Where’s the Dragon?
Where’s the Dragon?
(Sterling, 2004)
Illustrated by Richard Hook
“To see a dragon, you must hunt high and low, and always believe hard enough!”
When George asks if he’s too old to believe in dragons, Grandfather tells him that it is time he saw one for himself. After all, seeing is believing!
As they set sail on their dragon hunt, Grandfather seems to know an awful lot about dragons but to have a great deal of trouble seeing one. They look up at a full moon as big as a dragon’s eye; sleep on ground that shudders and shakes; stand in an enormous footprint; cross a long, scaly bridge; and enter a burning forest. But still Grandfather can’t see for looking.
Even when Grandfather steps into a cave shaped like a giant mouth, and is blown away by a giant sneeze, he thinks it’s just the wind. But George is happy to hear that they will set off together again next year, when they will hunt higher and lower and believe even harder.
Readers are invited to count the hidden dragons, and to touch the pages and feel the textures. The story was beautifully illustrated by my father Richard Hook. Nobody drew a dragon quite like my dad.
“They all slept well. They all dreamed of dragons.”
Jason Hook Books 
My eldest son who is 4 loves this book.. Its my favourite that i read to him before bed. The dragons ate amazing & the story is just lovely. Is there any more books like this.? Fergus said it would be nice if the grandfather got new glasses & saw the dragon for himself .. What a lovely surprize he would get.. He said ❤️
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Thank you, Paula, lovely to hear that Fergus enjoys the book. I rather like the idea of giving grandfather some new glasses before his next dragon hunt. I do have plans for more dragon books in the future, watch this space!
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Help! We have only found 75 dragons. After 5 people looking, it remains the same!
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Hi Krystina, Thank you for getting in touch, sorry for the slow reply. And sorry also if you’ve had a frustrating dragon hunt! I believe there are 76, and that you can find them by feeling the pages with your finger and believing hard enough, but it’s hard to tell which one you’re missing from here. It might depend how many are hiding on the distant house on the first pages? If you would like to tell me where the 75 are that you’ve found, I’d be happy to see if I can find the missing one! I hope it hasn’t stopped you enjoying the book. With best wishes, Jason
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Are we able to get a dragon count for each page?? I’ve had this book since 2006 and have only ever found 75! I’ve asked for others to count etc and we never find the last dragon! And yes, we could the cover! So a number for each page would finally put me out of my misery after ALL these years!
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Hi Adele, Sorry for slow reply, too many dragons at the moment. I’ve done a count for each page. I think the missing one is probably on page 2, where you can feel 5 dragons around the far cottage. So, my list is below, I hope it helps!
With wonderful wishes,
Jason
1-2: George arrives 7 + 10 = 17
Weather-vane; tower x 3; mountain; stone bridge; bush
Near cottage x 3; far cottage x 5; far tree; near stone bridge
3-4: Workshop 7 + 5 = 12
Frame; kite; walking stick; carving x 3; window
Carving x 2; violin; cup; book
5-6: Setting sail 8 + 3 = 11
House x 5; tree; bush; mountain
Boat x 3
7-8: On the river 5 + 2 = 7
Waterfall; flag; boat; tail on near rocks; underwater
Tree; rocks
9-10: Full moon 1 + 2 = 3
Rocks
Moon; boat
11-12: Dreaming 1
Main dragon above them
13-14: Footprints 3 + 1 = 4
Trees x 2; rocks
Main dragon eating boat
15-16: Tail bridge 1 + 4 = 5
Dragon tail bridge
Far rocks; river; near rocks; tree
17-18: Fire 3 + 4 = 7
Trees x 3
Main dragon; rocks x 2; tree
19-20: Eyes 1
Main dragon eyes
21-22: Mouth 2 + 1 = 3
Rocks x 2
Mouth cave
23-24: Sneeze 1
Main dragon sneezing
25-26: Goodbye 2 + 2 = 4
Main dragon; rocks
Rocks; tree
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I am a Kindergarten teacher and I’m always on the lookout for great books. I saw this book and immediately fell in love with it, even before I opened it. i love the texture and I know so will my kids. Love the story and had to find all the dragons. It said the answer was in Grandpas house, but I didn’t see it. Do you also count the carved ones? Please write some more books like this. I love the above suggestion of the Grandpa getting new glasses and discovering the awe from his childhood.
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I finally found the number. I was inside his house before.
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Hi Cindy-Lu, thank you so much for the lovely comments, they are very much appreciated. I was about to point you to the number, but I’m very glad to hear you’ve found it. I hope the kids enjoy the story and wish them all well with the dragon hunt! With best wishes, Jason
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We are Amelie and Lily, aged 9 and 7 and we have just found this book which was given to a little boy for his fourth birthday. We loved looking for the dragons, it’s been such brilliant fun, and we made a tally chart, page by page, and the total was 76!!!!
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Thank you for writing, Amelie and Lily! I’m very pleased you enjoyed your dragon hunt, and it sounds like you did a very good job! With best wishes, Jason
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Where is grandpa’s house is the secret number?
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Hello Megan, If you look at the page where they are loading up the ship, you should be able to see the number outside Grandpa’s house. Let me know if you can’t find it. Happy dragon hunting! With best wishes, Jason
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Hi,
Yay, I’ve tracked you down!
where can I get a lost of inteenational stockists, please?
My Mr.17 LOVED this book when younger, and I have a Mr.5 now who would love it too. I think a dragon must have reclaimed our copy as I cant find it anywhere 😥 please twll me its still in print
Thank you
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Hello Shelly, lovely to hear from you. I’m afraid I’m on a similar hunt, as the publisher of Where’s the Dragon? hasn’t replied to my messages. I think a second-hand edition might be your only option at the moment, but perhaps if we look hard enough we’ll find a way to create a new edition! Thank you for the kind comments and the interest. With best wishes, Jason
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Dear Mr. Hook, I need a biography of you and your father, Richard Hook. Unfortunately I can’t find any on the internet. I need this information because I am writing a picture book analysis at school and I have decided on your wonderful book “Auf Drachenjad”. I hope you can help me.
Sincerely, Lars Bertram
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Thank you Lars, so sorry for slow reply, and thank you so much for your kind words about Where’s the Dragon? I have emailed you two biographies, I hope they arrive safely and help with your projects. With wonderful wishes, Jason
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Hello Jason Hook,
I just wanted to say THANK YOU so much for this story. I purchased it for my grandson when he was a little guy of 3 or 4. (He just turned 18.) Our copy is still in pristine condition as it was one of his favorite books and he took great care of it. I have used it with my speech students that long as well. I even designed an entire activity about your wonderful story for both my articulation and language students. I get asked every year when we get to read it. The kids just love counting the dragons!!
Thank you so much for such an entertaining and fun-filled tale.
Vicki Roehrick
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Hello Vicki,
What a lovely email to receive, thank you so much for sending over such wonderful words. It was a pleasure working on ‘Where’s the Dragon?’ with my father, it provides a lovely memory of him. He would share my joy that it has been a treasured book and is still being read, and that the search for the dragon is still going on!
Thank you again. Sending my very best wishes to you and your grandson,
Jason
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Hello Jason,
I wanted to let you know how much my young girls love the storybook “Where’s The Dragon?” that you and your father created. I play dumb every time I read it and say I can’t see the dragons; only rocks, trees, and waterfalls. The girls laugh out loud as they implore me to SEE them scattered throughout the book. So much fun, and so many precious memories reading it together. Thank you for creating such an engaging story. Let us know if another Dragon Hunting adventure sets sail in the future.
Dave Masson
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Hello Dave, thank you so much for taking the time to send over such an uplifting message. That is very much appreciated, and I’m thrilled to hear that your daughters enjoy the dragon so much. Please give them my best wishes. Dad is no longer with us, so any future dragon hunting might have to involve my sister’s artwork, but Dad would share my gratitude and appreciation. With very best wishes, Jason
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I am so disappointed to find that “Where’s the Dragon?” is no longer in print. It is such a special book – an heirloom piece if only it doesn’t get “loved” too much! it must be wonderful for you to know, Jason, that your artwork has given so much pleasure to so many children – and adults!
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Hello Jenny, thank you for such lovely comments about our dragon. ‘An heirloom piece’ is a wonderful tribute. The book is a special reminder of my dad’s brilliance. I would love to create a new edition, but there are often publishing dragons to slay before such things become possible… Thanks again. With best wishes, Jason
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