Fantasy Post #2

Title: Raising Dragons
Author/Illustrator: Jerdine Nolen and Elise Primavera
Lauren's Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Raising Dragons is a story about a boy who finds a dragon egg. His parents tell him to stay away but when the dragon hatches he takes care of him until he gets too big. He then sends him to Dragon Island, where Hank, the dragon, gives him a bunch of dragon eggs, so that, he can raise these babies.

This is a cute story that would perfect for a children who could read very well and who likes dragons. I think that the long paragraph-like text took away from the illustrations. I liked that the story featured an African American family. It showed that diversity can be shown in children's literature. I also enjoyed the cartoon like illustrations that were made with pastels. The details in the illustrations were beautiful, as well as, the colors. Each page was consistent with the text. The fantasy-like qualities in the book were excellent. The author also portrayed the dragon in a way that he seemed like a normal pet. I did enjoy this book but I feel like it would be too challenging for a young child and text might get boring.

Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company
Publication date: 1998
ISBN: 0-15-201288-5