When Roger the Turtle gets lost while playing pirates in The Dragon and the Turtle, he makes a new friend in Padraig the Dragon. Padraig is eager to help his new friend find his home again by flying and searching for Roger's house. As Roger shares details about his home, Padraig hunts and hunts until Roger shares just the right details and the dragon finally finds his new friend's dwelling.
Written by Donita K. Paul and daughter Evangeline Denmark, this book is colorfully illustrated by Vincent Nguyen.
Written by Donita K. Paul and daughter Evangeline Denmark, this book is colorfully illustrated by Vincent Nguyen.
What I Like: The story shares some key examples on how to be a friend, including a teaching section at the end of the book for parents.
The illustrations by Mr. Nguyen evoked memories of PBS shows I watched while growing up.
There's a recipe at the end of the book for Chocolate Chip Snappers, which plays a key role in the book since Roger describes the smell of the cookies and associates it with his home. I made them for my family and they're yummy!
What I Dislike: While the book teaches good principles on being a friend, and the parent's section in the back shares Bible verses to teach to your kids, there was no mention of God in the story. This could be a good thing, though, if you're wanting to read it in a school or library for story time.
Overall Rating: Excellent
Age Appeal: 4 - 8
Publisher Info: Waterbrook Press, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-307-44644-2; Hardback $11.99
1 comment:
You hit the nail on the head, Liberty. We originally had another concept that would be worked into the illustrations. On every page would be one word of the Bible verse, so the children would hunt for the treasures during the re-reading of the book. However, that would knock down the number of school librarians who would be able to put the books on their shelves. So we opted for the the reference on the parent's page, and are trusting that those who love the story will be drawn to the Lord and Savior we love. Remembering we are not in this alone, God is even more interested in the childen than we are and eager to show them His love.
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