Freak369's Full Review: James Mayhew - Who Wants a Dragon?
Miss Annabelle isn’t your typical girlie girl; she routinely destroys Barbie dolls yet has a slightly alarming attraction to Princess themed things. On any given day you can spot her fluttering around in her Princess dress with her bag of pixie dust [I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s only glitter], making the rounds to neighbors, asking them what wishes they would like granted. Along with this she’s cultivated a true love of dragons; most of this came from her falling in love with the book Dragon’s Merry Christmas. Well, I think part of it comes from her playing at Neopets as well as having to endure my slight obsession with all the Spyro The Dragon games. What ever the case may be, she’s got a true soft spot for these little fire breathing creatures and if you try to tell her that they are bad [which they aren’t] she’ll shoot you a look that you won’t soon forget. When she saw this at the bookstore she fell in absolute love with the dragon on the cover and there was no way she was going to leave without getting it. The reading level for this is way below what she is capable of but after seeing her reaction to the illustrations, I just couldn’t say no.
Who Wants A Dragon?
The story revolves around a lost baby dragon, ‘all fiery and bright’ and takes you through it’s trials to find someone that will love and take care of it. The first person is a witch but she realizes that it is much bigger than her cat and harder to carry on her broomstick. Next is a knight in shining armor, he sees the baby dragon but is too afraid of getting bit by it so he runs away. You wouldn’t want him guarding your castle if he is afraid of a baby dragon would you? The sleepy princess is a good candidate for the job but once the princess sees the mud all over his feet, he’s tossed out in the cold. One of the cutest drawings is when the dragon is holding a little teddy bear, wishing that someone would hold him. The next are the King and Queen, surely if they had a princess they would have room in their heart for a baby dragon. But alas, they are no where to be found. Look at the picture closely, they are hiding behind their thrones!
I guess word got around the castle that there was a dragon about because even the little fairy didn’t want anything to do with him. Poor little dragon. One of the saddest illustrations is when the dragon is leaving the castle, all alone, just looking for someone, anyone to give him a cuddle and show him some love. Sitting atop a rock, feeling as alone as a dragon can feel, there flies a big pink dragon! His mother comes swooping down to scoop him up, giving him big mommy dragon kisses and a big cuddle. It’s only then that you learn where this baby dragon got all of its color - from his momma! She’s mostly pink but has circles and swirls on her, definately a female dragon. Seeing the mother and son together is so cute that you might just shed a tear or two when you are giggling. Don’t forget to look at the back flap of the book, you’ll see mom and son flying through the air over the castle with a big puffy white heart lingering in the sky.
My Take
While I hate to read a lot into kids books, I can’t help but get the feeling that there is a bigger picture here. No matter how popular you are, how much money you have or where you live - eventually you are going to feel out of sorts or like you don’t belong. This would be a great book for kids who are feeling that way. In a lot of ways it reminds me of the book Weslandia about a boy that doesn’t think he belongs anywhere until he creates his own personal utopia that others flock to. I know, this is just a rhyming book that’s great for kids to read along with but it can help teach kids that everyone has someone to love them and that it’s oh so important to not judge someone or something based on looks. This might be a heavy theme to try to teach a younger child but you’d be surprised at what kids can come up with from short simple stories like this.
The Bottom Line
While I was a little irked that Annabelle strongarmed me into buying this using her little sad pout lip and big weepy eyes, I can’t help but smile when I hear her reading this in her room. She lines up all her Neopets [including her prized Talking Uni], reads this story to them and tells them, “Don’t worry, your momma loves you too”. How freakin’ cute is that? The illustrations are what really make this book something that your child will want to read over and over again. The little dragon is charming and the expressions that it has through the book really help to get the point across about how he is feeling. He’s plump and lovable and the little teeth he has poking out of his smile or frown are - dare I say it again - just too cute for words. Written by James Mayhew and illustrated by Lindsay Gardiner, this is something that younger kids will fall in love with and is a great pick for storytime at school or just before a nap.
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