Our dragon by Mem Fox. Illus. by Linda Davick

What a reassuring read! Every child wants to know that they are loved and wanted, and that their outbursts of pique will always be forgiven and forgotten.

In this lovely verse story of a dragon and his parents, they are all getting used to each other, the almost new dragon asserting himself within the family, the parents showing love and support, and lots and lots of patience as the newcomer is sometimes over exuberant. When the dragon forgets himself and breathes fire and smoke, the parents do their best to calmly talk to him about curbing his behaviour. He knows that he has done the wrong thing and tries hard to conform, but now and again the fire erupts in the blink of an eye. His parents again mop up the mess, talking in low voices about how unfriendly this is, but not apportioning blame or recriminations. The dragon learns that his parents are saddened by his behaviour and so is greatly relieved when their sadness is short lived and they are all back to normal quickly.

Readers will have quickly picked up that the dragon is them, children of all shapes and sizes, who come into a family and learn to conform to the rules within the family, but always with an unconditional love given by the parents. The warmth shared by the mum and dad extends over every page as they nurture their dragon, keeping him safely within the family group, talking, holding, loving, cuddling, and even when quiet words are spoken in response to his unseemly behaviour, he is assured of their love and his worth.

Mem Fox creates a timeless image of a supportive family working in concert with each other, held together by love and tenderness.

The stunning illustrations in bold swathes of colour burst over each page, ensnaring every child’s eye as they read along with the narrator, predicting the rhyming words, learning some of the familiar lines, comfortably watching the little dragon as he settles into the routine of family life.

Themes: Family, Love, Behaviour.

Fran Knight