January 2024: Dragons > Likes and Comments

Join the Miscellaneous Club this month in reading about dragons--all kinds of dragons from west to east and beyond. Folklore, fiction, and picture books may be read and commented on.

Saint George and the Dragon

This is my favorite of all the Caldecott award winning books, partly because Trina Schart Hyman is one of my favorite children's book illustrators ever. This book is so deserving of its Caldecott award. Hyman's lush, medieval paintings are full of detail, and with gorgeous borders surrounding the pages, depicting flowers indigenous to the British Isles. The dragon is fierce and menacing, George is heroic, and Una is shown helping the knight and praying for him. There is also an unnamed dwarf servant with them, who carries some of their provisions, and helps care for the animals. In keeping with the fact that the text is adapted from Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene, the opening pages show several fairy folk in the woods. The back of the book jacket depicts the author and illustrator, in medieval clothing, walking up a path towards a house where a young child is writing. An altogether wonderful story with sterling illustrations.

Beverly wrote: "Saint George and the Dragon

This is my favorite of all the Caldecott award winning books, partly because Trina Schart Hyman is one of ..."

I give this five stars, too, and am glad of this chance to read for the umpteenth time.

Look for reviews in the coming days for these picture-books:

The Evil Princess vs. the Brave Knight
Argus
Fire Truck vs. Dragon
Our Dragon
There's A Dragon In Your Book
and one I'm leery of, The Reluctant Dragon, an adaption of another of my favorites, The Reluctant Dragon.

I'll also be reading the 398.2s:
Dragons?!
Dragons
Imagine a Dragon

and the Juvenile Fiction:
The Wearle
The Runaway Dragon
Dragon's Egg
A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans

Not a topic I enjoy. The dragon books I really liked were
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons / Searching for Dragons / Calling on Dragons / Talking to Dragons
I remember them being funny and feminist.

I did not like it when the frog princess books became about her daughter, The Dragon Princess but they're lighthearted if you want something that doesn't involve war or slaying dragons.

There's also a dragon in
The Tale of Briar Bank which I did not like.

Eragon, Eldest & Brisingr Star Wars/Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings with dragon sidekick.

I've heard good things about Anne McCaffery's Pern series but never read them.

and of course we mustn't forget How to Train Your Dragon. I read it years and years ago but don't really remember anything about it. My younger niece enjoyed the series for a short time. The movies are nothing like the books but enjoyable in a Disney-ish way. (They're not Disney but the plot structure is more or less the same).

The Dragon and the Unicorn

Lynne Cherrys The Dragon and the Unicorn is really rather too heavy-handed with regard to its environmental message (often reading more like an infomative but dry lecture on environmental protection than the original environmentally themed fairy tale it is supposed to be). And while I appreciate and wholeheartedly support the message of environmental responsibility demonstrated (and truly love the luminous and lushly descriptive accompanying illustrations), that very same message could be and should be a bit more elegantly and subtly presented (if I want to read an environmental lecture, I will read a non fiction book on the same, as with a fairy tale, as with fiction, I primarily desire a story, and any ulterior messages should be a bit hidden and not so in one's proverbial face). Also, I do NOT at all appreciate that the dragon and the unicorn actively seem to lure and entice the little girl into the forest (as it feels somewhat like a child being abducted). It would be far less creepy and uncanny, if Arianna were to venture into the forest by herself and then get rescued by the dragon and the unicorn (the same environmental message could be presented, but without the for me almost inappropriate child-luring aspect). Maybe I am being a bit harsh here, but that whole sequence of events feels unnerving, and in fact, rather majorly frightening.

I also have to wonder and question why Lynne Cherry has Arianna eating wild asparagus and wild carrots in the forest. Yes, they are considered delicacies by avid naturalists and foragers, but wild carrots especially look so confusingly similar to the extremely toxic (and often lethal if ingested) water and poison hemlock, that even in field guides which actively promote and encourage wild gathering, it is generally mentioned that wild carrots should ONLY ever be harvested and consumed by experts, by those who know what they are doing and can distinguish wild carrots from lethally toxic look-alikes (not to mention that touching wild carrot plants can also cause severe photo-sensitivity in some people). I truly think it would be much safer for Arianna to be eating wild berries and other less potentially problematic plants (as you most certainly do not want a child trying to collect and consume wild carrots in the forest).

Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood

A cute and fun inversion of the "human meets dragon" type of tale, in Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood (written by Timothy Knapman, with accompanying illustrations by Gwen Millward), it is not a little boy who finds a dragon, but a dragon who finds a little lost boy (a Benjamin) in the Dragon Wood and takes him (or it, at first) home to meet his family, friends and acquaintances (all of which are dragons, of course).

Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood, is not only sweet, with many humorous little touches (like how the dragon first thinks that the little boy has striped feet, not realising that he is wearing striped boots, and not even knowing what boots are), it is also, at times, somewhat thought-provoking. When the dragon takes his new friend (the Benjamin) to school, the other dragons, although intrigued by the Benjamin and finding him rather strange and novel, mostly approach him with respect and are eager to learn about him and from him (about his life, his homeland, his family, books, soccer). And when one then compares the dragons' general reaction to the little boy to the "funny way of saying hello" the dragon experiences when he takes a homesick Benjamin back to his own family, the frightened and suspicious initial reaction of the humans to the dragon is really in quite stark contrast to the interested and generally friendly reaction of the dragons to the little boy. Yes, in the end, the humans seem to have calmed themselves a bit, but their initial reaction is rampant fear and suspicion, while the initial reaction of the dragons is friendliness and genuine in all ways unthreatened and unthreatening interest.

Of course, Look What I Found in Dragon Wood is first and foremost simply a sweet and delightfully humorous "dragon" tale. It is also though, a story of acceptance and curiosity, and that friendship and being acquainted with strangers is not only possible and probable, but desirable. Even if one might get homesick for friends, family etc. if abroad or amongst strangers, one can and should visit other lands, other individuals, other cultures and learn from them and have them learn from oneself as well (the Benjamin goes back to his home, but he has learned from the dragons, and they have learned from him, and one of the Benjamin's gifts, the knowledge of the game of soccer, has actually remained with the dragons, as a new sport, and also as a remembrance of and from the little boy).

Recommended primarily for younger children interested in sweet, humorous dragon tales, I also appreciate the fact that the main human character is a little boy, and that this little boy teaches his new dragon friends how to play soccer. I have noticed that quite a number of picture books featuring dragons (especially those where the story is not the more traditional type of tale featuring heroic deeds and dragons to be fought or at least tamed and trained) are often rather girl-oriented, and it is refreshing to find that this story is more geared towards little boys, or at least a more unisex audience (and no mention of fighting dragons or taming dragons either, the dragon and the little boy he finds are friends right from the beginning).

I do have to admit that while I think Gwen Millward's illustrations work well enough with the text, they are much too cartoon-like for my own personal tastes, and I especially do not like the way the dragons are depicted (they just seem rather silly, almost caricature-like). My general dislike of the illustrations did actually somewhat lessen my enjoyment of the story at first (I had to read Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood at least twice before I really began to truly enjoy and appreciate the text, and I am positive that my initially luke-warm reaction was and remains first and foremost because I just did and still do not care all that much for the illustrations). However, I can certainly see how many youngsters would likely find these illustrations bright, fun and humorous, as they provide an interesting and sweetly silly mirror of the narrative, my own a bit negative reaction to them quite notwithstanding.

John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J. R. R. Tolkien

Well and indeed, content and theme-wise, author Caroline Mcalister does certainly in John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien present an informative and textually rich junior level biography of J.R.R. Tolkien and especially about how he became interested in dragons and then created a famous dragon named Smaug for his The Hobbit novel. However and the above having all been said, personally, I have sadly also found the general flow of Caroline's MacAlister's narrative both awkward and frustratingly slow, and yes, especially with regard to how she commences with the various episodes of Tolkien's life (from his early childhood onwards) at times tediously repetitive, often starting her main sentences with either the linking adverb "then"or with expressions signifying the same (with the result that I for one have definitely found that John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien often if not even usually reads more like a laundry list of diverse events than a truly engaging and nuanced account of Tolkien's life and what made him become so interested in dragons).

And thus, while I have certainly found John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien a decent enough and very much educational and enlightening introduction to J.R.R. Tolkien's life and his The Hobbit (although indeed, that Caroline MacAlister ONLY writes about The Hobbit and NEVER once even mentions Tolkien's other writing and in particular his The Lord of the Rings in the main text of John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien, this really does as a total LOTR fan quite bother me) and while Eliza Wheeler's accompanying artwork is most definitely a delightful and appreciated combination of reality and imagination (with in particular how she has drawn both Bilbo Baggins and Smaug a visual treasure), I do have to admit that narrationally, that especially from a textual writing style point of departure, I have not been all that pleased with John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien and have certainly not been as enchanted as I had fondly hoped to be.

And yes, the only reasons why my rating for John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien is still three stars and not two stars is that for one, I do aesthetically consider Eliza Wheeler's illustrations marvelous and that for two, I very much appreciate the author's and illustrator's notes and that Caroline McAlister has also included academic, scholarly information on Tolkien's dragons (both traditional and the ones created by him), as well as a very decent bibliography (not extensive but definitively a good starting point for additional, supplemental J.R.R. Tolkien research).

The Flying Dragon Room

Although I guess I can to a certain point understand and appreciate the presented, the featured imagination, the entire concept, personally, I am not even remotely impressed with and by The Flying Dragon Room, as I find both Audrey Woods' text and especially Mark Teague's accompanying illustrations (while they are indeed and for a fact colourful and lushly descriptive) much too over-busy, frenetic, confusingly involved and thus simply too distracting for my personal tastes (and as my GR friend Cheryl has pointed out, The Flying Dragon Room feels more like a rushed and heads-over-heels tour, and not a tour I would ever really in any manner enjoy taking, there being just too much action, and not enough peace and quiet or even time for thought and reflection). Just reading Audrey Wood's narrative and looking at Mark Teague's involved, convoluted, constantly changing and expanding pictures makes me feel somewhat nervously edgy, and while I do indeed realise that many children and even some adults will most likely much enjoy the pace of The Flying Dragon Roon, it leaves me completely and utterly unenthusiastic, cold and as though I have just finished, as though I have just gotten off a rollercoaster ride (and truth be told, I absolutely DESPISE and have always actually been more than a bit frightened of roller coasters).

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles

Now with regard to picture book biographies, I always tend to check if there is an author's note included and yes to usually read this first (as well as to check if the book in question also presents a suitable bibliography). And indeed, when I perused the excellent and informatively detailed supplemental note in Patricia Valdez' Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles (and noticed the for a picture book quite extensive bibliography), I was both excited to read the author's main narrative, I was truly looking forward to perusing Patricia Valdez' text proper and also pretty well expected to both appreciate and greatly enjoy the latter's introduction to Joan Procter and her fasciation and obsession with reptiles (how it was she who was hired by the London Zoo in 1923 to design better and more suitable housing for their reptiles, how it was she who provided medical treatment for the zoo's reptiles, including its Komodo Dragons, but also that unfortunately and sadly, Joan Procter passed away at the young age of thirty-four due to chronic health issues).

However and indeed very frustratingly and sadly, while Patricia Valdez' presented narrative does definitely show the main points of Joan Procter's life and certainly descriptively and also very much accurately details her love of and her obsession with all kinds of reptiles in general, there is, in my opinion also and nevertheless a most annoying and problematic lack of a sense of accurate time and place shown in Joan Procter, Dragon Docter: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles. As honestly, neither Patricia Valdez' text nor Felicita Sala's accompanying illustrations (and yes, these are also more than a bit too cartoon-like and unrealistic feeling for my personal aesthetics, except perhaps for her renditions of the reptiles) ever really in any way accurately portray and depict that Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles is about early 20th century England. And indeed, if I had not first read in the author's note at the back of the book that Joan Procter lived from 1897-1931, I would have been assuming from both text and images that especially she being hired by the London Zoo after the war dealt with post WWII and NOT post WWI England, as NONE of Patricia Valdez' printed words and NONE of Felicita Sala's illustrations really ever univocally describe and say early 20th century to me (with in particular Ms Sala's drawings appearing too modern and post WWII in scope and feel).

And therefore, while I firmly think and believe that Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles does provide a decent and accurate enough general introduction to Joan Procter, her life and achievements, that lack of a sense of historic accuracy with regard to time and place (and that yes indeed, both the author's narrative and especially the illustrator's accompanying drawings do feel much much too contemporary to and for my eyes) has certainly much lessened potential reading pleasure and has made me consider only a two star ranking maximum for Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles (for a generally sweet, engaging and informative story that has unfortunately been rendered more than a bit out of historic time with and by a decided dearth of era specific words and descriptions and by accompanying illustrations that never once have felt as though I was seeing and experiencing early 20th century England).

Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon

Mary Anning was a young girl in early 19th century England when she discovered a so-called sea dragon (a complete fossilised skeleton of what the scientific community now refers to as an ichthyosaur, an ancient sea reptile). And while I do not know if Mary Anning was the first woman to have made a palaeontological discovery, it is now generally accepted that she was indeed the first individual to have discovered a complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur.

Jeannine Atkins Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon (with accompanying illustrations by Michael Dooling) describes Mary's momentous discovery in both an informative and emotionally satisfying style. I appreciate how the author glowingly and with subtle enthusiasm conveys both Mary Anning's curiosity and ingenuity, but also how supportive certain members of both her immediate family and the public seem to have been. Faced with the intensely critical attitudes of some members of her extended family (like Mary's outspoken Aunt Ruth), Mary's mother nevertheless is portrayed by Jeannine Atkins as being quite supportive of her daughter's ambitions, her curiosity (Mary must still out of necessity help around the house, but her mother never frowns upon or discourages her searches for "curiosities"). It is also both encouraging and actually wonderfully modern and avant garde that Mary's mother is seemingly more concerned with her daughter's physical safety than with "proper" ladies' fashion, and that she therefore insists on Mary donning a gentleman's top hat on her expeditions, it being sturdier than a straw bonnet (to guard against potential rock falls in particular). Equally important for me is the fact that Lord Henley also does not simply take over Mary's discovery, that he is encouraging, without being in any way majorly interfering. And Lord Henley, who is, after all, a member of the English aristocracy, is also never described as by the author talking "down" to Mary, he is not patronising, but approaches her as an equal; actually, he approaches Mary Anning as a fellow scientist.

Mary Anning's discoveries (as well as her biography, her life story as presented by Jeannine Atkins) also manage to astutely and with power demonstrate to modern children (well, at least to those children living in North America and Western Europe) just how fortunate many of them truly are. I often tend to believe that many of today's children seem to take standard and basic education as well as the pursuit of education very much for granted, so detailing how Mary Anning had to quit school after the death of her father (in order to help earn money for the family) is an excellent and thought-provoking reminder, made even more powerful by the fact that the author does not continuously belabour this point. However, I believe that the most important, the most essential message portrayed in and by Mary and the Sea Dragon is an invitation to follow one's curiosity, to follow one's dreams. And this is thankfully directed by Jeannine Atkins at all children, and not just girls. Mary is a girl, but her gender does not really play that important a role in Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon, for above all and first and foremost, she is described as a curious, scientifically interested, talented human being.

A much appreciated and added educational bonus is the informative author's note. Not only does Jeannine Atkins do a great job expanding on Mary Anning's life, she makes an important comment on how modern palaeontology owes much to early amateur collectors (especially children), whose findings raised questions about the earth's past and started to challenge and question traditional Bible-based theories of the former. And while some modern scientists do rather strongly believe that only trained professionals should be allowed to collect and excavate fossils, others do acknowledge and accept the role played by early amateur enthusiasts such as Mary Anning.

Now I really do wish I could give Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon five stars, but I have to agree with my GR friend Kathryn's objections to the illustrations. While I love Michael Dooling's evocative sea landscapes, I do not think that he has managed to equally successfully capture the essence of some of the human characters portrayed. The adult characters are generally illustrated well enough, but Mary Anning and some of the other child characters appear as much too grown-up, especially with regard to their facial expressions. But all in all, I was quite pleasantly surprised by Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon and would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the early history of palaeontology, or anyone wanting to encourage and/or promote palaeontological interest in children.

Der Drache mit den roten Augen

Although it probably does appear as though I am reviewing Astrid Lindgren's Der Drache mit den roten Augen (the German language translation of Draken med de Röda Ögonen) as a picture book, please do note that I am in fact NOT going to be posting any specific details whatsoever with regard to Ilon Wikland's accompanying illustrations, even though they would most likely be lovely, as almost ALL of Ilon Wikland's artwork has tended to be (since yes, I have only ever read Der Drache mit den roten Augen in an unillustrated collection of Astrid Lindgren short stories in German translation that does not seem to even exist in the GR database, and naturally and of course, I will therefore also ONLY concentrate on the narrative, on the remembered translated Astrid Lindgren text, as I cannot really and should not really make any comments with regard to pictures I have in fact never in fact viewed).

A lovely and tender anecdote of a young girl who early one dawn finds a tiny baby dragon when she is in the barn doing her chores, when she is feeding the family pigs (and I guess also featuring her little brother to an extent, but the main protagonist is indeed the older sister), Der Drache mit den roten Augen presents not only the importance of friendship, of taking care of one's fellow creatures even when, even if they might appear unusual and different (like the tiny green dragon with red eyes the girl discovers cowering next to a litter of newborn piglets), but also and importantly that one has to be able to let go when the time is right. For once the erstwhile baby dragon has grown strong and healthy and is no longer minutely small and vulnerable, but has morphed into an adult dragon with the need to spread its wings and fly, to soar, and yes to sing with freedom and gay abandon, the little girl, with a heavy but still joyous heart understands that it is now time for the now no longer infant and needy dragon she and her little brother had nourished and taken care of to leave the nest so to speak, to make its own way in the world, leaving a slightly bittersweet, but still immensely satisfying ending and the knowledge that the little girl will always remember her special dragon and vice versa (and while some readers might well want to consider Der Drache mit den roten Augen as a tale depicting the loss of childhood magic, I for one much much prefer seeing Astrid Lindgren's sweet little tale more as a celebration of childhood and that memories even if slightly bitter and sad will also help to retain nostalgia and foster that same sense of enchantment).

Der kleine Drache Hab-mich-lieb. Ein Märchen für große Leute.

This sweet and tenderly told original German language fairy tale by Andrea Schwarz (für große Leute, for big people, in other words, for adults) is nothing majorly philosophical, spectacular and in any way earth shattering, but simply an uplifting, inspiring account of a lonely and frustrated, somewhat depressed dragon lady who needs to find both herself and to accept herself for whom and for what she is (that she is a dragon, and that simply because she is a dragon, she does not have to act like the typical fire-spewing and dangerous, savage dragons of folklore, of history, that she can be a loving and unfierce dragon whilst still being herself, whilst still, in fact, existing as a dragon).

I remember first reading Der kleine Drache Hab-mich-lieb at a time when I too was questioning my very existence and especially my German background, and Andrea Schwarz' narrative, her gracefully guiding, often caressing words of encouragement massively and lastingly helped me to not only accept my ethnic origin but to also stand by it even in the face of criticisms by and from those ignorant and unenlightened individuals who even now (even in the this century) sometimes still tend to think that being German is at best problematic and as worst predisposes us to Fascism, Nazism and anal extremism.

Basically a bit of a miniature Bildungsroman (a novel of development), Hab-mich-lieb (the name of the dragon, roughly translated as "please love me"), passes through multiple and painful stages of development and set-backs (at first attempting to be anything but a dragon, at first trying to and of course unsuccessfully changing her being from that of a dragon) until she meets a hippie-like modern magician who instructs her gently but firmly and shows her that being a dragon is not so problematic and loathsome an existence (that one can be a dragon and still be fond of flowers, love and friendship). And when Hab-mich-lieb finally meets a tomcat who is also looking for love and acceptance, understanding, her happiness, her development and acceptance of herself as to whom and what she is and represents has come full circle (most highly recommended, but some fluency in German is strongly suggested, as while Der kleine Drache Hab-mich-lieb is not a difficult read in any way, it would still be a bit too complicated for German language novices, for absolute beginners).

The teen librarian says Tui T. Sutherland's Wings of Fire series is hugely popular with tweens and young teens. They can't keep them on the shelves. Last year's edible book festival third place winner was a girl who made "dragon wings of fire" with a variety of spicy hot dipping sauces.

QNPoohBear wrote: "The teen librarian says Tui T. Sutherland's Wings of Fire series is hugely popular with tweens and young teens. They can't keep them on the shelves. Last year's edible book festival..."

Fun!
(I really like the idea of an edible book festival. I imagine getting permits for health & safety can make it challenging to host one, though.)

I did enjoy Dragon's Egg and it had almost enough dragon lore in it to satisfy.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath looks excellent for teens but I don't know if I'll read it. It looks like it might be too grim/intense for me.

QNPoohBear wrote: "Not a topic I enjoy. The dragon books I really liked were
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons / Searching for Dragons / Calling on Dragons / Talking to Dragons
I ..."

I was just going to mention these. I read them in my early teens and really enjoyed them. Yes, funny and feminist! :-)

I wouldn't say I actively seek out dragon books, but I've read quite a few over the years.

For chapter books, the Dragon Girls books by Maddy Mara are really popular at our library. My boys actually liked some of them due to the adventure and fanstasy elements. They got too formulaic for my current tastes, but I think I would have loved them as a kid.

They also loved the Kingdom of Wrenly books and the young prince in those books has a dragon sidekick. The Scarlet Dragon is book 2.

Dragons and Marshmallows -- love the Zoey and Sassafras series.

Kitty and Dragon is an utterly adorable graphic novel for young kids. I wish for sequels!

For older kids, The Tea Dragon Society books -- highly recommend. I looooved these! The artwork is beautiful, the dragons are sooo cute, and the stories are warm and inclusive.

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart has a great premise but I had trouble getting into it and it was DNF as it was due back at the library and I wasn't motivated to check it out again. But it has a very high rating here on GR, so deserves to be on this list.

I've heard good things about Dragons in a Bag for kind of an urban-fantasy MG read. Haven't read it yet.

PICTURE BOOKS
John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J. R. R. Tolkien -- beautiful biography

A Dignity of Dragons

Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood

How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head (Bill Peet--classic!)

The Flying Dragon Room

The Library Dragon

Debi Gliori has some really darling dragon picture books

Oh, yes, I did like some of these, esp. The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart actually, and will look for others.

My niece LOVED Tea Dragon Society when she was younger. They sound very sweet. I haven't read them yet. At Kathryn's recommendation, my nephew enjoyed Zoey and Sassafrass enough to rush out to the library and get more. He says he likes magic like magic tricks AND fantasy magic like dragons and such. I saw a book series that looked good but it deals with death and dying and that's a sensitive topic for him right now (elderly dog) so I skipped it. I can see him getting into Dungeons and Dragons type stuff when he's a little older.

My mom used to read her older nursery school students My Father's Dragon. Niece #2 was captivated by the idea that Grammie's Daddy had a dragon LOL!

There are dragons in the Harry Potter books. I love Norbert! Poor Hagrid LOL! "I've decided to call him Norbert,' said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. 'He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?' ' Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The movie quote is actually funnier. "Isn't he beautiful? Oh, bless him! Look! He knows his mummy! 'alo Norbert!"

Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Kat Zhang - very pleasant picture book that is part of a series about young Amy Wu.

Amy struggles with a class craft assignment to make a representation of a dragon.

Karen wrote: "Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Kat Zhang - very pleasant picture book that is part of a series about young Amy Wu.

Amy struggles with a class craft assignment ..."

I have that on my list; thanks for the reminder and I'll prioritize it now.

QNPoohBear wrote: "There are dragons in the Harry Potter books. I love Norbert! ."

Yes, absolutely! I love Norbert, too ;-) And the Tri-Wizard Tournament features dragons. And Charlie is off with the dragons in Romania.

Kathryn wrote: "Yes, absolutely! I love Norbert, too ;-) And the Tri-Wizard Tournament features dragons. And Charlie is off with the dragons in Romania."

Yes, scary dragons! Did you remember Norbert is a female? I totally forgot that detail until I looked up the quote to copy and paste it. Poor Hagrid! He has the biggest heart.

QNPoohBear wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Yes, absolutely! I love Norbert, too ;-) And the Tri-Wizard Tournament features dragons. And Charlie is off with the dragons in Romania."

Yes, scary dragons! Did you remember Norbe..."

I also really liked Cornelia Funke's Drachenreiter (Dragon Rider) and the luck dragon of Michael Ende's Die unendliche Geschichte (The Neverending Story).

QNPoohBear wrote: "Did you remember Norbert is a female? I totally forgot that detail until I looked up the quote to copy and paste it. Poor Hagrid! He has the biggest heart"

Oh my gosh, I had forgotten that, too! And, yes, I love Hagrid so much.

The first book that came to mind was The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart.

Harley wrote: "The first book that came to mind was The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart."

I enjoyed The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, gave it four stars.

Cheryl wrote: "Harley wrote: "The first book that came to mind was The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart."

I enjoyed The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, gave it four stars."

Maybe I'll have to give it another try sometime!

I enjoyed Dragons in a Bag, reminiscent of the books by Ruth Chew but with an African-American boy, enough that I've requested the rest of the series.

Another topic that those who follow this thread might find of interest is: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Drag and Rex 1: Forever Friends This was a less-stellar "Frog and Toad" for me, but the illustrations are very cute.

Nephew #2 is enjoying the graphic novel adaptations of Wings of Fire
The Dragonet Prophecy

Do you know Working With Dragons?

It’s a guide to learning about dragons. So magical, with the look of an old book. It also includes stickers and envelopes containing secret messages. The author Dugald A Steer has published many books about dragons, and they are treasures.