Once Upon a Dragon's Fire; Beatrice Blue

Dragon’s are terrifying right? They breathe fire, have terribly sharp teeth and will happily eat a kitten for breakfast. Well at least that’s what most people think.

This is the story about the villagers who lived in a kingdom that was terrorised by a fierce dragon. A dragon that had never been seen but you didn’t need to have seen it because the stories were enough. The dragon was like most dragons are; mean, scary, evil and terrified everyone. When an icy chill descends on the kingdom there can only be explanation…the dragon.

Two brave young children head off to find the dragon and put an end to his reign of terror, but when they find the dragon he’s not anything like what the stories say…

Once Upon A Dragon’s Fire is a lovely read that will warm your heart as much as the fire finally did for the dragon when it ignited inside of him. There is so much to love about this book - children facing fears, the strength and power of love, friendship and stories. As the two young children know, when you are feeling sad or lonely, getting lost in a good book might be the answer. It turns out that this is true for dragon’s too.

The book is filled with messages and meaning. Friendship, love, judging by appearances and the joy that can be found in reading books all feature within the narrative. The fear of the dragon is built around misconceptions and inaccurate perceptions and shows how easily others can be influenced. Ultimately, this is a book about not judging others based on appearances or hearsay - valuable lessons for readers of any age. The ending is powerful and people’s views of the dragon completely change as the dragon is not the cause of the town’s problems, he is actually the solution.

The illustrations are delicious. Beatrice Blue is a fabulously talented author and illustrator and readers will be captivated by her enchanted artwork. There is a wonderful change in the colours as the narrative progresses - darker and cooler colours that capture the mood of the villagers and the weather are replaced by softer and warmer tones as warmth, love and dragon’s fire fill the later pages.

A book that children will be going back to read time and time again.

Recommended for 6+.