Skip to main content

If You Like...Dragons

I have a family member who LOVES dragons. It is one of his most favorite things. He wishes that there were real dragons in the world. I have another family member who really likes dragons because of how fierce and scary they are (though he also likes the dragons that aren’t scary). If you also have a dragon fan in your home, here are five picture books that are great reads for fans of the giant and mystical beast! 
Written by David LaRochelle 
Illustrated by Lian Cho 
New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Book. 

This is a humorous story about counting dragons…who all happen to be named Broccoli. Readers start with 100 dragons, but then wind or adventure or other things pull various numbers of dragons away. Readers then have to figure out just how many dragons are left. Kids who love dragons and being silly will enjoy reading this book. 

Written by Scott Rothman 
Illustrated by Pete Oswald 
New York: Random House Children’s Books, 2020. Picture Book. 

If you were to ask me what my all-time favorite dragon picture book is…this one may just be the one I tell you about. It has the scary factor, the silliness of saying underwear to preschoolers, and it has a fun character named Cole who is a knight’s assistant that is left with defending the kingdom against an attacking dragon! Readers who love adventure with a bit of mirth thrown in will enjoy reading this book. 

By Barney Saltzberg 
Hippo Park, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Book. 

So, this story may not seem like it has a dragon in it (but it does, I promise!). In the story there are two mice. The bigger mouse happened to eat the story (it was delicious). The smaller mouse is hoping that the bigger mouse can make up a new story for them to share. And eventually there is a story…and a dragon! This is the best type of book to share with kids who love dragons…because they don’t have any idea that there is a dragon in the book. I would love to re-read this book with a little one who thinks it is just a book about two mice…only to find a surprise dragon at the end. Read this to dragon lovers who love surprises! 

Written by Charlotte Cheng 
Illustrated by Dan Santat 
New York: Rocky Pond Books, 2024. Picture Book. 

In this particular story, a dragon is sick. His friend phoenix comes over to help dragon feel better—only dragon isn’t as receptive to all of phoenix’s remedies as phoenix would hope. This is a fun story with amazing illustrations. This is the type of book to give to readers who want to see all the details of mythical creatures and to see them in everyday situations (like getting over a cold). 

Written by Julie Leung 
Illustrated by Hanna Cha 
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2023. Picture Book. 

This is a magical story that captures the essence of wonder about such mighty beasts. In the story a mother tells a child about two different forests and two different types of dragons (western or eastern). This story has gorgeous illustrations that show the majesty and power of dragons as seen by two different cultures. Readers who love the idea that dragons are different around the world will enjoy this tale.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Fowl Play

  Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: Blood in the Water

Blood in the Water By Tiffany D. Jackson New York: Scholastic, 2025. Fiction. 255 pages. 12-year-old Kaylani McKinnon can't help but feel like a fish out of water. She's a Brooklyn girl spending her summer on Martha's Vineyard surrounded by wealthy family friends in their mansion. All she really wants is to stay home all summer where she her incarcerated father can easily reach her, and she can keep working to find ways to prove him innocent of fraud and embezzlement. Despite her protests, she finds herself on the island with the snooty granddaughters of her host. Soon after Kaylani's arrival, a popular teen boy is found murdered and she decides to conduct her own investigation. As she tries to discover what happened to Chadwick Cooper, Kaylani finds that not everything on Martha's Vineyard is as perfect as it appears. Thrillers for middle grade readers can be hard to find, but Tiffany D. Jackson succeeds in her first middle grade novel. A quick moving plot, tight d...