Dragon Puncher by James Kochalka

Dragon Puncher Reviews

• 
  Jan Philipzig

  Hmmm... I can usually find some kind of meaning behind Kochalka's silliness, but not in this case. This one seems to be about defeating a dragon with a wooden spoon, and that's it.
• 
  Sam Quixote

  Dragon Puncher is a grumpy cat in a battle suit that punches dragons. He meets Spoony-E, a baby-faced chap with a wooden spoon, and the two team-up to battle a gigantic James Kochalka-faced dragon.
  
  So obviously this is a kid’s book but a number of Kochalka’s comics could be called that and still turned out to be surprisingly good, like Monkey Vs Robot, Pinky & Stinky (the pig astronauts) and Peanutbutter & Jeremy (about a cat and a bird who're chums). Dragon Puncher though wasn’t that great. The two characters banter annoyingly before defeating the dragon – the end.
  
  For this book Kochalka incorporates photos into his artwork so his cat Spandy is the Dragon Puncher, his son Oliver is Spoony-E and the artist himself is the evil Dragon. The backgrounds too are real world – some meadow/garden somewhere.
  
  Maybe kids will get a kick out of this one but there’s nothing here for Kochalka’s older readers.
• 
  Peter Derk

  I'm not going to give a JK book featuring his son and cat anything less than 5 stars, so cram it with walnuts, ugly.
• 
  Elizabeth

  This was a lot of fun. The author’s cat stars as the hero, his son is the lovable sidekick, and the author appears as the villainous dragon. This is cute, strange, and quirky. It’s fast-paced and bright, and it seems reminiscent of children’s imaginative play, which I’m sure is the point. I think kids would enjoy this, and I think it would also be fun for parents and other grownups who are used to playing with children.
• 
  Raina

  The main thing worth noting about this book is the unique illustration style. Kochalka uses photographs as his backgrounds - various photos of a field with woods in the distance, in this case - as well as as the facial details of his characters. The only drawn parts are the bodies (including the heads) of his characters, and any props and elements relevant to the battles being fought.
  
  Because, of course, this is a book about punching dragons.
  
  Which is interesting, actually, because dragons are currently pretty cool. Obviously there are exceptions, but there are many stories out right now about nice dragons, or secretly good dragons, or cute dragons. And this dragon is the ENEMY.
  
  Personally I felt little to no connection to the story and the humor isn't my style, but I believe the reviewers who say their kids like them (though I've never had a kid ask for these at my library). And they sure are full color and full of action. :)
• 
  J. Torres

  Dragon Puncher is part comic book, part fumetti, and all cool cartoon action. It's about a grumpy superhero cat who reluctantly teams up with a friendly young monster to defeat a dragon. Perfect for reading aloud and doing voices with your little comic book fan. I hope we see more Dragon Puncher in the near future. A quick, fun and very good read.
• 
  Jen

  Silly and hilarious. Lots o' fun!
• 
  P.M. Bradshaw

  One tough kitty, in armor, and his never-ending battle with dragons! A very cool mix of cartoons and photographs.
• 
  Alex Sarll

  A pissed-off cat in a battlesuit fights a dragon while trying to fend off the attentions of a would-be sidekick obsessed with spoons. Oh, and the backgrounds and faces are photos (the battlesuit and dragon body are not. Nor the spoon). Very silly and entirely insubstantial, but neither of those is a complaint.
• 
  Hannah Garrett

  LOVE IT.
• 
  Hayley

  Funny art, the rest of it pretty meh.
• 
  Michael Manschot

  Read it to my 4 year old. It was cute, short, kept her entertained.
• 
  ExLibrisMrHunt _ Christopher Hunt

  
  https://twitter.com/exlibrismrhunt/st...
  
  
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• 
  kim

  wanted to love it, but it felt more like an inside joke than something truly funny
• 
  Jill

  I honestly don't know what to say about this one. I wouldn't have given it 3 stars had my kids not enjoyed it and had I not other kids would to. I certainly did not, but that may be because I'm getting OLD! (or it's just not my thing!) I know that my 6 year old really liked the real-picture-faces. Here's my booktalk:
  
  A cat, aka Dragon Puncher is on the lookout for sneaky, evil dragons but instead comes across some sort of hairy spoon-wielding monster. Dragon Puncher is less than pleased to have this amiable, friendly creature as a sidekick. But he might just come in handy when it comes time to defeat the drooly, Blargh-y dragon.
  
  
  Thanks to other reviewers for some key phrases and getting my brain moving in order to sell this book that I don't care for, but think some kids will really like!
  
  
• 
  Harris

  I’ve been a James Kochalka fan for awhile, ever since coming across that old pre-YouTube viral video “Monkey vs. Robot” and then discovering his journal comics online and his energetic musical oeuvre in his band "James Kochalka Superstar." A multi-talented person, cult musician and cartoonist laureate of Vermont, this little picture book is a great intro to Kochalka’s childlike brand of comics, with its mix of simple drawings, vibrant colors, and action. Frolicking on the green grass under a blue sky, you can really see a summer afternoon of children's make believe play in the simple plot and dialogue of the Dragon Puncher, an overconfident, loner cat, the affectionate, fierce little furry thing who befriends him and the blarghy dragon. The combining photographs of the verdant Vermont fields and Kochalka and his family with his dynamic, fun drawings makes for a very cute read.
  
• 
  Libby

  Mr. Vincent was astonished at the concept of a super hero cat, and amazed by the battle against the dragon. It was even set in a meadow, which has been the coolest place to hang out ever since we watched Bambi. The best part was the author description at the end of the story . We talked about the family who created the book for a long time. I was hesitant to share this book with him at first because it has the word "puncher" in the title and that is not a skill I want the little man picking up right now, but so far it seems ok. We also talked about spoony, and the relationship between tools and weapons.
• 
  Carissa

  The first time I read through this, I REALLY didn't get it. Wow, that was weird. And then I read it through with my kid. and then I read the blurb on the back from Booklist that points out how this book "magically captures the exact sense of zaniness often discovered in backyard playtime" and I thought, 'Oooooohhhhh. I get it now!' Yes, this book is definitely zany, but my son has it memorized (after only a few readings) and we're both now looking forward to the sequel. Hmmm.... I think this would also translate into a puppet play quite nicely (though very odd perhaps. And the dragon drool might be tricky to replicate...).
• 
  Yvette

  This is a creative take on comic for young readers. N loved it! Such an inventive and fun story, and you just know that the writer is a Dad and Dragon Puncher is a game or story he plays with his kid.
  
  There is one image and action per page, not the 10 squares of comics packed into one page with lots of little talk bubbles. This clear, easy to follow, easy to read is a joy for young readers.
  
  My son is 7 and he loves it. It's difficult to find comics that he enjoys.
  
  I am looking forward to the other books by James Kochalka and would recommend this book to other kids and families.
• 
  Amanda

  An interesting children's comic that I'm still not quite sure what make of. The story is pretty simple (a dragon slayer reluctantly teams up with an eager, spoon-wielding sidekick) but the art style of the book is really interesting and makes story different. I liked the mixed media - pictures and cropped photos combined with cartoon-style art and illustrations. While I didn't find it particularly engaging, I can see this book being a wonderful read-aloud and the art is also a great way of teaching kids to tell their own stories.
• 
  Rebecca

  I found this concept (photo/comic collage) and execution hilarious, especially because Dragon Puncher is a cat. I agree with Erin's estimation that Dragon Puncher sounds like Dwight Schrute. Now I want to play in the backyard with James Kochalka and his kid and cat. And wooden spoon. Imagination rules!
• 
  Nicole

  I didn't want to like this (it's so weird!)...but I think I ended up liking it because of its bizarre-ness. The author worked his own face in to the illustrations (photo overlay on the dragon), his son onto the small critter with the spoon, and their cat into the dragon puncher himself. Simple story, but the changing facial expressions of the characters throughout sold me on it. :)
• 
  Caroline

  I laughed so uproariously, that after I caught my breath, I bought the book! My only complaint is that it was too short. Maybe that is a good thing, because a person can have a coronary laughing that hard for too long!
• 
  librarianh20

  4 stars for pure silliness and accessibility. This is the book for the kid that HATES TO READ AND WILL NOT READ SO THERE. And the cartooning style screams for a program where kids make their own Dragon Puncher-style comic.