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A magical evening with Puff and Peter

We didn’t find out where “Honalee” was, but we did hear the good news that Puff the Magic Dragon didn’t have to stay in his cave after he “sadly slipped into” it.

Peter Yarrow, the “Peter” in the folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary, was at the Encinitas Barnes and Noble bookstore on October 19 to sing and sign copies of his new illustrated children’s book, “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

The song, written by Lenny Lipton and Yarrow, then recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1963, chronicles a tale of a young boy, Jackie Paper, who has an imaginary dragon friend, Puff. In the original song, Jackie Paper grew up and “Puff the Magic Dragon sadly slipped into his cave.”

However, the new illustrated version shows a little girl playing with Puff as her father peers around the corner. Yarrow implies in the book that Puff now has a new friend, Jackie Paper’s daughter. The new ending was written with Yarrow’s own daughter, Bethany, in mind.

Accompanying the book is a four-song CD which has a newly recorded version of the song sung by Yarrow and Bethany.

At Barnes and Noble, Yarrow seemed unhurried as he strummed his acoustic guitar and, in his mellow but vibrant voice, sang a repertoire of children’s songs with the younger members of the audience. His gift for reaching out to children was evident.

Yarrow then sang songs that elicited participation from the older members of the audience: “I’m leavin’ on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again…” Then, when he sang about Puff, the audience heartily joined him.

“How many of you were concerned about Puff?” Yarrow asked the audience. Hands went up throughout the room. He then explained that was the very reason he wrote a happy ending into his book.

“It is not sad, because Jackie Paper said to his daughter, ‘Do you want to play with Puff?’ So she closes her eyes and plays with him.”

This happy new version is beautifully illustrated by French artist Eric Puybaret. He gives Puff expressive eyes and a whimsical substance to the imagined world of Honalee.

Barnes and Noble stocked pre-signed copies of Yarrow’s book, which he then personalized after the presentation. During the book-signing Yarrow’s gentle nature emerged as he spoke softly with the guests. Wheelchair-bound visitors were given front line privileges and I could just imagine Puff the Magic Dragon hovering over the festive gathering in a green cloud of scales and a happy grin on his face.

 

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