The Ice Dragon

Name: The Ice Dragon
ISBN: 9787556041497

George R. R. Martin / Louis RoyChangjiang Children's Press (Group) Co., Ltd.2016

3.6

Chapters: 9
ISBN: 9787556041497

Report an error Find this book

Summary

Few people know that George R. R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire, was also a fine writer of fairy tales. The Ice Dragon, written in 1980, is the only fantasy tale for children he ever wrote. In this slim volume the outline of the world of ice and fire is already quietly taking shape: the disorder of the seasons, the wars of kings, heroes and dragons all have shadows in the story of Adara and the ice dragon. Some critics have suggested that the lonely girl whom her father sees as the one who took his wife's life bears a striking resemblance to the future Tyrion; Martin himself denies any direct plot connection between them. The translator of this edition, Qu Chang, is one of the principal translators of the Chinese edition of A Song of Ice and Fire, and the translation shares the same temperament as the series; the interior illustrations by the Spanish master Luis Royo are exquisite and vast, recalling Andersen and even earlier fairy-tale traditions. The book has eight chapters and is very short—an adult can finish it in a dozen minutes or so—yet it stays with you long after. This is not a children's book that paints the world in candy colors. Martin frankly shows the "bad" side of the world—death, bitter cold, war, and loss—but he does not dwell on violence; instead, courage and tenderness light the ending. For children it is a first lesson in the world of fantasy; for adult readers, especially fans of A Song of Ice and Fire, it is an invitation to recover a child's heart. The book was selected as one of the "Ten Best Children's Books of the Year" at the 2016 Shenzhen Reading Month.

Editor's review

很少有人知道，写出《冰与火之歌》的乔治·R.R.马丁，也写得一手好童话。《冰龙》是他创作于1980年的作品，也是他一生中唯一一部奇幻童话。在这部薄薄的小书里，冰与火的世界雏形已悄然浮现：季节的纷乱、列王的争斗、英雄与魔龙，都能在阿黛菈与冰龙的故事中寻到影子。有评论认为，那个被父亲视作“夺走妻子性命之人”的孤独女孩，与日后的提利昂有着惊人的相似；马丁本人则否认两者有直接的情节关联。本书译者屈畅是《冰与火之歌》中文版的主要译者之一，译文与“冰火”系列的气质一脉相承；西班牙插画大师路易斯·罗伊的内页插图考究而壮阔，让人想起安徒生乃至更早的童话传统。全书八章，篇幅短小，成年人十几分钟就能读完，读后却久久不能平息。这不是一本只把世界涂成糖果色的童书。马丁坦荡地展示了世界“不好”的那一面——死亡、严寒、战争与失去，却没有渲染暴力，而是让勇气与温情照亮结局。对孩子而言，它是通往奇幻世界的一节启蒙课；对成年读者，尤其对“冰火”粉丝而言，它是一回复拾赤子之心的邀约。本书曾入选2016深圳读书月“年度十大童书”。

Who it's for

A good fit for

7—12岁、已能独立阅读长篇故事的小读者，以及对龙与奇幻世界充满兴趣的孩子
《冰与火之歌》系列的成年读者，想看看马丁笔下难得的温情一面
希望与孩子共读并讨论亲情、孤独与责任的家长
喜爱插画书、注重装帧与画面质感的读者和收藏者

Not a good fit for

期待看到《冰与火之歌》式复杂权谋与成人情节的读者
希望读到长篇厚重奇幻小说的读者，本书篇幅很短
年龄偏小、对“母亲的离世”这类情节较为敏感且尚未做好心理准备的幼儿

Reading tips

全书仅八章、篇幅很短，可安排一到两个晚上读完；当作睡前亲子共读故事也很合适。
读到阿黛菈与父亲之间沉默的段落时，不妨停下来问问孩子：你觉得他们各自在想什么？
对“冰火”读者而言，可留意季节设定与冰龙描写，这对理解马丁奇幻世界的早期构想很有帮助。
读完后可与孩子聊聊结尾的“春暖归”：为什么阿黛菈最终不再只是“冬孩子”？

About the publisher

Changjiang Children's Press (Group) Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1982

Changjiang Children's Press is a Chinese publisher of books for young readers, known in English as Changjiang Children's Press (Group) Co., Ltd. Judging from the titles in our database, its publishing focuses on children's literature in areas such as foreign literature and inspirational growth. Representative works include Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton, as well as the Pan Gong's Secret series supported by authors such as Situ Ping'an and Li Peirong, including volumes like The Cursed Dark Old House, The Disappearing Chamber, The Mysterious Island, The Dark Handprint, Hell Maze City, Lord Ghosteye's Dragon Skeleton Key and Escape from the Tomb. The press shows a preference for series-based story books that appeal to young readers and for translated foreign animal literature that broadens their reading horizons. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the eighteen titles in our database.

Chapter One: Child of Winter
Chapter Two: Love in the Snow
Chapter Three: The Cold Wind Rises
Chapter Four: War Comes
Chapter Five: Ash and Ember
Chapter Six: The Trial of Fire
Chapter Seven: The Wrath of Frost
Chapter Eight: Spring's Warm Return
Editor's Afterword: The Love and Responsibility in Life

FAQ

这本书和《冰与火之歌》是同一个故事吗？

不是。马丁本人否认两者存在直接的情节关联，但《冰龙》中季节纷乱、英雄与魔龙等设定，与《冰与火之歌》的世界有明显相似之处，因此常被视为他奇幻世界的雏形。

适合多大的孩子读？

出版社建议读者年龄为9—14岁，媒体与评论者则多推荐7—11岁。书中涉及母亲离世、战争和牺牲等主题，叙述克制、没有血腥描写，建议家长根据孩子的阅读经验判断。

篇幅长吗？多久能读完？

全书分为八章，篇幅很短，许多读者反映十几分钟到半小时左右即可读完；插图占去相当篇幅，整体节奏紧凑。

中文版的译者和插画是谁？

中文简体版由屈畅翻译，他是《冰与火之歌》中文版的主要译者之一；插图由西班牙插画师路易斯·罗伊绘制。长江少年儿童出版社2016年4月出版。

有繁体中文版吗？

有。台湾寂寞出版社于2019年4月出版繁体中文版《冰龍：冰與火之歌的起點，喬治馬汀最愛的故事》，译者为苏莹文，ISBN为9789869601894。

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

George R. R. Martin Author · American · 1948

George R. R. Martin is an American author, screenwriter, and television producer born in New Jersey in 1948. He is best known for the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, celebrated for its multi-stranded narrative, intricate character relationships, and a world rife with political intrigue. The story centers on the struggle among great families for the Iron Throne, combining grand battle scenes with finely drawn characters. HBO adapted the series into the Emmy-winning show Game of Thrones, further expanding its global influence. His works are often categorized as otherworldly continent fantasy, and the library holds 24 of his titles, including the volumes of A Song of Ice and Fire. Martin has won the Hugo and Nebula Awards multiple times and was named to Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people in 2011.