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{{Infobox television
 | show_name = Dragon Tales
 | image = Dragon Tales logo.jpg
 | runtime = 30 minutes per episode
 | country = United States<br>Canada
 | num_seasons = 3
 | num_episodes = 94<br />157 (segments)<ref name="tvcomepisodes">{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/dragon-tales/episodes/|title=TV.com - ''Dragon Tales'' episode listing|accessdate = December 18, 2014}}</ref>
 | list_episodes = List of Dragon Tales episodes
 | network = [[PBS Kids]]
 | first_aired = {{start date|1999|09|06}}
 | last_aired = {{end date|2005|11|25}}
 | executive_producer = [[Jim Coane]] (1999–2001) <br />[[Nina Elias-Bamberger]] (1999–2003) <br />Jeff Kline (2001–2005)
 | producer = Richard Raynis (1999–2001) <br> Jeff Kline (1999–2001) <br> [[Ron Rodecker]] <br> Cliff Ruby (1999–2001) <br> Elana Lesser (1999–2001)
 | developer = [[Jim Coane]] <br> [[Wesley Eure]] <br> Jeffrey Scott <br> Cliff Ruby <br> Elana Lesser
 | theme_music_composer = Mary Wood, [[Jesse Harris]], and [[Joey Levine]]
 | composer = [[Joey Levine]] & Co.<br>Jim Latham<br>Brian Garland
 | creator = [[Ron Rodecker]] <br>[[Jim Coane]] 
 | director =  Tim Eldred <br> Curt Walstead <br> Phil Weinstein <br> Michael Hack <br> Gloria Jenkins
 | company = [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop]] <small>(1999–2000)</small><br>[[Sesame Workshop]] <small>(2000–2005)</small><br> [[Columbia TriStar Television]] <small>(1999–2002)</small><br>[[Sony Pictures Television]] <small>(2002–2005)
 | voices=[[Andrea Libman]] <br> [[Danny McKinnon]] <br> Aida Ortega <small>(Season 3)</small> <br> [[Ty Olsson]] <br> [[Chantal Strand]] <br> [[Jason Michas]] <br> [[Kathleen Barr]] <br> [[Eli Gabay]] <br> [[Scott McNeil]] <br> [[Garry Chalk (actor)|Garry Chalk]]}}

'''''Dragon Tales''''' is an American-Canadian<ref name="sesamearchive">[http://www.sesameworkshop.org/archive/dragon-tales/ ''Dragon Tales'' - "A Magical World of Rainbow Rivers and Talking Trees", archive, on Sesame Workshop's official website]</ref><ref name="sonywonder">[http://web.archive.org/web/20130216142549/http://www.dragontalestv.com/ Sony Pictures Television official Dragon Tales site, available on Internet Archive]</ref> animated pre-school [[children's television series]] created by [[Jim Coane]] and [[Ron Rodecker]] and developed by Coane, [[Wesley Eure]], Jeffrey Scott, Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser. The story focuses on the adventures of two siblings, Emmy and Max, and their dragon friends Ord, Cassie, Zak, Wheezie, and Quetzal. The series began broadcasting on the [[PBS]] on their [[PBS Kids]] block on September 6, 1999, with its final episode aired on November 25, 2005; re-runs ceased on August 31, 2010. It also aired on [[Arutz HaYeladim]]. On September 1, 2010, Dragon Tales was removed from all PBS Kids stations for good and its programming and website have disappeared. However, episodes of the show are still sold on DVD. The program's full library of episodes was made available to subscribers of the streaming service [[Netflix]].<ref name="netflix">{{cite web|url=http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70171970?locale=en-US&mqso=81200269&titleVideoId=70171970&awadgroupid=8741837170&awcampaignid=140948050&awcreative=44642136850&awdevice=c&awexpid&awkeyword=dragon%20tales%20netflix&awmatchtype=e&awnetwork=g&awposition=2t1&gclid=CMHx7Yv7l8ICFSRo7AodnBoAcQ|title=''Dragon Tales'' on Netflix|accessdate=November 25, 2014}}</ref> Though never released in a full season or series format on DVD, numerous individual releases were made available from all seasons on both DVD and VHS formats, a total of at least 17 DVD releases, each typically featuring at least 5 stories from the show, including "Adventures in Dragon Land," "Playing Fair Makes Playing Fun" and the animated / live-action special "Let's Start a Band."<ref name="sonywonder2">{{cite web|url=http://www.sonywonder.com/parents/dvd-preschool.php?category=dragon-tales|title=Sony Wonder - DVD - Preschool - ''Dragon Tales''|publisher=[[Sony Wonder]]|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}</ref>

[[Kellogg's]] cereal company and their associated products [[Rice Krispies]], [[Froot Loops]], [[Frosted Flakes]] and card maker, [[American Greetings]] were major sponsors throughout the program's run.<ref name="ctwsponsors">{{cite web|url=http://www2.ctw.org/preschool/dragontales/fun/0,4265,,00.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20000620085012/http://www2.ctw.org/preschool/dragontales/fun/0,4265,,00.html|title=CTW - ''Dragon Tales'' - Fun & Games! (see bottom-of-page information)|archive-date=June 20, 2000|accessdate=December 5, 2014}}</ref>

==Origin==
''Dragon Tales'' is based on the characters created in 1978<ref name="rodecker">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sesameworkshop.org/archive/dragon-tales/|title=''Dragon Tales'' - A Magical World of Rainbow Rivers and Talking Trees|accessdate=December 5, 2014|publisher=[[Sesame Workshop]]}}</ref> by Laguna Beach, California artist and retired educator [[Ron Rodecker]], who was recovering from a [[Coronary artery bypass surgery|coronary artery bypass graft]] when he began sketching dragons as a means of symbolizing forces in life that were too big to control.<ref name="rodecker" /><ref>[http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.dbpcosdcsgt.co.san-diego.ca.us/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=104C01D367C2DE2F&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=3 Millennium Web Catalog]. 0-infoweb.newsbank.com.dbpcosdcsgt.co.san-diego.ca.us. Retrieved on 2011-10-13.</ref> In 1997, Jim Coane, then a producer at [[Columbia TriStar Television]], found the artwork and developed it into a television series with several writers. Coane then brought the project to the [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop]], where Marjorie Kalins helped him and Columbia TriStar Television obtain a grant from the [[United States Department of Education|Department of Education]] and the [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]]. The grant proposal was written by Wesley Eure. As Columbia TriStar was the TV division of two major Hollywood [[Columbia Pictures|film]] [[TriStar Pictures|studios]], which in turn were owned by [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]], this made ''Dragon Tales'' the one of the few [[PBS Kids]] programs to be co-produced by a major Hollywood studio's TV subsidiary. The other PBS shows made by a major Hollywood studio were [[Bill Nye the Science Guy|Bill Nye The Science Guy]] (made by [[Walt Disney Television]]) and [[Curious George (TV series)|Curious George]] (produced by [[Universal Television]]) In 2002, C-T was renamed to [[Sony Pictures Television]], a company that would co-produce the third season of the program. Coane was the executive producer for the first two seasons.

==Show premise and overview==
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|quote     = ''Dragon Tales'' has three primary educational goals. They are:

*To encourage children to take on new or difficult challenges in their lives
*To help children recognize that there is more than one way to approach a challenge
*To help children understand that to try and not succeed fully is a valuable and natural part of learning
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|source    = ''Dragon Tales'' official website Parents FAQ<ref name="faqparent">{{cite web|url=http://pbskids.sproutonline.me/dragontales/parentsteachers/faq_parent.html|accessdate=December 29, 2014|title=Parents & Teachers - ''Dragon Tales'' - Frequently Asked Questions for Parents}}</ref>
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The series focused on the exploits of two siblings, Emmy and Max, in possession of an enchanted dragon scale capable of transporting them to a whimsical fantasy land inhabited by colorful anthropomorphic dragons upon their recitation of a rhyme. Befriended by four friendly talking dragons with distinctive personalities, Ord, Cassie, Zak, and Wheezie, they frequently travel to Dragon Land and assist their friends in fulfilling particular quests, assisting them in their daily problems, and learning important morals through their experiences with the educational whimsy of Dragon Land.

Designed to educate preschoolers mildly in Hispanic culture (because of the Spanish origins of a portion of the central characters), during the program's final seasons a new character named Enrique debuted, providing the series with a third protagonist. Surrounded by a variety of unique characters and faced with numerous differing situations, Emmy and Max commonly embark on adventures with their anthropomorphic friends, conquering fears or achieving goals in spite of any obstacles preventing them from doing so.

As a series broadcast on PBS Kids, the program had an educational focus, combining lessons of a pro-social nature with those of more general educational value. Educational topics covered included identifying shapes, learning words and letters in both English and Spanish, counting and basic math. Social topics were also covered, such as good sportsmanship, the importance of being a good friend, overcoming obstacles such as jealousy or fears and getting along with siblings. Many of the show's interstitial song segments, known as "Dragon Tunes," also covered such topics, such as the "Making It Fun" song which encouraged viewers to not complain about having to do seemingly mundane chores such as washing dishes or helping parents with cooking meals, but instead find ways to make them fun. Another, "Hum," encouraged those who had a fear of the dark or trying new things to hum a gentle tune to comfort them. Stated goals of the program's educational philosophy included the encouragement of pursuing new experiences, finding ways to approach and learn from challenges and that learning can come through trying and not succeeding.<ref name="ephilosophy">{{cite web|url=http://pbskids.org/dragontales/parentsteachers/educational_philosophy.html|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070308175138/http://pbskids.org/dragontales/parentsteachers/educational_philosophy.html|archive-date=March 8, 2007|accessdate=December 4, 2014|title=Parents & Teachers - ''Dragon Tales'' - Educational Philosophy}}</ref> Despite two of the show's human leads, Emmy and Enrique, being six years old, the show's described target audience was children closer to the age of four.<ref name="target">Scott, Jeffrey. (2002). ''How to Write for Animation''. New York: [[The Overlook Press|Overlook Hardcover]]. ISBN 1-5856-7240-8. p. 126</ref>

Another key theme of the program was the encouragement of honest and candid expressions of emotion. In "Cassie, the Green-Eyed Dragon," Cassie felt jealous of her little brother, Finn, when he gets everyone's attention when she takes him to school for "[[circle time]]." Discussing the matter with her best friend, Emmy, and Quetzal, the teacher at the School in the Sky, helps her to understand that jealousy is a natural feeling that everyone experiences sometimes, but that there are ways that she can appreciate her brother, while still feeling appreciated herself.<ref name="greeneyed">''Dragon Tales'' story - Season 2 - "Cassie, the Green-Eyed Dragon"</ref> In "Feliz Cumpleaños, Enrique," Enrique feels sad and homesick for his birthplace of Colombia when his birthday celebrations in Dragon Land aren't like the traditions of his old home. He talks with Quetzal, who encourages him to cry, even though he had been told that crying was something a boy at his age wasn't supposed to do. After doing so, he feels better and is able to enjoy his party celebrations.<ref name="feliz">''Dragon Tales'' story - Season 3 - "Feliz Cumpleaños, Enrique"</ref>

As with [[Educational goals of Sesame Street|''Sesame Street'']], which was also produced by Children's Television Workshop, the program's creators encouraged "co-viewing," the practice of parents or other caregivers watching the program along with their children and engaging in activities such as discussion, singing and dancing, and pretend play.<ref name="faqparent" /> The program's official website offered a number of activities and lesson plans to aid in these efforts.<ref name="activities">{{Cite web|url=http://pbskids.sproutonline.me/dragontales/parentsteachers/activities.html|title=''Dragon Tales'' - Parents & Teachers - Activities}}</ref><ref name="lessonplans">{{Cite web|url=http://pbskids.sproutonline.me/dragontales/parentsteachers/lesson.html|title=''Dragon Tales'' - Parents & Teachers - Lesson Plans}}</ref>

==Characters==
{{imageframe|width=330|content=[[File:Emmy and Max.JPG|250px]]&nbsp;<br>[[File:Dragon Tales main characters.JPG|250px]]|caption=Protagonists Emmy and Max (top image) in a season 2 episode of ''Dragon Tales''. Ord, Enrique, Max, Emmy, Zak and Wheezie, and Cassie in a season 3 episode (bottom image) of ''Dragon Tales''.}}

===Emmy===
Emmy, voiced by [[Andrea Libman]], is six years old. She commonly appears as the leader of the group until she gave her position to Enrique while helping him get used to Dragon Land. She is Max's older sister. Her best friend is Cassie, and she is perhaps known for saying, "Definitely!" whenever a good idea arises. Though Emmy is not ashamed to do "girly" things with her best friend, Cassie, she is also heavily into sports and games and generally is up for any activity regardless of traditional gender roles. Though she experiences occasional jealousy of her brother, the two are otherwise usually together within Dragon Land and share many adventures. Though a brave, smart natural leader, she is also impulsive and doesn't always think before she acts. She is typically seen wearing a blue [[Jumper (dress)|jumper]] over a red shirt.<ref name="chardesc">{{cite web|url=http://pbskids.org/dragontales/parentsteachers/character_descriptions.html|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070308175122/http://pbskids.org/dragontales/parentsteachers/character_descriptions.html|archive-date=March 8, 2007|accessdate=December 4, 2014|title=Parents & Teachers - ''Dragon Tales'' - Character Descriptions}}</ref>

===Max===
Max, voiced by [[Danny McKinnon]], is four years old.<ref>http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Dragon-Tales/side-by-side/</ref> He is Emmy's younger brother. For the most part, he and Emmy get along fine, but occasionally have arguments. He is prone to anger. His best friend is Ord. Though Max loves his older sister, Emmy, he sometimes struggles with being the younger brother, upset about being too little to do certain things, or frustrated when Emmy acts in certain ways. He is an adventurous sort and sometimes helps to give courage to Ord when he's afraid of things like visiting a dark forest. He is kind to others and encourages Emmy when she is at first reluctant about allowing Enrique to share the secret of Dragon Land. He often enjoys acting silly or goofy. He sometimes acts in a stubborn manner, determined to prove that a child his age can do things on his own, even when he really needs help. He usually wears a green short-sleeved shirt with yellow on the collar & edges of the shirt-sleeves and brown slacks.<ref name="chardesc" />

===Enrique===
Enrique, voiced by Aida Ortega, is also six years old. He is Emmy and Max's new friend who moved from [[Colombia]] to the United States and also once lived in Puerto Rico. He is raised by his dad and his grandmother ("''abuelita''") <ref name="officialfaq">{{cite web|url=http://pbskids.sproutonline.me/dragontales/parentsteachers/faq_general.html|accessdate=December 29, 2014|title=Parents & Teachers - ''Dragon Tales'' - Frequently Asked Questions}}</ref> He first appears in the beginning of Season 3 and travels to Dragon Land with the children. His recent experiences in South America provide more opportunities for the characters to demonstrate the meanings of new Spanish words, much like ''[[Dora the Explorer]]'', Rosita from ''[[Sesame Street]]'', and ''[[Handy Manny]]''  as he is bilingual.<ref name="officialfaq" />

He rides with Zak and Wheezie, the 2-headed dragon who rarely flew with any human friends prior to Enrique's debut.

His personality is somewhat bashful, missing his homeland of Colombia and sometimes shy to join in on new experiences and saddened by reminders of times from his former home that he no longer has. However, he finds that he enjoys himself when he allows himself to let go, express his feelings and then move forward to have fun. He is raised by his grandparents and described as an intensely smart and logical character. A series of moves throughout his young life has left him jaded and wary of both making new friends and trying new things. He normally wears a bright yellow short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.<ref name="officialfaq" />

===Ord===
Ord, voiced by [[Ty Olsson]], is the blue male dragon who can turn invisible when he's scared. He is best friends with Max, who rides on his back. Ord is extremely fond of food and always carries some 'just in case'; A running gag in the show features Ord making "Dragon Corn" by throwing purple popcorn kernels in the air and frying them with his fire breath. Ord is afraid of many things, particularly the dark. He wants to learn to control these fears so that he can have fun with his friends.<ref name="sproutchar">{{cite web|url=http://pbskids.sproutonline.me/dragontales/parentsteachers/character_descriptions.html|title=Sprout Online - ''Dragon Tales'' - Parents - "Who are the main characters in the series?"|accessdate=December 12, 2014}}</ref>

===Cassie===
Cassie, voiced by [[Chantal Strand]], is a shy, demure, and sweet pink female dragon and Emmy's best friend. She possesses a magical tendency to shrink when unhappy, and may occasionally come across as slightly insecure and uncertain, and is prone to worrying. However, Cassie is distinguished by her maternal sweetness as a result of her responsibilities as an older sister and babysitter to a humongous myriad of younger siblings, and has been shown to be gifted with great singing and dancing abilities, as revealed in one episode. Cassie also is characterized by her color combination consisting of pink and yellow, albeit her body is spotted with blue speckles in some areas. Cassie knows just about everything there is to know about Dragon Land and has a deep love of fairy-tales, both stemming from her love of reading. Her dragon badge glows when she feels confident, but she often worries about making a mistake.<ref name="ctwcassie">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ctw.org/preschool/dragontales/characters/0,4278,cassie,00.html|title=Dragontales - characters - "Meet Cassie!"|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20000620023542/http://www.ctw.org/preschool/dragontales/characters/0,4278,cassie,00.html|archive-date=June 20, 2000|accessdate=December 5, 2014}}</ref>

===Zak and Wheezie===

Zak and Wheezie, voiced by [[Jason Michas]] and [[Kathleen Barr]], are [[Conjoined twin]] dragons and are siblings; Zak (green) is the male, and Wheezie (purple) is the female. Zak prefers to pursue things in a logical manner. He is neat and clean, but also worries a lot and is pessimistic about many things. His catch phrase is "Take it easy, Wheezieee!", which he often screams when Wheezie takes off running, dragging him with her. Wheezie is very bold, enthusiastic and hyper but can also be quite messy and loud, much to her brother's annoyance, and is perhaps known for saying, "Loooove it!", when she loves something. She is a quick, wild, and free spirited. She loves to run and do cart-wheels and back- flips, which make Zak nauseous and dizzy. They have a shared love of music and performing and they often perform in talent shows and recitals together.<ref name="sproutchar" />

Zak and Wheezie always fly with Enrique, although prior to his debut, Zak and Wheezie rarely flew with any of their human friends. Their dragon badges glow when they work together and get along, though will sometimes glow independently when one of them accomplishes something on their own of significance. Although they fight a lot, they are very close and care about each other a lot.

===Quetzal===
Quetzal, portrayed by [[Eli Gabay]], is an elderly dragon who is the teacher at The School in the Sky where young dragons attend. He has an [[Twin|identical twin]] brother named Fernando who works in his garden. Quetzal typically speaks with a Mexican accent, and is likely named for the Aztec deity [[Quetzalcoatl]]. He tries to encourage his young charges to find solutions to their problems on their own, but is a sounding board who offers stability and comfort, as well as sound advice.<ref name="sproutchar" /> In the episode 'Snow Dragon,' Quetzal mentions it has been hundreds of years since he visited the dragon snow sculpture as a child, implying he is centuries old.

===Other characters===
Each of the following have appeared more than once:
* '''Arlo''', a dragon who works at the Dragon Dump; he has a machine at the Dragon Dump which he calls his lil' ol' recycler that sorts out things that can be used again. (Scott McNeil)
* '''Dr. Booboogone''', a veteran pink dragon who works as a [[Physician|doctor]]. She wears a doctor's coat. (Shirley Milliner)
* '''Captain Scallywag''', a pirate who captains a flying [[galleon]]. (Scott McNeil)
* '''Chilly''', a living snowman who lives on top of the Stickleback Mountains with his snowdog Nippy. (French Tickner)
* '''Cyrus''', a [[lizard]]-like "slinky serpent"; he often tries to steal others' eggs to eat. ([[Ian James Corlett]])
* '''Eunice''', a [[winged unicorn]]. She can't see very well, so she wears [[Eyeglasses|glasses]]. ([[Janyse Jaud]])
* '''Finn''', voiced by Ellen Kennedy, is Cassie's younger brother. He is light blue, toddler-aged, attached to his [[Comfort object|blankie]], and only just learning to fly. He is prone to tantrums when upset.<ref name="iptv">{{cite web|url=http://www.iptv.org/series.cfm/8242/dragon_tales/ep:309/episodes|title=IPTV - ''Dragon Tales'' - Finn's Blankie/Let's Dance (#309)|accessdate=December 12, 2014}}</ref>
* '''The Giant of Nod''', leader of a group called the Nodlings. While much bigger than his fellow Nodlings, he is smaller than any of the main characters, but is enormously strong. ([[Blu Mankuma]])
* '''Lorca''', voiced by [[Lenore Zann]], is Max, Emmy, Zak, Wheezie, Ord, and Cassie's friend. He is on a [[wheelchair]] and is incapable of flight. Despite his physical limitations, however, Lorca enjoys participating in adventures and sports activities and encourages his friends to think of new ways to do things.<ref name="AZPM">{{cite web|url=https://tv.azpm.org/schedules/episode/16448/|title=Arizona Public Media - Episode of Dragon Tales - "The Balancing Act/A Small Victory"|accessdate=December 15, 2014}}</ref>
*'''Kiki''', Cassie's younger sister. Kiki is green. She seems slightly younger than Finn and still drinks from a bottle. She is attached to her "squishy," an oddly shaped fruit that she enjoys squeezing.<ref name="ropebaby">{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/dragon-tales/rope-trick-baby-troubles-108470/|title=TV.com - ''Dragon Tales'' - "Rope Trick / Baby Troubles"|accessdate=December 18, 2014}}</ref> (Ellen Kennedy)
* '''Mungus''', a [[Giant (mythology)|giant]] who lives in a castle in the clouds; he knows many folks in Dragon Land since he can travel far and wide in just a few steps. ([[Garry Chalk]])
* '''Mr. Pop''', a gnome like character that steals Wizzie's voice with his sound switcher. ([[Ian James Corlett]])
* '''Priscilla''', the manager at the lost and found, who during her first appearance, was feeling embarrassed because her wings (often called "feathers") were bigger than those of other dragons. She eventually realized that boy dragons like girl dragons with big wings and raises her self-esteem. ([[Erin Fitzgerald]])
* '''Polly Nimbus''', the operator of the [[cloud]] Factory, which controls Dragon Land's weather. Her surname is a pun off of [[nimbus cloud]]s. (Kathleen Barr)
* '''Sid Sycamore''', voiced by [[Scott McNeil]], is a talking [[tree]] who loves telling jokes that relate to the concept of trees; the dragons' [[tree house]] is attached to him. When upset, the children will sometimes go to talk to him to be cheered up by his jokes.<ref name="UNZ">{{Cite web|url=http://www.unz.org/Pub/Netflix-02473|title=Dragon Tales: Season 1 on UNZ|accessdate=December 15, 2014}} - See "Emmy's Dreamhouse / Dragon Sales" [''sic''] regarding use as a treehouse</ref>
* '''Wyatt''', a talking [[wishing well]] that immediately grants any wish for a single coin. Often tells stereotypically bad [[pun]]s. He is old friends with Quetzal. Whenever coins pile up too high, he knows it is time for them to be emptied and taken to the First Dragon Land Bank. Earlier in the series, he was called Willy. ([[Doug Parker (voice actor)|Doug Parker]])
* '''Emmy and Max's parents''', they are not seen in the series, but their voices are often heard off-screen in most episodes. They call out to Emmy and Max from downstairs at the beginning or end of an episode. Their mom is voiced by Kathleen Barr, and their dad is voiced by Eli Gabay.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ChantalStrand/status/372122403553284098|author=Chantal Strand|date=2013-08-26|accessdate=2013-08-26|title=I remember their Mom was played by Kathleen Barr, pretty sure Eli Gabbay played their Dad.}}</ref>

==Places in Dragon Land==
Dragon Land is the fantasy world where the majority of the show takes place. It is home to numerous colorful, anthropomorphic dragons and many other fantastical creatures. Max and Emmy travel to Dragon Land  by holding an enchanted dragon scale while reciting the rhyme: "I wish, I wish, with all my heart, to fly with dragons in a land apart." The scale then teleports them to Dragon Land. It appears that it does not matter who does or doesn't say the rhyme, as long as at least one person says it; whever is holding the dragon scale while they say the rhyme will be teleported with them. Returning home from Dragon Land is done in the same fashion, although no dragon scale is needed. The rhyme is: "I wish, I wish, to use this rhyme, to go back home until next time." The person reciting the rhyme, as well as all those holding their hand, will be transported back to where the reciter said the rhyme that took them to Dragon Land.
*[[Basketball court|'''Basketball Court''']] – For one episode, Emmy and Max and the dragons come here for a game of [[basketball]].
*'''Chile Valley''' – A valley with lots of tasty, yet spicy chilly peppers, which are red in color and resemble dragonberries.
*'''The Cloud Factory''' – Where a dragon named Polly Nimbus manufactures rain clouds, snow clouds, etc., and ejects them into the sky as needed.
*'''Crystal Cave''' – A giant, crystallized cave where crystals are stored and special crystals dance, with the aid of water from Singing Springs, and some Dandelion fuzzies from the Dandelion Forest.
*'''Crystal Fountain''' – A fountain inside Crystal Cave for cleaning.
*'''Dandelion Forest''' – A forest made of [[dandelions]] that actually roar and growl like real lions, and are as tall as trees. Ord is so allergic to dandelions that when he sneezes in front of the dandelions, he usually does so with an incredible force that the dandelions lose their seeds and turn sad.
*'''Dragon Beaver Dam''' – A dam where the dragonbeavers reside.
*'''Dragon Dump''' – The place where the citizens of Dragon Land send their garbage to be recycled or disposed of. It's run by a dragon named Arlo.
*'''Dragoon Lagoon''' – A large lagoon seen in many episodes. It is home to creatures called silliguanas and hissyfish. It even has a plug at the bottom just like a bathtub.
*'''Dragon Land Laundry''' – A place where dragons do laundry.
*'''Dr. BoobooGone's office''' – Where dragons go when sick or hurt.
*'''The Forest of Darkness''' – A large forest that holds trees with glowing stars, but is very dark. Ord is very afraid of this forest because of its darkness and other things that inhabit this strange Forest.
*'''Lost Forever Hole''' – A small tunnel formed by a river. According to Ord, any thing that flows on the river through the hole is "lost forever". Because it isn't really explored, it is unknown if this is true or not.
*'''Marshmallow Marsh''' – A swamp full of sticky marshmallow goo, which is almost impossible to clean off and it is near Mushroom Meadow.
*'''Mushroom Meadow''' – A large field of mushrooms with "bouncy" tops. The dragons and the children often play there.
*'''The Knuckerhole''', Zak & Wheezie's home. Of course, there are also lots of other knuckerholes all over Dragonland.
*'''Rainbow Canyon''' – A canyon with [[pigments]] that make paint. When it rains, the pigments turn to mud.
*'''Rainbow Falls''' – A waterfall where there are always rainbows.
*'''The School in the Sky''' – The school where the dragon children are taught by Quetzal.
*'''Singing Springs''' – A gold fountain that plays music. It is seen in the opening and closing of the Dragon Tunes segment.
*'''Stickleback Mountains''' – Another mountain range, with colored sticks that have to be pulled out carefully.
*'''Snowy Summit''' – A frigid, snow-covered mountain range, where Chilly the Snowman and his snow puppy Nippy live.
*'''Treasure Trove''' – A cave where dragons keep their treasure it's guarded by a magic door located in knuckerhole.
*'''Turtle Rock''' – A rock that is shaped like a turtle.
*'''Wyatt the Wishing Well''' – A well where dragons or people can make wishes, which actually come true if they flip a coin into the well. The well is inhabited by a purple [[walrus]] named Wyatt (named Willy in his first appearances) who laughs at lame jokes.

==Release history==
''Dragon Tales'' premiered on PBS Kids on September 6, 1999 with the episode "To Fly with Dragons / The Forest of Darkness." The installment introduced the characters of Max and Emmy to Dragon Land after discovering a magical dragon scale in their new home and to their new dragon friends. In the first half, they discovered Ord's missing tooth, while the adventures continued in the second story with Ord facing his fear of the dark. A total of forty episodes were aired in the first season, with the finale airing on April 28, 2000. The show's second season premiered on June 4, 2001 and had 25 episodes. 20 of these episodes were broadcast from June 4, 2001 to September 20, 2001. The final installment of this set, "Just the Two of Us / Cowboy Max," was broadcast only in non-U.S. markets such as Guam and Canada and did not premiere to U.S. audiences until the program's third season, though "Cowboy Max" was released on DVD prior to this. The special "Let's Start a Band!," featuring the dragon characters blended with live humans in a musical show based on the program's "Dragon Tunes" segments, was released on March 2, 2003.  Following this, no new episodes were aired until February 21, 2005, leading many long-time viewers to believe the program had been quietly canceled. The new season introduced the new character Enrique, an immigrant from Colombia, as well as an updated focus on folk songs and teaching of Spanish. The premiere installment, in two parts, showed Enrique being introduced to the sights and sounds of Dragon Lands, learning to fly on Zak & Wheezie, and having his first adventure. The second half appeared as "The Mystery of the Missing Knuckerholes" in some listings, but on the program was simply titled as Part 2 of the episode. Though 29 episodes were broadcast, including "Just the Two of Us / Cowboy Max," with few exceptions only one story from each was original, while the others were a repeat of a story from the second season, easily identifiable by the absence of Enrique.

The program's first musical album, ''Dragon Tunes'', was released on March 20, 2001 and featured the character themes of Cassie and Ord, as well as tunes such as "Betcha Can," the "Wiggle Song" and "Shake Your Dragon Tail."<ref name="tunes">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Tunes-Brian-Garland/dp/B00005A09V/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1417007873&sr=1-1&keywords=dragon+tunes|title=Amazon - ''Dragon Tunes''|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}</ref> A second album, ''More Dragon Tunes'', was issued on February 15, 2005. This album introduced the character theme of Zak & Wheezie, as well as a number of new tunes introduced in the program's second and third seasons, including "Hola," "Make a New Friend" and remixes of two previous themes, "Shake Your Dragon Tail" and "Dance."<ref name="moretunes">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/More-Dragon-Tales/dp/B000765I90/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1417007873&sr=1-2&keywords=dragon+tunes|title=Amazon - ''More Dragon Tunes''|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}</ref>

Throughout its history, a number of tie-in book releases were printed, some based on installments of the television program, others not. These included ''Cassie Loves a Parade'',<ref name="parade">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Cassie-Loves-Parade-Pictureback-R/dp/0375805478/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417008109&sr=1-2&keywords=dragon+tales+cassie|title=Amazon - ''Cassie Loves a Parade''|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}</ref> ''Ord Makes a Wish''<ref name="ordwish">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Makes-Dragon-Tales-Books-Wings/dp/0375813381/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417008171&sr=1-3&keywords=dragon+tales|title=Amazon - ''Ord Makes a Wish''|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}</ref> and ''Taking Care of Quetzal''.<ref name="takingcare">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Care-Quetzal-Jellybean-Books/dp/0375812849/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417008321&sr=1-1&keywords=dragon+tales+quetzal&pebp=1417008323309|title=Amazon - ''Taking Care of Quetzal''|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Dragon Tales episodes}}

Dragon Tales aired a total of 93 episodes, 40 in its first season, 24 in its second season and 29 in its third season. Each episode featured two original stories, aired back-to-back, split by the interstitial song segment "Dragon Tunes," all of which were eventually released on the show's music albums. Almost all episodes from the third season, however, generally contained at least one repeat of a story from the program's second season and some were even repeats of material from that season and earlier material from the third season. In all, there were a total of 155 original stories. The show also had two specials: ''Let's Start a Band'' and ''Big, Big Friend Day''. ''Let's Start a Band'' was a musical feature in which the characters of the show were seen alongside real human children. ''Big, Big Friend Day'', however, was merely a special featuring episodes of ''Dragon Tales'' and ''[[Clifford the Big Red Dog (TV series)|Clifford the Big Red Dog]]'', with interstitial segments introducing characters from the new series ''[[It's a Big Big World]]''. As such, it did not contain any original ''Dragon Tales'' material.<ref name="tvcomepisodes" />

==Music and songs==
''Dragon Tales'' featured an original score composed by Jim Latham and Brian Garland.<ref name="traverse">{{cite web|url=http://catalog.tadl.org/eg/opac/record/46716653?loc=22;query=Barr%20Kathleen;qtype=author|title=Traverse Area District Library - Catalog - "Dragon Tales. Easy as 1, 2, 3"|accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> Each episode also included an interstitial segment between story airings known as "Dragon Tunes," featuring a song either based on one of the characters of the show, or designed to teach a lesson, such as "Stretch!", which encouraged viewers to reach forward for their goals and "When You Make a New Friend," which espoused the joys of forming a new friendship. The songs were released on the albums ''Dragon Tunes''<ref name="tunes" /> and ''More Dragon Tunes''.<ref name="moretunes" />

==Video games==
[[File:Dragon Tales - Dragon Adventures.jpg|thumb|250px|Cover of ''Dragon Tales: Dragon Adventures'']]
On December 16, 2000,<ref name="gamespotwings">[http://www.gamespot.com/dragon-tales-dragon-wings/ ''Dragon Tales: Dragon Wings'' on GameSpot]</ref> a tie-in video game: ''Dragon Tales: Dragon Wings'', was issued for [[Game Boy Color]]. Issued by [[NewKidCo]], the game allowed players to take on the role of a novice dragon that was learning the secrets of flight at Quetzal's School in the Sky. Players moved through 15 levels of obstacles available in three difficulty levels. Reviews were mixed at Amazon.com, with an overall rating of 3/5 stars from ten reviewers. Many praised the graphics and fun of the game, but also felt that the game was too challenging for most younger players and did not offer much educational value.<ref name="amazonwings">[http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Tales-Wings-Game-Boy-Color/dp/B00004SRFJ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_vg_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1NMWW7XBTKM4EJRC4DGG ''Dragon Tales: Dragon Wings'' on Amazon]</ref>

On July 28, 2004, a second video game titled ''Dragon Tales: Dragon Adventures'' was released for Game Boy Color. Also issued by NewKidCo, the game included journeys to familiar locations from the show including the Stickleback Mountains, the Singing Springs and Crystal Caverns. The game included multiple skill settings and the option to play as Cassie, Ord, Emmy or Max, the title having been issued before the addition of Enrique to the series.<ref name="dragonadventures">[http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Tales-Adventures-Game-Boy-Color/dp/B00005MOML/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1417813959&sr=1-2&keywords=dragon+tales%3A+dragon+adventures ''Dragon Tales: Dragon Adventures'' on Amazon]</ref>

The show's official website also includes a number of tie-in games, such as "Finn's Word Game" and "Dragonberry Surprise."<ref name="sproutgames">[http://pbskids.sproutonline.me/dragontales/word_game/index.html Finn's Word Game on the Sprout Online official site]</ref>

==Merchandise==
In addition to the various books, music albums and video game releases, numerous merchandise items featuring the characters of ''Dragon Tales'' were made available for purchase throughout the program's run. A total of six different designs featuring scenes from the program were featured on [[Welch's]] jam jars.<ref name="welchs">[http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Tales-Welchs-Glass/dp/B00BSN0N0U Amazon.com - ''Dragon Tales'' #4 Welch's Glass - Emmy and Cassie at Rainbow River]</ref> An official [[board game]] for the series titled ''Dragon Tales: A Dragon Land Adventure'', featured obstacles and memory games, with the goal of completing a puzzle. It was released by University Games and overall reviews were generally positive, though also expressed that the game was not very challenging.<ref name="boardgame">[http://www.amazon.com/University-Games-Dragon-Tales-Game/dp/B00008CQM0/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1419365658&sr=1-1&keywords=dragon+tales Amazon.com - ''Dragon Tales: A Dragon Land Adventure'']</ref> Other merchandise released for the series included plush toys for most of the major characters, such as Cassie<ref name="amacassie">[http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-DRAGON-TALES-CASSIE-Plush/dp/B00NFV67AS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1419366073&sr=8-3&keywords=dragon+tales+cassie+plush Amazon.com - Playskool Cassie plush]</ref> and Quetzal,<ref name="amaquetzal">[http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Tales-Quetzal-Grade-Plush/dp/B00G01QMZU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1419366007&sr=8-4&keywords=dragon+tales+quetzal Amazon.com - Playskool Quetzal plush]</ref> though Enrique, seen only in the program's third season, was never released in plush form and was largely absent from merchandise releases.

==''Dragon Tales Live!''==
[[File:Dragon Tales Live.png|thumb|250px|Ord, Max, Emmy, Cassie, Zak & Wheezie in ''Dragon Tales Live!'']]
''Dragon Tales Live!'' was a [[Musical theatre|musical]] stage show featuring the characters and concepts of the show. It toured nationally in the United States. It featured performers playing the dragons in full body costumes and two real children in each production playing the roles of Max and Emmy. Shows included the "Missing Music Mystery"<ref name="missingmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.dragontaleslive.com|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20030405034521/http://www.dragontaleslive.com/|archive-date=April 5, 2003|title=''Dragon Tales Live!''|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref> and "The Riddle of Rainbow River."<ref name="rainbowriver">{{cite web|url=http://www.dragontaleslive.com|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040611102840/http://www.dragontaleslive.com/|archive-date=June 11, 2004|title=''Dragon Tales Live!''|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref> ''Dragon Tales Live!'' toured from January 2002<ref name="tourdates1">{{cite web|url=http://www.dragontaleslive.com/|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20020120222735/http://www.dragontaleslive.com/|archive-date=January 20, 2002|title=''Dragon Tales Live!''|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref> till at least March 2006.<ref name="tourdates2">{{cite web|url=http://www.dragontaleslive.com/|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060213034312/http://www.dragontaleslive.com/|archive-date=February 13, 2006|title=''Dragon Tales Live!''|accessdate=December 10, 2014}}</ref> The program was never modified to include the character of Enrique, who was not added until the program's final season, one year before productions of the stage show ended.

==Awards==
*2000 [[Parent's Choice Award|Parents' Choice Silver Award Winner]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=881&award=xx&from=Children%20Television%20Workshop|title=Dragon Tales|publisher=Parents' Choice|accessdate=November 11, 2011}}</ref>
*2001 Parents' Choice Approved Award Winner (for "Dragon Tales: Dragon Tunes" CD)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=4284&award=xx&from=Kid%20Rhino|title=Dragon Tales: Dragon Tunes|publisher=Parents' Choice|accessdate=November 11, 2011}}</ref>
*2003 Parents' Choice Silver Award Winner (for "Let's Start a Band" video)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=12308&award=xx&from=Sesame%20Workshop|title=Dragon Tales "Let's Start a Band"|publisher=Parents' Choice|accessdate=November 11, 2011}}</ref>
*2005 Parents' Choice Approved Award Winner (for "Dragon Tales: More Dragon Tunes" CD)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=17645&award=xx&from=Kid%20Rhino|title=Dragon Tales: More Dragon Tunes|publisher=Parents' Choice|accessdate=November 11, 2011}}</ref>

The series was nominated for three [[Daytime Emmy Award]]s for Outstanding Children's Animated Program in 2001, 2002 and 2003, but did not win any.  Kathleen Barr and Jason Michas also received [[Annie Award]] nominations in 2000 for their performances of Zak and Wheezie.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0243061|Dragon Tales}}
* {{tv.com show|dragon-tales|Dragon Tales}}
* [http://pbskids.sproutonline.me/dragontales/springs.html ''Dragon Tales'' at Sprout Online] (Replicates much of the content originally found at the PBSKids official website)
* [http://www.pbs.org/parenttales/ Parent Tales from ''Dragon Tales''] on the official PBS website
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20130216142549/http://www.dragontalestv.com/ Sony Pictures Television official Dragon Tales page, available on Internet Archive] (DVD Series)
* [http://www.sesameworkshop.org/archive/dragon-tales/ ''Dragon Tales'' - "A Magical World of Rainbow Rivers and Talking Trees", archive, on Sesame Workshop's official website]
* [http://kidscreen.com/articles/magazine/19991001/26892.html Detail account of series' genesis]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050915120925/http://pbskids.org/dragontales/index_sw.html PBS official website] (Internet Archive, partially functional, circa introduction of Enrique)
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20040611102840/http://www.dragontaleslive.com/ Official website of ''Dragon Tales Live'' stage show] (Internet Archive)
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20000620125305/http://ctw.org/preschool/dragontales/0,4461,74001,00.html Sesame Workshop official site] as it appeared at CTW.org

{{PBS Kids shows}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:PBS network shows]]
[[Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television]]
[[Category:PBS Kids shows]]
[[Category:Preschool education television series]]
[[Category:1999 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1999 Canadian television series debuts]]
[[Category:2005 Canadian television series endings]]
[[Category:1990s American animated television series]]
[[Category:2000s American animated television series]]
[[Category:1990s Canadian television series]]
[[Category:2000s Canadian television series]]
[[Category:Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters]]
[[Category:Musical television series]]
[[Category:English-language television programming]]
[[Category:Television series by Sesame Workshop]]
[[Category:Works about dragons]]