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[Art with a Sense of Humor, since 2014]
A HATFUL OF DRAGONS is a one-of-a-kind funny book combining innovative, rhyming poems with wacky artwork to create a visual experience that will have kids and adults delighting in poetry. Poems in comic form? Poems without any words? Repeating Characters and in-jokes? Do-it-yourself-poem? 13.8 Billion Poems? They're all in there. This book has won numerous accolades and is loved by readers, reviewers, teachers, kids, librarians, and families.   
NEW: A guide for teachers, parents, and educators showing how to use this book for educational purposes, including teaching poetry: 
Educator's Guide to 'A Hatful of Dragons'
File Size: 1399 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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A Hatful of Dragons
And More Than 13.8 Billion Other Funny Poems

Written & Illustrated by Vikram Madan

Kirkus Starred Review
Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Master List 2021-2022
South Dakota Prairie Bloom Book Award Finalist 2022-2023
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year 2021
A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle-Grade Books of 2020
A New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2020
A Denver Public Library Best and Brightest Poetry Book of 2020
An Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids 2020
School Library Journal's Fuse #8 Blog - 2020 Best Poetry Books
School Library Journal's Fuse #8 Blog - 2020 Funniest Books of the Year
American Library Association ALSC Summer Reading Pick 2021


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Ideal for fans of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein, this collection of hilarious poems features delicious vocabulary and a wide range of subjects, as well as recurring characters and subplots in the art that weave the poems together and add to the merriment.

Vikram Madan's ingenious poems take many forms, feature clever wordplay, impeccable rhythm and rhyme, and riotous punchlines. This is a quirky collection of poems that readers will laugh their way through again and again.

SOON TO BE A MUSICAL THEATER PRODUCTION!!!


★​ "A loopily meta collection of silly, interactive poetry [that] will encourage several giggle-filled read-throughs!" — Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

​“Silly wordplays, letters all over the place, fill-in-the-blanks, and funky pictures make this poetry collection a delight!" — New York Public Library Best Books 2020


​“These poems are fantastic! So inventive and funny!" — Betsy Bird, School Library Journal Blog Poetry Books 2020

​“For kids who have not yet found poetry that speaks to them, try this gleeful tour of various poetic forms, accompanied by silly cartoon illustrations... A HATFUL OF DRAGONS lets readers know that poetry can be seriously fun through rollicking rhymes and hybrid comic book styling." — Denver Public Library Best and Brightest Books 

​“Hilarity abounds in this wild and wacky conglomeration of unique (and goofy) poems! Expect 13.8 billion laughs!” — Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids 2020
​
​“A HATFUL of DRAGONS is a fun, rhythmic, and sometimes interactive collection of illustrated poems, many of which beg to be read aloud. .. A nice complement to the classic, illustrated, poetry of [Shel] Silverstein, [Jack] Prelutsky, and [Roald] Dahl.” — Richie Partington, Richies Picks 

​“... It's really, really funny ... really fun to read aloud ... should really appeal to kids ... poem after poem with that sense of joy and fun and ridiculousness... what everyone needs right now ... ” — Vicky Smith, Kirkus Reviews Children's Editor, Kirkus Weekly Book Picks Podcast, April 21, 2020 

​“Oh my, do I love how this book puts joy, fun, and even silly back into poetry!" — RJ Julia Booksellers (The best bookstore in the country as per Publishers' Weekly)

Order Now!

Signed Copies:
Order from Island Books in Mercer Island WA
. 

 Online
:
Indiebound
​Bookshop.org
Barnes & Nobles
Books-a-Million
Amazon 
Chapters Indigo Canada
Amazon Canada
​
Amazon UK
Seattle Area
Independent Bookstores 

(Ask for a signed copy!):
Brick and Mortar Books (direct)
Island Books 
Page 2 Books (direct)
Elliott Bay Books
University Book Store
Third Place Books
Secret Garden Books
Queen Anne Books
Edmonds Bookshop
BookTree Kirkland
Eagle Harbor Books

“The word that best describes this book rhymes with ‘bilarious.’” — Adam Rex, NYT Bestselling author-artist of Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich

“With rigorous rhythm and rollicking rhyme, Vikram Madan's A Hatful of Dragons delivers a vatful of laughs!” 
​
— Douglas Florian, author-artist of Friends and Foes: Poems About Us All and dozens other poetry books

​“A FUN and ZANY collection for young readers!” — Professor Sylvia Vardell, Author/Editor of the Poetry Friday Anthology Series 
​“A fun, fresh poetry book to use with your students or kids... The book is filled with rhyming poems... poetry styles ... sophisticated language ... figurative language... With humor, zany adventures, this book will surely be a hit with any poet!" — StoryMamas Book Reviews 

​​“Vikram Madan's collection of poems is deliciously daft... It's pretty near impossible to pick favorites ... It's just the kind of book that even those who claim not to like poetry might well change their minds after hearing a couple from Vikram Madan's' gloriously gigglesome gallimaufry” — Red Reading Hub Blog

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School Library Journal Blog - Year End Poetry List 2020:
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  • ​​Age Range: 7 and up
  • Grade Level: 2 - 3
  • Hardcover: 64 pages
  • Publisher: Wordsong 
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1684371503
  • ISBN-13: 978-1684371501
  • Product Dimensions: 6.5" x 8.5" 
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds 
  • Release Date: March 18, 2020

A Flip-through of the Book:

A sample spread from the book:
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ACTUAL EARLY READER REVIEW COMMENTS (Average Rating ★★★★★):
  • "I love the sense of humor, quirky characters, and rich vocabulary."
  • "What a wonderful, creative, and whimsical book."
  • "Our entire family enjoyed it!"
  • "A great book to share with the kids in your life"
  • "A charming book for young and old!"
  • "The poems are witty and stimulate the imagination."
  • "Super funny and delightful book for young readers."
  • "A great read-aloud book ... you find more and more each time you go through it."
  • "A great gift for kids of any age."
  • "Super funny and delightful!"
  • "What a fun and witty book ... a wonderful book to discover and read together."
  • "Delightful poetry book for young or young at heart!"
  • "I laughed out loud! I'm so glad I have A Hatful of Dragons."
  • "Unlike any children's poetry collection these days!"
  • "Fun and silliness, uniquely presented."
  • "A fun, fresh, poetry book to use with your students or kids"
  • "I love this wonderful, silly poetry book!"
  • "So many wonderful words to add to your children's vocabulary!"
  • "Delightful and highly recommended!"
  • "13.8 Billion clever poems for under $20 is certainly a bargain!"
  • "Full of poems that make you laugh out loud!"
  • "I like the book all the way through!"
  • "Funny to read, interesting way to present stories"
  • "Writing, Word Choice, Drawings, Presentation.... Pure Delight!"
  • "The vocabulary is robust and stimulating. It’s a strong presence for children’s verse that looks (and is) light. Sneaky. And so noteworthy!"​

Here is the author reading a poem from the book:
Psst: See here for some educational resources and classroom teaching guide resources.

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BEHIND THE SCENES:
Get a peek into the world of this book through these blog posts:
  • Blog Tour Interviews
  • Back Cover Variations
  • Kirkus Starred Review
  • Signed Bookplates



  • School Library Journal Presentation
  • Online Book Launch Event​​
  • Hatful of Dragons Public Art​

Oh boy, the BEST BOOKSTORE in the country (as rated by Publishers Weekly) likes this book: "Oh my, do I love how this book puts joy, fun, and even silly back into poetry!"  Thank you RJ Julia Booksellers. 
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High praise from Josh Funk, Author of the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast picture-book series and dozens of other titles! 
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"Thought you didn't like poetry? Think again!" - a librarian's review

The Author Performing a Poem from this Book:

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"The illustrations accent the poetry perfectly. The poems are full of rhyme, rhythm, repetition, alliterations, and other poetic elements. I especially like how the poet used several related words in poems. What a great discussion piece as children are introduced to some fantastic language." - Online Reader Review
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"Once I began reading... the giggles started rolling and I was hooked. The characters have a sweetness and genuine quality that I found to be irresistible. This is a very clever collection of poems and pictures that will be fun to read aloud, and fun to share with children and silliness lovers of all ages." - Online Reader Review

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"Madcap and filled with zany and interesting ways to look at poetry and writing, this funny poem book is a fantastic addition to any funny poetry collection. Witty, quirky, and smart, don’t sleep on this poetry collection, or you’ll miss a dragon-sized hatful of laughs!" - ImaginationSoup.Net website Hatful of Dragons review.

Kirkus Reviews - Our Favorite Middle-Grade Books: "Readers after lighter fare will find some gems. Poet Vikram Madan serves up A Hatful of Dragons and (thanks to some fancy math) “More Than 13.8 Billion Other Funny Poems” (as the subtitle has it), illustrating his nonsense verse with equally amusing cartoons."
 
New York Public Library: "
Silly wordplays, letters all over the place, fill-in-the-blanks, and funky pictures make this poetry collection a delight!"

Evanston Public Library: "Hilarity abounds in this wild and wacky conglomeration of unique (and goofy) poems! Expect 13.8 billion laughs!"
​
Attention Readers and Booksellers: Please contact me for free signed bookplates . Click here for details.

​
MEDIA KIT

Online:
Indiebound
​Bookshop.org
Barnes & Nobles
Books-a-Million
Amazon 
Chapters Indigo Canada
Amazon Canada
Seattle Area Independent Bookstores 
(In no particular order):
Brick and Mortar Books (direct)
Island Books 
Page 2 Books (direct)
Elliott Bay Books
University Book Store
​Third Place Books
Secret Garden Books
Queen Anne Books
Edmonds Bookshop
BookTree Kirkland
Eagle Harbor Books
​

Signed Books Available from: 
Liberty Bay Books, Poulsbo WA
​R J Julia Booksellers, Madison CT
​
Island Books Mercer Island WA
Brick & Mortar Books Redmond WA
And many others.
If you purchased a book that isn't signed, here's how you can get a signed bookplate for the book.​
​

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© COPYRIGHT 2020 VIKRAM MADAN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.