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Dragon Stones
A brother and sister are stuck visiting their aunt’s house; while listening to the grown-ups talk, they grow antsy and bored. Finally, they are told to go play outside and eagerly run out the door. Heading into the nearby forest, they find a path leading to a spooky pond. They start skipping rocks, but the stones come flying back at them! Not only are rocks come back from the pond, but they are also hot and burn to the touch. So the two set off around the pond to investigate the cause of the mysterious rocks. What will they find lurking in the mist?
Dragon Stones by author Carolyn Watson Dubisch has written an excellent picture book illustrated in a whimsical comic book style. The characters are entertaining and relatable for young to preteen children. Ron and Lizzy are your typical children, and they eagerly set off on an adventure to cure the boredom of sitting around talking about lawns. The children’s curiosity is contagious, and readers will want to race around after them to find out how the rocks are returning to them and with a pattern on them as well.
I enjoyed the story’s direction; I just wanted more. I feel like Aunt Edwina could have presented so much more to the story and that the climactic moment was cut short. There is a lot of potential in this character, and I hope readers will get to see more of Aunt Edwina as I think she has a lot of mystery sounding her. Her ending comments will leave readers asking questions, and hopefully, there will be another children’s book to answer that question.
Dragon Stones is a magical children’s fantasy story that captivates young readers. The illustrations are bold and well done, the characters relatable, and the story is interesting. This is a great children’s book for a classroom library.
Pages: 41 | ASIN : B09YR5RRBP
The Emerald Lake
Join Jimmy Crikey in the fourth installment of The Adventures of Jimmy Crikey: The Emerald Lake. Readers follow Jimmy as he goes on an all-new adventure in this spellbinding world of magic. Jimmy, an alien orphan from another planet, now living on Earth alongside the four witch guardians, sets out to help the Aquamites. When fire-breathing serpents threaten the Aquamites, Jimmy and his friends must use their wits to protect the merfolk from utter destruction.
Author Wallace Briggs brings magic and the characters in the story to life in this magical adventure. Jimmy’s character is an enjoyable one to follow, as we’ve seen him struggle with finding his place on Earth and now we watch as he struggles with the awkwardness of being a teenager and falling in love for the first time. I enjoyed watching the characters progress through the series and seeing friendships blossom.
The author does a great job of giving the reader just enough information to be able to read this book and still understand what is going on without having read the first books in the series. Briggs provides a beautifully detailed world that you can clearly imagine the scenes in your mind. The plot moves at a smooth pace, and there are some tense scenes that will have you quickly flipping through the pages. This is the perfect book for young readers to immerse themselves in and let their imagination run wild.
Author Briggs provides a great balance of magic, fantasy, science, and friendship, making this a thrilling read that you won’t want to put down. I look forward to seeing what’s in store for Jimmy and his friends on their next adventure. I highly recommend this enticing book to teen and older elementary grade readers who are looking to go on a fantastical adventure.
Pages: 170 | ASIN : B09VDNTFB4
I Want to Inspire and Encourage Children
We’re on a Dragon Quest follows two children as they go in search of a dragon in the snow, collecting clues from magical creatures along the way. What was the inspiration for your story?
When I was a young child, my mother told me that she’d seen a fairy hiding among the potted plants in our yard. I really wanted to believe her, so I went outside to look for this tiny creature. Although I didn’t see a fairy, I drew pictures about my search for her. More recently I came up with the idea for We’re on a Dragon Quest, because I wanted to write an exciting adventure set close to a child’s home. The story takes place in the winter, as snow has a magical quality.
Why did you choose to leave the children in this story unnamed?
I left them unnamed because I wanted the children reading the story to pretend that they are the characters in the adventure, and therefore to become more involved in the quest.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The themes of the story are friendship and co-operation. I was also hoping to inspire a sense of wonder and encourage children to write imaginative stories for themselves
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am working on a lower middle grade series of animal story books. I am currently editing the first one and I hope it will be available in 2023.
We’re on a Dragon Quest
One cold winter day, a girl looks out the window and sees a dragon flying down the street and landing by the fishpond in her backyard. She tells her brother, and together they decide to go on a dragon quest to find the bright red dragon. To find the dragon, they follow a pixie, talk to a goblin, and get directions from an elf. Finally, following the dragon’s footsteps in the snow, they find Frazzle, the dragon hiding in their shed, and she gives a playful roar.
We’re on a Dragon Quest is an enchanting picture book written by Kathryn Hollingworth and illustrated by Felipe Calv. Young readers will be mesmerized by the colorful and whimsical drawings. The colors used to highlight key story elements make reading this more entertaining as children will be drawn to the words as much as the pictures. I really loved the rendering of Frazzle; she is funny and playful, a combination that will draw children right into this book.
The wonderful rhyming lines tell this imaginative story in a way that children will be excited to see what characters the brother and sister encounter next. The flow of the story keeps the action moving while also allowing children to imagine and guess what could happen next. It really does feel like going on a quest in the traditional sense as each new scene brings them new information, a new friend, and closer to the goal, finding the dragon! Each new character shows a unique personality and a friendly and helpful attitude. Bringing in classic fantasy character types is a great way to introduce this genre to children and entertain adults who love fantasy novels.
We’re on a Dragon Quest is a magical picture book that preschoolers and kindergarten children will love to read. With meaningful messages of helping others, friendship, and encouraging imaginative play, this children’s book would be a welcome addition to a home or classroom library.
Pages: 34 | ASIN : B09XKDKWZ2
LITERARY TITAN 