⭐The Winter Dragon
✒️Caroline Pitcher
🎨Sophy Williams
📔Graffeg – kindly sent for review
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The Winter Dragon by Caroline Pitcher and Sophy Williams published by Graffeg.
The Winter Dragon Review
A magical story, The Winter Dragon is a warm and rich tale that’s perfect for the cold winter night but just as good any time of year. It’s tenderly and beautifully written and the illustrations whisk you right into the story with the boy and the dragon.
The Winter Dragon Synopsis
The Winter Dragon tells the story of a boy who has fears at night. He makes a dragon and the dragon comes to life helping the boy to overcome his fears.
Validating Bedtime Fears
I particularly loved that the book validates the fears children have that can often seem inconsequential to us adults. Often these fears are a developmental stage – some children have real fears, some are imagined, the lines can blur especially at bedtimes. This can be a time when even the most innate can seem menacing when you’re helping to try and regulate your feelings and process the events of the day.
The dragon becomes the ‘protector’ in the story much like a beloved toy or comforter, yet we loved the mundane activities that are part of many children’s routines that the dragon becomes part of such as snack time and bath time. It’s a story that will spark conversation from children about their days.
We did chuckle at the part where the Winter Dragon explains he can toast marshmallows and muffins as well as teacakes! We’d have a dragon toast marshmallow any day.
Beautiful Endpapers
I’m a big endpapers fan and the contrast of winter to summer are lovely. Reminds me of a set of my favourite end papers in the book Snow! by @jo_surman_illustrator – if you look back on my grid you’ll find my review and end paper images – you really should check them out.
We love The Winter Dragon and we hope you do too.
Bookish Ideas
Joining in with Esther’s (@mrsbrownsbookbox) #4IdeasForABook
⭐Make your own dragon – junk modelling, collaging, painting – whatever takes your fancy
⭐Toast marshmallows!
⭐Have a warm dragon bath – add a homemade bath bomb for some extra fizz
⭐It would be a good story for children to compare toys from now and from a time in the past. Do the toys look the same as their toys? I for one loved the nostalgia of the angular dustpan!
Further Book Recommendations
- Graffeg have recently sent another title for review. It’s an incredible collection of poetry that I’d highly recommend. Review coming soon for Choose Love.
- Another favourite of ours for bedtime fears is Goodnight Sandman from Floris Books.
- Me and My Fear from Flying Eye Books is a beautiful story explaining what fear is for children and how to help overcome fear. It’s wonderful and one that my daughter returns to time and time again.