Kumiko and the Dragon, by Briony Stewart, University of Queensland Press, ISBN 9798 0 7022 3619 8
Kumiko is afraid of going to bed. She is afraid because of the dragon who waits outside her bedroom window every night. One day, she decides to write the dragon a letter asking him to go away. But even this doesn’t make her feel braver.
She says:
“And when I am supposed to be doing my schoolwork all that fills my head is: Oh I am to be eaten for sure!”
What happens to Kumiko next is thrilling—in one night she learns a great deal more about dragons, her family, and being brave. Will the dragon eat her, or is this the beginning of a great adventure?
This book was an exciting read, and I loved Briony Stewart’s illustrations scattered throughout the chapters.
If you like stories about dragons and courage and magic, you will love Kumiko and the Dragon. (There will be a second book in the series—Kumiko and the Dragon’s Secret, out in August 2010. I can’t wait to read that, too!)
Review by Rebecca Newman, Editor, Alphabet Soup
alphabetsoup.net.au 