ABOUT THE BOOK
A New Friend for Dragon
Written by Bianca Schulze
Illustrated by Samara Hardy
Ages 3+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Clever Publishing (August 20, 2024) | ISBN-13: 9798888670934
Publisher’s Book Summary: In this most recent tale in Clever’s beloved Dragon series, a new knight has come to town! Sir Fiero wears smooth, shiny armor and has a sparkling silver sword. Dragon wants to be friends with him and invites him to play. But Sir Fiero doesn’t believe that dragons and knights can be friends—or can they? A sweet tale of friendship and challenging stereotypes.
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MY REVIEW
Dragon is a friendly individual who loves to make new acquaintances. Sir Fiero, the new knight that has moved into the neighborhood, is convinced that dragons and knights can’t be friends. He even turns down Dragon’s invitation to play hide-and-seek until the princess says she is going to play. What he thinks he should be doing is “rescue princesses … before covering them with smooooochy kisses.” He pouts when the princess quickly spots him behind a tree, then tries to pick a spot where Dragon won’t locate him. Unfortunately, that ends up with Sir Fiero accidentally locked in the tower. Has the knight offended all his would-be friends to the point that they will leave him there? The text offers readers many opportunities to interact with the story. We are encouraged to wink like the knight, roll our eyes like the princess, cover our eyes and count while everyone hides, add some sound effects for those smoooochy kisses “Mwa!” or give a friendly wave to everyone. Illustrations capture the emotions of the characters. Dragon droops her head and wrings her tail in distress when the knight turns down her invitation to play. Sir Fiero pouts when he is the first one found during the game. And the princess (as mentioned) rolls her eyes because “she absolutely, positively does not need saving.” Besides being a story about friendship, this book also tackles some assumptions that are usually taken for granted. Princesses don’t need to be saved and may enjoy playing hide-and-seek rather than waiting around for “smooooochy kisses.” Knights may be afraid when they are alone in the dark. And dragons may breathe fire, but they also can be very good friends to have. Sir Fiero and young readers learn the valuable lesson that “maybe, sometimes we all need rescuing” and “a kind friend will always show up in time of need.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bianca Schulze is the founder and editor of The Children’s Book Review—a resource devoted to children’s literature and literacy—and the host of The Growing Readers Podcast.
Bianca is also the author of the popular Don’t Wake the Dragon series (translated into 20 languages) and the bestselling 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (an Amazon “Book of the Month”). She is a reader, reviewer, mother, and children’s book lover.
Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Bianca now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.
For more information, visit biancaschulze.com
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Samara Hardy is an experienced illustrator and designer. She has created artwork for clients worldwide for greeting cards, stationery, homewares, children’s books, and more. She lives in Surrey, England.
For more information, visit samarahardy.com
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Looking forward to another “dragon” book.
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