Age Recommendation 3-8 years
As an avid Tolkien reader, when my daughter showed interest in dragons and fantastical worlds, I happily obliged by requesting several dragon picture books from our local library. There is no lack of options. I could write a long list of recommendations featuring dragons, perhaps another time I will.
For now, I want to share two of our favorites from the loot.
The Dragon and the Nibblesome Knight
By Elli Woollard
Illustrated by Benji Davies
This rhythmic story gives new meaning to the idea, don’t judge a book by its cover, when boy knight James meets Dram, a young dragon. Their innocence leads them to establish a bond of friendship despite what the world would’ve led them to. With their new perspective, they are able to bring an era of unity to the kingdom!
By Helen Docherty
Illustrated by Thomas Docherty
Leo, a gentle knight, who prefers books over a sword goes on an adventure after his concerned parents insist one can’t only read books, especially when you’re a knight! On his journey, he comes across several creatures. One by one he wins them over through his unique skills, story reading!
Helen and Thomas are the perfect pair for creating a captivating children’s book. Helen’s words roll off the tongue like honey, making it a treat for the ear and enjoyable for the exhausted parent reader. While Thomas Docherty’s illustrations do not disappoint with his magical ability to use color, light and imagination in creating scenes that help bring the story to life.
We thoroughly enjoyed these books, and highly recommended you check them out. As author Sarah Ban Breathnach says, “It’s simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons.” I couldn’t agree more!
For additional activities, we made edible dragon eggs, play dragons out of popsicle sticks, and clothespins. My daughter's favorite game was a dragon bath. We filled up a bubble bath, added glow sticks (we pretended were dragons), used bath foam, and ate a special popsicle!
Amanda is a preschool teacher, mother and avid Central Park picnicker. She values community and is an advocate for families in the foster care system. One day she hopes to publish a children's book of her own. In the meantime, you can follow her Instagram, Enchanted Literacy, which encourages imagination and passion for reading.
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