Once Upon A Dragon’s Fire – Beatrice Blue – Clarion Books – Published 2 March 2021

♥♥♥♥♥

 

Synopsis

How did dragons get their fire? It all began once upon a magical kingdom, where a fearsome dragon stalked the land. The dragon was mean and scary and evil, or so the stories said. One day, two brave children set out to stop him for good. But when they finally met the monster, he wasn’t quite what they expected . . .

Find out how two kids’ determination to save their village led to a friendship that will warm the hearts of dragon lovers everywhere in this gorgeously illustrated celebration of the magic of kindness.

My thoughts

A beautiful picture book about bravery and friendship, about the power of story and how changing the stories can change how we see and accept others.

Two children live in a cold village. Everyone in their town knows that the evil dragon is the reason for the cold. All the books tell the same story. When a particularly bad storm starts to build, Freya and Sylas set off to find the dragon and save their village. What they find is a surprise and their kindness and bravery might be what really saves their town.

This book has such a beautiful underpinning story of acceptance, but also of rewriting the story of acceptance and friendship. It points to the way so many of our stories and book spread the stories of evil, difference and strangeness. The two children in this book show that through kindness, bravery and being open to new stories, that we can learn the truth about others and become a far more accepting world.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning. From the soft swirls of greys and blues on the opening spreads to the vibrant rich yellows and greens of the last pages, this book is utterly captivating.

While my copy is a electronic galley, from the spreads, it seems like there will be a fold out page to truly highlight the dragon’s amazing transformation. I can’t wait to see this in its hardcover glory.

Anyone who loves story and understands its power will delight in this book, which is perfect for talking to children about friendship, kindness, bravery and, of course, dragons.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

More information

Category: Children’s fiction

Themes: Kindness, stories, books, dragons, acceptance, bravery, mythical creatures, friendship.

Reading age guide: Ages 4 and up

Published: 2 March 2021 by Clarion Books

Format: Hardcover. 40 pages.

ISBN: 9780358272427

Find it on Goodreads