Pierre & Paul: Dragon!

Pierre and Paul are back for another adventure! Pierre speaks French and Paul speaks English, but that doesn’t stop them from being friends and exploring together. Today is garbage day, so the duo sets out to find hidden treasures in the trash.
Treasure map in hand, they encounter poisonous swamps, dark forests, a dragon, and even a tsunami! (Or maybe just a garbage truck driving through a puddle). When the tsunami sweeps away their treasure map, they think all is lost―until they finally find a treasure lying out in plain sight. Told half in French and half in English, this second book in the Pierre & Paul series uses simple phrases and clues in the illustrations to make the story accessible to readers in both languages. Full of imagination and playful illustrations, this vocabulary-learning tool is an engaging story of friendship.

  • Nominated for a 2023 Chocolate Lily Award
  • A 49th Shelf Most Anticipated Spring 2021 Books for Young Readers
  • A Loan Stars Jr. Top 10 Pick

Buy Pierre & Paul: Dragon! at amazon.ca or find your local bookstore.

Praise for Pierre & Paul: Dragon!

“…deft, fanciful celebrations of the quotidian neatly matched by clever, appealing visuals, engage young imaginations as they subtly instruct… Paul & Pierre: Dragon! reminds young readers of the powers of the imagination and the gems in their own backyard.”

The Ormsby Review

“Two friends battle a dragon and hunt for treasure in this bilingual adventure story of imaginative play… The illustrations alternate between the real world inside and outside of Paul’s house in a city neighborhood, with pale, subdued backgrounds, and the fleshed-out world of the children’s imaginations, with playful transitions between the two. The blend of English and French in the text is a clever way to support bilingualism.”

Kirkus Reviews

“Like its predecessor, Pierre & Paul: Dragon! is different from a typical dual-language book, weaving a single narrative rather than parallel translated texts, with dialogue, lists, and narration in alternating languages. The effect is wondrous. Through the book’s repetition, simple words, and expressive illustrations, children speaking either language will easily grasp the wonder of the story. This is a book tailor-made for reading aloud, where even the adult reader does not need to be fluent in both languages. In fact, it would make an ideal first day read in a French Immersion classroom. Highly recommended.”

Canadian Materials

“Pierre and Paul are off on another dual-language adventure, this time to take out the trash. Of course they’ll need to use a map, fight a dragon, and wade through a poisonous swamp before they are rewarded with not just trash but treasure too. The text alternates between French and English without including direct translations, allowing readers of only one or the other language to understand by context, but it is still one cohesive story for those who read both… This is one of those terrific adventures that gets better with every reading; adults might pick up a few new words themselves, though it may involve some pronunciation homework before using it as a read-aloud. VERDICT: Highly recommended entertainment, and a first purchase for most collections, whether seeking bilingual books or not.”

School Library Journal

“Told half in French and half in English, this second book in the Pierre & Paul series uses simple phrases and clues in the illustrations to make the story accessible to readers in both languages. Full of imagination and playful illustrations, this vocabulary-learning tool is an engaging story of friendship.​”

Picture Books, eh!

“Told half in French and half in English, “Pierre & Paul: Dragon!” uses simple phrases and clues in the illustrations to make the story accessible to young readers in both languages. Especially and unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school and community library collections for children ages 5-8, “Pierre & Paul: Dragon!” is full of engaging imagination and playful illustrations, and a vocabulary-learning tool in the form of an engaging bilingual picture book story of friendship.”

Midwest Book Review

“This is a stunningly executed story of two boys who use their imaginations to transform their quotidian surroundings into an unforgettable experience. Presented in both English and French, this book does not follow the traditional bilingual structure. Instead of including the entirety of the story in each language separately, the two are intertwined in this narrative, with context and illustrations aiding in comprehension. Readers fluent in both languages will find that the story flows smoothly, often not realizing which language is being used at any given point. Bilingual families as we as learners of either French or English will appreciate the accessible approach of this unique and engaging story, as the premise itself transcends language… Colorful and heartwarming, this story is a delightful addition to bilingual collections for young elementary school-aged readers with an interest in fantasy and imaginative adventures.”

ChildrensLit Now

“I was immediately intrigued by a book that seemed so good on so many levels: imagination, friendship, language, and the sense of adventure! And it delivers on all fronts!”

julie rowan-zoch (Illustrator)