Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is a truly extraordinary Viking hero known throughout Vikingdom as the "Dragon Whisperer" on account of his power over the terrifying beasts—but it wasn't always so.
Travel back to the days when the mighty warrior was just a boy, the quiet and thoughtful son of the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans. Can Hiccup capture a dragon and train it without being torn limb from limb? Join the adventure as the small boy finds a better way to train his dragon and becomes a hero!
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.
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.