Dragon Night

PreS-Gr 1–Fear can seem insurmountable without the help of a friend. In this charming story about conquering one’s fears, Krause employs clever wordplay and imagination as his young protagonist, Georgie, is afraid of the night until a dragon comes to life from one of his favorite books, St. George and the Dragon. The dragon is afraid of the knight in his story, and the confusing homonym takes both characters some time to puzzle out. It is enough, though, to have them both fly through the sky together to escape the night and knight. Children will delight in pointing out what it is the dragon sees from above, such as the castle at a carnival and a king in the city, which makes this an engaging read-aloud. As they fly together, Georgie discovers that the night can be beautiful as the dragon shows him how it reveals shooting stars and they listen to the “crickets play a soothing song.” Krause’s use of brush, pen, ink and digital rendering creates this wondrous woodcut mixed-media style in illustration that is vibrant in both color and expression. An excellent selection for young readers who are afraid of the dark, this tale also offers creativity and hope as Georgie devises a plan to save his dragon friend from his own fears.