Saint George & The Dragon

My granddaughter loves her book. She is captivated by the story and the beautiful illustrations.

I purchased this as a reference for painting icons. Wonderful resource for treatment of highlights and fabric.

Very nice picture book with more emphasis on the "Saint" part of the story instead of a more fairy tale kind of lore.

Love this book! The exciting story of St. George is told beautiful with beautiful illustrations. The back also includes information about the life of St. George and his martyrdom. The kids enjoy this one over and over.

Beautiful. 4 year old son loved it!

Absolutely stunning illustrations in the style of Orthodox iconography. Great gift for baptisms, godchildren's name day feasts and unique book for non-Orthodox children

Bought for church gift shop. Sold out immediately and ordered more.

This book was not what I was looking for. I wanted a story of Saint George and the Dragon to read to my children for Michaelmas. I had already read Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, a Caldecott winner, and liked it. I thought I would try this one after I read the reviews of the "beautiful pictures." This is not a fairytale version, this is a church version. There's nothing wrong with that. If you are looking for a version that references Jesus and Christianity then you want this book.Hodges version is much more a fairytale and more interesting to children. It is adapted from Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene. Her version includes six pages of the battle between George and the Dragon that lasts three days long. First George and his horse are picked up in the dragon's claws and he flies away with them until George fights free. Then George injures the dragon's wing so it can't fly at the end of the first day the dragon breathes fire on George that burns his face and heats his armor. George falls into a pool of water that heals his burns and he rises the next day ready to fight. The dragon pierces George's shield and shoulder with it's spiked tail and grabs the shield with a paw. George cannot free himself from the dragon so he severs the tail and the paw. At the end of the second day George collapses beneath an apple tree and is healed by the dew. On the third day George emerges again ready to fight and the dragon is afraid. He opens his mouth wide to swallow the knight whole and George runs his sword through the open jaw and kills him. There is more suspense and satisfaction when good triumphs over evil and the dragon has been slain. George strikes the dragon many times throughout the battle, many times doing no harm to the dragon's scales, but the dragon is always surprised by the strength and force behind the blows and he begins to fear George. The story covers 32 pages, half are pictures.In this version, by Jim Forest, the battle between George and the Dragon is finished in two short paragraphs on one page. There is much more focus on George explaining to the princess that there is only one God. It was anticlimactic. Also the dragon was not killed, but tamed and became a guardian at the city gates. It, of course, is a better representative of "Saint George" and his faith in Jesus and Christianity. It is published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. As to the pictures, they are not to my liking though I do see what another reviewer was saying about the symbolism in them. I don't know what the illustration style is called, but you see it a lot in church illustrations. The story covers 26 pages, half of which are pictures.Another difference in the two stories is how George enters the story. In Hodges version the princess leaves the kingdom to find a knight to slay the dragon and comes back with the "Red Cross Knight." In Forest's version the princess' name is drawn as the one to be sacrificed to the dragon that week. George appears on his horse and sees her crying and slays the dragon to save her. In both books George refuses the offer of gifts and treasure from the king. In Hodges version George says we must remember the poor and gives the riches to them and is then married to the princess, as fairytales always end. In Forest's version George says he wishes for no such treasure only for salvation of the people. He asks to teach them all about Jesus Christ and that they prepare themselves for baptism. He also says Jesus' followers will have the strength to overcome dragons.It just depends what you are looking for in a story about Saint George and the Dragon.

Purchased for a 10 year old. He will likely keep it forever.

very nice book