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The Winter Dragon
Rory is afraid of the darkness of winter. He thinks that monsters and demons might creep out from the shadows and get him. So he makes a dragon of emerald green with a brilliant red crest. Each night the dragon comes alive to tell Rory stories of knights and battles, and of elf-kings and treasure hoards. Through his dreamtime adventures, Rory grows brave. But as spring approaches, the dragon longs to return to his own fiery home. What will Rory do without his new friend?
36 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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February 7, 2023please tell me how I feel emotional over a dragon I read about in all of 30-odd pages, like I need an emotional support dragon 😭
December 30, 2022
This is such a lovely story! Rory doesn’t like the winter coming which blankets the evenings with too much darkness, so he makes himself a winter dragon, painting it emerald green and giving it a red crest. After making his dragon and putting it on his bed during the day, it soon becomes evening and Rory has to sleep. But he doesn’t find it easy to fall asleep in the scary darkness, but soon there is a small green glow in his bedroom. His winter dragon has come alive, and the dragon keeps him company until Rory falls asleep. Every night after that the winter dragon is there, telling Rory amazing stories of the world he comes from. This paperback is about A4 in size with thick matt pages of some really lovely illustrations and text.
I love how this story goes with the winter dragon coming alive every night to tell Rory stories about where he comes from. While Rory spends his evenings listening to his winter dragon, who keeps him company and helps him with small things like warming his bath and telling him the stories that keep Rory from fearing the dark, Rory grows more and more confident. As the winter turns into spring though, the winter dragon is unable to stay with Rory and begins dreaming of going home.
The illustrations are so lovely in this book and have an old-fashioned feel to them. There’s something so magical about the images on each page, the way the dragon looks and comes alive around Rory and how different he looks to the dragon Rory holds in his hands when his mum is around. The illustrations have some lovely details in them that you don’t see at first glance and I found myself enjoying just looking at this book’s pictures alone. What makes this story so lovely is the clever way it shows a child’s imagination, how the dragon comes alive for Rory but how different it looks when he’s not in his imagination. The story has a good ending and I like how Rory remembers the winter dragon especially in the last pages and the beautiful pages at the start and end of the book which show the changing seasons too!
Overall this is a fun and clever story although I did wish that there was something more to the story at the end. It’s a lovely story and good but I just wanted it to have a slightly better ending. Though the ending itself isn’t bad, it just felt a little abrupt for me. But it’s a lovely book nonetheless and such a clever way to show a child’s imagination coming to life!
-Thanks to Graffeg for a free copy
I love how this story goes with the winter dragon coming alive every night to tell Rory stories about where he comes from. While Rory spends his evenings listening to his winter dragon, who keeps him company and helps him with small things like warming his bath and telling him the stories that keep Rory from fearing the dark, Rory grows more and more confident. As the winter turns into spring though, the winter dragon is unable to stay with Rory and begins dreaming of going home.
The illustrations are so lovely in this book and have an old-fashioned feel to them. There’s something so magical about the images on each page, the way the dragon looks and comes alive around Rory and how different he looks to the dragon Rory holds in his hands when his mum is around. The illustrations have some lovely details in them that you don’t see at first glance and I found myself enjoying just looking at this book’s pictures alone. What makes this story so lovely is the clever way it shows a child’s imagination, how the dragon comes alive for Rory but how different it looks when he’s not in his imagination. The story has a good ending and I like how Rory remembers the winter dragon especially in the last pages and the beautiful pages at the start and end of the book which show the changing seasons too!
Overall this is a fun and clever story although I did wish that there was something more to the story at the end. It’s a lovely story and good but I just wanted it to have a slightly better ending. Though the ending itself isn’t bad, it just felt a little abrupt for me. But it’s a lovely book nonetheless and such a clever way to show a child’s imagination coming to life!
-Thanks to Graffeg for a free copy
January 31, 2023
The Winter Dragon is a warm and rich story that's perfect for the cold winter night but just as good any time of year. It's tenderly and beautifully written and the illustrations whisk you right into the story with the boy and the dragon.
The Winter Dragon tells the story of a boy who has fears at night. He makes a dragon and the dragon comes to life helping the boy to overcome his fears.
I particularly loved that the book validates the fears children have that can often seem inconsequential to us adults. Often these fears are a developmental stage - some children have real fears, some are imagined, the lines can blur especially at bedtimes. This can be a time when even the most innate can seem menacing when you're helping to try and regulate your feelings and process the events of the day.
The dragon becomes the 'protector' in the story much like a beloved toy or comforter, yet we loved the mundane activities that are part of many children's routines that the dragon becomes part of such as snack time and bath time. It's a story that will spark conversation from children about their days.
We did chuckle at the part where the Winter Dragon explains he can toast marshmallows and muffins as well as teacakes! We'd have a dragon toast marshmallow any day.
I'm a big endpapers fan and the contrast of winter to summer are lovely. Reminds me of a set of my favourite end papers in the book Snow! by Jo Surman.
We love The Winter Dragon and we hope you do too.
The Winter Dragon tells the story of a boy who has fears at night. He makes a dragon and the dragon comes to life helping the boy to overcome his fears.
I particularly loved that the book validates the fears children have that can often seem inconsequential to us adults. Often these fears are a developmental stage - some children have real fears, some are imagined, the lines can blur especially at bedtimes. This can be a time when even the most innate can seem menacing when you're helping to try and regulate your feelings and process the events of the day.
The dragon becomes the 'protector' in the story much like a beloved toy or comforter, yet we loved the mundane activities that are part of many children's routines that the dragon becomes part of such as snack time and bath time. It's a story that will spark conversation from children about their days.
We did chuckle at the part where the Winter Dragon explains he can toast marshmallows and muffins as well as teacakes! We'd have a dragon toast marshmallow any day.
I'm a big endpapers fan and the contrast of winter to summer are lovely. Reminds me of a set of my favourite end papers in the book Snow! by Jo Surman.
We love The Winter Dragon and we hope you do too.
March 15, 2023
The Winter Dragon is beautifully illustrated, with a magical story that all children will love read about.
This is the perfect children’s bedtime story for that think there are monsters and demons at night time, as there are no such things.
I know this will make children laugh when Rory makes an emerald green, and brilliant red dragon that magically comes to life.
Maybe children will make or draw their very own dragon.
I highly recommend The Winter Dragon as it’s one of the best books to put a smile on children’s faces
This is the perfect children’s bedtime story for that think there are monsters and demons at night time, as there are no such things.
I know this will make children laugh when Rory makes an emerald green, and brilliant red dragon that magically comes to life.
Maybe children will make or draw their very own dragon.
I highly recommend The Winter Dragon as it’s one of the best books to put a smile on children’s faces
February 26, 2020
KS2
Taught this for a literacy lesson with Y5. Task was to write a letter to the Winter Dragon - a friend who had left.
It may have been good for the students to write an alternate ending or write a variation of the story - maybe change the characters to different types of animals... allow more scope for creativity
Themes of friendship, overcoming fear, someone else building one up.
Taught this for a literacy lesson with Y5. Task was to write a letter to the Winter Dragon - a friend who had left.
It may have been good for the students to write an alternate ending or write a variation of the story - maybe change the characters to different types of animals... allow more scope for creativity
Themes of friendship, overcoming fear, someone else building one up.
September 19, 2022
This is a captivating story that has an element of magic to it. It makes the dark and winter seem a much less scary. After reading this I hope there is a dragon land out there somewhere keeping the magic alive.
The illustrations are outstanding, and seen to add to the magic. This is a truly beautiful book that can be enjoyed again and again and again.
The illustrations are outstanding, and seen to add to the magic. This is a truly beautiful book that can be enjoyed again and again and again.
May 14, 2022
Beautiful illustrations. I was a little disturbed by the ending. Without giving away spoilers, I understand what the author was trying to say but I felt it was a little dark and grim for a children's book.
September 13, 2014
Delightful children's story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews