Dragonbreath, Number 1

I bought this title to read with my 8 year old daughter. She is more than capable of reading it herself, but I thought it would be something nice to share (father to daughter). Although she was a little apprehensive at first, she love the story, and the characters. This is definitely one of her top 5 books now, and I have a feelign we'll be reading it together again soon!

Since I have a nine-year old daughter, I'm always anxious to see what's new in Middle Grade books. The latest book that I've read is DRAGONBREATH written and illustrated by Ursula Vernon. I'm not sure that I'm the best judge of middle-grade books because they aren't really geared towards me, but I have to say that I really liked DRAGONBREATH. I thought the characters were cute, the story was interesting, and the book was really funny -- I think it's just perfect for middle grade readers! What I really liked about this book was that it was a mix of a comic book and a regular old book. I think the comic panels are very well done, and kids are going to really like switching between the pictures and the normal text. I thought the drawings definitely enhanced the fantasy aspect of the story, and I loved the pictures of the characters on their under-sea adventure. Even the most reluctant of readers should appreciate this story given that it has many comic panels and fairly large text. I found DRAGONBREATH to be a very cute and entertaining story, yet it also had parts that were actually educational. I think kids will not only laugh a lot at this story and the characters (namely Wendell whom I found to be just adorable), but they will also love the bits of science that are thrown in. I especially enjoyed reading about Danny and Wendell's tour of the ocean and also learning about the various sea creatures. I also liked that the author included some positive messages about bullying, self-confidence, and perseverence. DRAGONBREATH is the first book in a series, and I wouldn't hesitate to read more stories about Danny and his crazy adventures. I think that these books are going to be a big hit with young boys, especially those around 8 to 10 years old; however, I also think there are plenty of girls who are going to love these characters too. I really liked that the end of this book gave a few teasers about the next book in the series, namely that there will be ninja frogs. And what kid can resist an adventure with a dragon and iguana that includes ninja frogs? Here are some of Booking Daughter's thoughts about DRAGONBREATH: I really liked the parts of the book that took place underwater. Some things really made me laugh like when the characters took "breath" mints so they could breathe underwater and when they kept running into scary sea creatures. I thought Danny's friend Wendell was really funny especially when he was underwater because he was always nervous.

When one follows Ursula Vernon's art and quirky storytelling sensibilities for as long as I have, one knows what to expect from her work. A respectful knowledge of nature's actual workings mixed seamlessly with the absurdities of her imagination, practical and pragmatic characters coping with singularly surreal situations, and small cute critters overcoming monstrous and weird obstacles. That having been said, there's always SOMETHING in her stories that catches me off guard and stands out in my mind, and in this case, that something is called a Snorkelbat. I won't spoil the surprise, but let me just say that page 23 ALONE was worth the purchase price. I honestly can't imagine anyone who couldn't get something out of this book. It's stylish, humorous, witty, incredibly inventive, and even a little educational (Snorkelbats notwithstanding...sorry, I still can't quite get over them). If you're a fan of Vernon, this will be just one more reason to love her. If you're not, this will convert you. I can't wait for the sequel!

Ursula Vernon is a favorite, so I had this ordered on pre-order and knew I'd enjoy it. But once it arrived, I was completely smitten by the snorklebats and vicious rogue potato salad. A delightful story for kids and adults who are still kids at heart. And it's even a wee-bit educational.

"Dragonbreath" is an amusing story that combines witty text and wonderful artwork in the same style that Ursula Vernon employs in her "Digger" series. From predatory potato salad ("A school of potato salad can skeletonize a cow in under two weeks, assuming that the cow doesn't get bored and move...") to burly mermen from Atlantis and vain luminescent deep sea creatures ("Hey! DO I come up to the surface and make fun of your looks?"), this book presents a host of very likeable, bizarre characters. The two main characters, Danny and Wendell, find themselves in enough trouble to keep the story moving along nicely. My nine-year-old and I give it five stars, and we look forward to the next story in the series.