This is a repeat review. I changed the format but basically plucked it right off my other post. The reason is simple. I love this book. It's fun, as picture books should be, it has a dragon in it, but mostly I just love the message and am glad to see it back in print.
There's No Such Thing as a Dragon
by Jack Kent (1920-1985)
Publisher: Dragonfly Books
ISBN: 978-0375851377
Release Date: September 2009
Genre: picture book
32 Pages
reading level: Baby-Preschool
format available: paperback
Book Description:
When Billy Bixbee finds a tiny dragon in his bedroom, his mom tells him, “There’s no such thing as a dragon!” This only makes the dragon get bigger. He grows, and grows, and grows, until he’s bigger than Billy’s house—and that’s just the beginning!
My Thoughts:
Billy Bixbee woke up one morning to find a dragon in his bedroom. It was about the size of a kitten. Now the size is important because when Billy told his mom, she said "There's no such thing as a dragon". The dragon is ignored all day and spends the day getting bigger. It also does several cat/dog like things that should have been disciplined but how do you discipline something if it doesn't exist?
Mom spends all morning doing her chores, having to go around the dragon, which I'm sure would have moved for her, even climbing in and out of windows to get around. Poor Mr. Bixbee, by the time he came home for lunch, the dragon had gotten big enough to move the house when it chased the bakery truck!
The dragon shrinks back to kitten size and on the last page it is curled up on Mom's lap:
"I don't mind dragons THIS size," said Mother, "Why did it have to grow so BIG?"
"I'm not sure," said Billy, "but I think it just wanted to be noticed."
Profound words from a little boy.
This is a picture book with the print size/number of words per page that you'd expect from a picture book. The graphics are simple but very nice watercolors like the cover. The dragon is very cute and I wish I'd find one in my bedroom when I woke up one morning ;-)
I feel there are two "morals to the story". The one on the last page but also, a mother's, or a father's, words make a world of difference.
Disclaimer: This was a private purchase but the review is not written any differently than if I had received a complimentary review copy. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of amazon.
copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2015
1 comment:
Interesting. New follower here. I'm stopping by from the "A to Z" challenge, and I look forward to visiting again!
Sylvia
www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com
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