A Different Dragon (Nick Gill, illus Luma Wildish, HGCP)

A little dragon named Donny knows that dragons are meant to do one thing: breathe fire. But he has trouble getting the hang of it, unlike his friends, who shoot flames with ease. Yet all Donny can do when he summons the fire in his belly is breathe out water. Being different in this way is embarrassing and difficult and Donny wishes he could be as special as everyone else and breathe fire like he’s supposed to. That is until Donny’s water-breathing ability comes in handy when a problem arises that only he can fix. A Different Dragon is a sweet, gentle story tinged with humour and heart in every word and illustration, making it perfect for reading aloud. The messages are subtle and rewarding, namely being yourself and celebrating how being unique is a good thing—and intended readers aged 3–6 will enjoy the story immensely. Nick Gill’s story is whimsical and light yet sharply written with rhyming prose, no doubt influenced by his experience as a songwriter. Luma Wildish’s animation-style illustrations are bright and cheery and add flavour to the text, making this a truly wonderful story destined to be adored and cherished by young readers.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Brenton Cullen is an emerging children's author and freelance writer of articles, reviews, and interviews when not working part-time in a bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Reviews