I have been an avid audio book reader for a long time, but I have recently been exploring kid friendly titles to listen to with my own children as they grow up. How to Train Your Dragon is not a new title - it originally came out in 2004 - and I usually associate it with the animated movies and now apparently a series on Netflix? But holy cow, have I been missing out on the hilarity of these books for a long time! And maybe you have too! Rather than being 8 or the parent of an 8 year old in the early 2000's I was a moody high schooler. But now, I feel like I have been given a delayed present, many times over with the multivolume series to listen to myself and share with my own kids. I love discovering oldies but goodies!
With Roald Dahl style names, places, and exaggerated characters, Cowell weaves hilarious tales of reluctant heroism, subtle but invaluable bravery, and over the top adventures throughout this series. The audio books have the added magic of David Tennant's laugh out loud voices and interpretations of the characters. Follow Hiccup and his annoying, but lovable dragon companion Toothless, and best friend Fishlegs as they save the Hairy Hooligan tribe over and over again from Sea Dragons Giganticus Maximus, Alvin the treacherous, and often just themselves.
What's more - with them being out for years now - the copies are quickly available to download on the library's overdrive account through Libby, and you won't have to anxiously await for the next book in the series to come out. Happy listening!