How to Train Your Dragon

June 7, 2004
In this riotous paper-over-board farce, the timid protagonist from Cowell's picture book Hiccup: The Seasick Viking
proves himself worthy of the sobriquet "Hope and Heir to the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans." The protagonist is also given author credit (as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III), with Cowell billed as translator "from the Old Norse." Indeed, "Hiccup" contributes an introductory note: "I was not the sort of boy who could train a dragon with a mere lifting of an eyebrow. I was not a natural at the Heroism business. I had to work at it. This is the story of becoming a Hero the Hard Way." From his initial challenge—Hiccup and his fellow warriors-in-training must each pluck a dragon from a "Dragon Nursery" where 3,000 young critters are hibernating—the likable lad faces a host of hurdles and beats tremendous odds to emerge triumphant. After selecting a tiny, toothless dragon ("I shall call Fireworm," says nemesis Snotface Snotlout. "What are you going to call yours, Hiccup? Sweetums? Sugarlips? Babyface?"). Hiccup tackles the chore of training the stubborn creature, which leads to some fresh, funny dialogue between the two (Hiccup has the rare ability to speak "Dragonese"). A rollicking finale finds the duo rescuing Vikings from a ravenous, mountain-size dragon. Short chapters, clever slapstick, kid-pleasing character names (e.g., Fishlegs, Dogsbreath the Duhbrain) and goofy, childlike drawings will keep even reluctant readers turning these pages—and chuckling as they go. Ages 8-12.

Starred review from March 31, 2014
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.

July 1, 2004
Gr 3-5-Young Hiccup may be the son of Stoick the Vast, chief of the Hairy Hooligans, but he isn't exactly heroic Viking material. When he and the other boys of his tribe are sent on a mission to fetch dragons to train, Hiccup comes back with the scrawniest creature ever seen. Toothless, as Hiccup names him, is also rude, lazy, and greedy, but when the tribe is faced with horrible danger, Hiccup's unorthodox dragon-training techniques prove successful and he and his unique beast become true heroes. Sprinkled throughout with funny sketches, scribbles, and ink blots, this is a goofy and exciting tale of an underdog who proves that brains can be just as important as brawn. Kids will hoot at the ridiculous names and sympathize with Hiccup's exasperation with his truly obstinate but strangely lovable dragon. A delightful read that fans of Ian Whybrow's "Little Wolf" series (Carolrhoda) will particularly enjoy.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2004
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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)