. Her genuinely fierce, intelligent, and scary dragons nearly steal the show, but Hiccup and his diminutive sidekick ultimately come out on top, both displaying a proper hero's mix of quick wit, courage, and loyalty. (Fiction. 10-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
