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When a Dragon Moves In
On a beautiful day at the beach, a young boy brings his bucket, shovel, and imagination, and builds a perfect sand castle. Right away, a dragon moves in. The boy decides to befriend his dragon and they spend time roaming the shore, flying a kite, braving the waves, defying bullies, and roasting marshmallows—all while Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is engrossed in her book. Unfortunately, no one believes the boy when he tries to share the news of this magnificent creature. That’s when the mischief begins, and the dragon becomes a force to be reckoned with. While adults will recognize the naughty antics as a ploy for attention, children will dissolve into giggles as the dragon devours every last sandwich, blows bubbles in the lemonade, and leaves claw prints in the brownies. Maybe the dragon really is running amok on the beach, or maybe it’s a little boy’s imagination that is running wild.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2011
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April 30, 2020SBC summer text
When a Dragon Moves In
On a bright sunny day at the beach, a young boy decides to build the perfect sandcastle and is taken away by his imagination. Of course, this brilliant sandcastle is the right home for a fire breathing dragon, so he moves in straight away. The boy and dragon begin their own adventure by having lots of fun on the beach. Unfortunately, his family doesn’t believe him when he tries to tell them all about this new marvellous creature. Suddenly, the dragon starts behaving in a mischievous way and medals with the family, but they still don’t believe there is a dragon. The young boy decides to send his dragon away and knock down his home. Well until tomorrow, who knows what might be in the castle next!
Year 1- Familiar Settings
This book is full of lovely illustrations and perfect for getting children to use their imaginations. The book could be used in a variety of ways to get children engaged and excited about writing. Although, I would defiantly start with an activity like getting the children to draw their own creature they might find in their own sandcastle. This could then be used alongside a piece of descriptive writing. The book could also be used as a tool for children to write in different styles. For example, a letter from the dragon to say sorry about causing mischief, or a ‘wanted’ style poster. The book uses a lot of speech, which could be incorporated into a drama lesson and making use of the role play corner. Some arts and crafts could definitely be incorporated to ‘set the scene’.
When a Dragon Moves In
On a bright sunny day at the beach, a young boy decides to build the perfect sandcastle and is taken away by his imagination. Of course, this brilliant sandcastle is the right home for a fire breathing dragon, so he moves in straight away. The boy and dragon begin their own adventure by having lots of fun on the beach. Unfortunately, his family doesn’t believe him when he tries to tell them all about this new marvellous creature. Suddenly, the dragon starts behaving in a mischievous way and medals with the family, but they still don’t believe there is a dragon. The young boy decides to send his dragon away and knock down his home. Well until tomorrow, who knows what might be in the castle next!
Year 1- Familiar Settings
This book is full of lovely illustrations and perfect for getting children to use their imaginations. The book could be used in a variety of ways to get children engaged and excited about writing. Although, I would defiantly start with an activity like getting the children to draw their own creature they might find in their own sandcastle. This could then be used alongside a piece of descriptive writing. The book could also be used as a tool for children to write in different styles. For example, a letter from the dragon to say sorry about causing mischief, or a ‘wanted’ style poster. The book uses a lot of speech, which could be incorporated into a drama lesson and making use of the role play corner. Some arts and crafts could definitely be incorporated to ‘set the scene’.
June 18, 2023
A super cute book about a boy who builds an amazing sandcastle and has a dragon move in! Lots of antics follow. Funny, darling illustrations, and lots of fun to read on a perfect summer day.
May 20, 2011
Reviewed by: Roxanne Werner
Synopsis: A little boy and his family spend a relaxing day at the beach until a dragon moves into the boy’s sandcastle. At first, the boy enjoys his new friend. The dragon toasts marshmallows, flies a kite and scares away bullies. Things start to go wrong when the boy tries to convince his family that there is a dragon. No one believes him and he must take the blame for the dragon’s pranks.
Overall thoughts: Jodi Moore’s debut book is a whimsical look at family life and a little boy’s need for attention. The large red dragon, portrayed vividly by Howard McWilliam’s illustrations, is both mischievous and lovable. The reader is left to decide if the dragon is real or only a product of a boy’s vivid imagination. McWilliam’s artwork provides reasonable explanations for the dragon’s antics, if we choose to take them. But perhaps on a warm summer day, it’s more fun to let our imaginations run wild, and believe that if we build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in. Moore has built the perfect story for a child’s imagination to move in.
Synopsis: A little boy and his family spend a relaxing day at the beach until a dragon moves into the boy’s sandcastle. At first, the boy enjoys his new friend. The dragon toasts marshmallows, flies a kite and scares away bullies. Things start to go wrong when the boy tries to convince his family that there is a dragon. No one believes him and he must take the blame for the dragon’s pranks.
Overall thoughts: Jodi Moore’s debut book is a whimsical look at family life and a little boy’s need for attention. The large red dragon, portrayed vividly by Howard McWilliam’s illustrations, is both mischievous and lovable. The reader is left to decide if the dragon is real or only a product of a boy’s vivid imagination. McWilliam’s artwork provides reasonable explanations for the dragon’s antics, if we choose to take them. But perhaps on a warm summer day, it’s more fun to let our imaginations run wild, and believe that if we build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in. Moore has built the perfect story for a child’s imagination to move in.
February 23, 2021
I really enjoyed listening to this book and all of the emotion behind the words. It was a silly book and I think it would be great for kids if they need a laugh. There wasn’t a particular message behind the story, but it did show the power of imagination. I think it encourages children to believe what they want no matter who tells it’s not real because imagination is important and helps to grow creativity later on in life. Overall, I loved being able to listen to the story and feel like I was a part of it.
June 7, 2011
SUCH a cute story - a cross between If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and There's No Such Things As Dragons (A book I LOVED as a child). It was funny, cute, and adorable. The pictures were amazing - also cute and funny. All in all, a great read!!
May 22, 2012
I love this illustrator, he's one of my favorite at the moment. Cute story, but pay attention to the illustrations, they add an additional dimension for grown-ups!
March 3, 2020
Per my second graders: I thought it was wonderful because you can use your imagination and make up lies! I think it was good because he made dragon friends. I liked the end because it had families.
April 29, 2020
SBC summer 20 text
A lovely story about the power of kids' imagination and the importance of believing in what we see in our mind. The story is set on a beach, a calm and peaceful environment where a little boy builds a fantastic sandcastle ... the perfect place for a dragon to move into! The boy's family can't see the dragon (not even his big sister!) as it only lives in his mind.
The writing is funny and the illustrations are beautiful and so detailed that even little kids could retell the story by only using the pictures. This book could definitely be used for some creative writing; the children could be encouraged to use their imagination to write their own story and bring a special character alive. It could also be used for descriptive writing as the children would need to describe their character to their friends who won't be able to see it!
A lovely story about the power of kids' imagination and the importance of believing in what we see in our mind. The story is set on a beach, a calm and peaceful environment where a little boy builds a fantastic sandcastle ... the perfect place for a dragon to move into! The boy's family can't see the dragon (not even his big sister!) as it only lives in his mind.
The writing is funny and the illustrations are beautiful and so detailed that even little kids could retell the story by only using the pictures. This book could definitely be used for some creative writing; the children could be encouraged to use their imagination to write their own story and bring a special character alive. It could also be used for descriptive writing as the children would need to describe their character to their friends who won't be able to see it!
October 24, 2020
Hahaha, omg. I loved this book. When a Dragon Moves In is so darn cute. It’s kind of similar to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie> which kind of makes me wish that the book’s title had parodied it. I’m not entirely sure why it didn’t, but it would have been really cool.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
November 20, 2019
The cadence of this book kind of reminds me of the Laura Numeroff books. The story is about a boy who builds a sandcastle and a trouble making dragon moves into it.
November 30, 2020
Super cute.
April 29, 2014
1. Have you ever been to the beach and built things in the sand? Like what? I know that I have done many things, but my favorite is to use my hands or buckets and make a castle. Have you ever wondered about who or what might live in the sand castle you build at the beach? What if this sand castle was THE PERFECT sand castle? Well, in When a Dragon Moves In by author Jodi Moore and illustrator Howard McWilliam, that’s what happens, as well as many other adventures. We’ve been talking about theme, so I want you to think about what the theme of this story could be. Pay attention to the pictures and decide who you think is responsible for some of the things that happen and why you think that.
2. Raise questions to spark curiosity, prompt hypothesizing based on the situation, invite personal connections, raise interest in a topic or theme
3. This is a wonderful book to spark imagination and questions because we have to decide what is really happening. Did a dragon move in? What if the sand castle wasn’t THE PERFECT sand castle? Is this his imagination? What really happened to the brownies? Who is making all the mischief….the boy or the dragon? This is a great book to talk about theme, which can be a difficult concept to understand.
(2011, September 1). School Library Journal.
http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#
2. Raise questions to spark curiosity, prompt hypothesizing based on the situation, invite personal connections, raise interest in a topic or theme
3. This is a wonderful book to spark imagination and questions because we have to decide what is really happening. Did a dragon move in? What if the sand castle wasn’t THE PERFECT sand castle? Is this his imagination? What really happened to the brownies? Who is making all the mischief….the boy or the dragon? This is a great book to talk about theme, which can be a difficult concept to understand.
(2011, September 1). School Library Journal.
http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#
January 5, 2012
This book will certainly remind you and your students of Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. In this case, a young boy discovers that "if you build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in." The boy enjoys a day on the beach with the dragon until the dragon gets carried away. The dragon leaves fingerprints on the brownies and sprays sand all over the sister. Howard McWilliam cleverly shows the boy AND dragon committing these beach crimes, lending a charming element to fantasy/reality contrast. The only thing I didn't really like about the story was the end -- the boy sends the dragon "to leave until he learns some manners" and then proceeds to stomp his sandcastle to the ground. Since it's a circular story, we see that he decides to rebuild the castle the next day. BUT, I didn't like the fact that the boy's fit was so harsh or destructive. A good addition as a beach and dragon read or to give an alternative to the ever popular "If You Give..." books.
February 25, 2018
"Best of all, no beach bully would dare stomp your castle with a dragon inside."
If you build a perfect sandcastle, you'll be lucky enough to have a dragon move in. There are all kinds of benefits to having a dragon with you on the beach. But, there are rules to follow, as well. And just because your mother, father and big sister don't see him, doesn't mean you don't have a dragon, right? And, of course, it's the dragon that eats all the peanut butter sandwiches and messes with the brownies. And it's definitely the dragon that sprays sand all over your sister. "I think we've had enough of this dragon business," your father will say. So you'll send the dragon away until he has learned some manners. heh-heh-heh Or at least until tomorrow.
This will make a great read aloud.
If you build a perfect sandcastle, you'll be lucky enough to have a dragon move in. There are all kinds of benefits to having a dragon with you on the beach. But, there are rules to follow, as well. And just because your mother, father and big sister don't see him, doesn't mean you don't have a dragon, right? And, of course, it's the dragon that eats all the peanut butter sandwiches and messes with the brownies. And it's definitely the dragon that sprays sand all over your sister. "I think we've had enough of this dragon business," your father will say. So you'll send the dragon away until he has learned some manners. heh-heh-heh Or at least until tomorrow.
This will make a great read aloud.
March 9, 2018
Imagination is a wonderful thing. A young boy builds a perfect sand castle on the beach. As soon as he's done, a dragon moves in. The two spend their afternoon playing on the shore, wading in the waves, flying a kite, and doing other wonderful things while both mom and dad are not paying much attention.
The boy wants to share his dragon adventures with his parents, but of course, neither one of them believe him. That's when trouble starts as the boy and his dragon vie for the parents' attention. Young children will love the naughty antics of the young boy and parents will identify with him, too.
The boy wants to share his dragon adventures with his parents, but of course, neither one of them believe him. That's when trouble starts as the boy and his dragon vie for the parents' attention. Young children will love the naughty antics of the young boy and parents will identify with him, too.
January 13, 2020
5 stars
I love this picture book! It is about a little boy with a very active imagination. He is spending the day at the beach with his family when he decides that a dragon has moved into his sand castle. When his family doesn’t believe him about the dragon, the book goes on to describe all of the adventures the boy has with his dragon. Unfortunately for everyone else, these adventures are quite disruptive and destructive…. but it’s okay, because the dragon did it! It’s real, honest!
- Miss Emily
I love this picture book! It is about a little boy with a very active imagination. He is spending the day at the beach with his family when he decides that a dragon has moved into his sand castle. When his family doesn’t believe him about the dragon, the book goes on to describe all of the adventures the boy has with his dragon. Unfortunately for everyone else, these adventures are quite disruptive and destructive…. but it’s okay, because the dragon did it! It’s real, honest!
- Miss Emily
May 3, 2020
SBC summer text
A story about the power of a child’s imagination.. A boy goes to the beach and makes the perfect sandcastle. A dragon moves into the sandcastle and they soon become friends having fun at the beach. When he tells everybody about his new friend no one believes him! So is there a dragon living in a sandcastle or is it just the little boy’s imagination? This is story with a familiar setting for young children. There is so much you can do with this story.. from turning the role play area into a beach, acting out the story in a drama session or writing character descriptions.
A story about the power of a child’s imagination.. A boy goes to the beach and makes the perfect sandcastle. A dragon moves into the sandcastle and they soon become friends having fun at the beach. When he tells everybody about his new friend no one believes him! So is there a dragon living in a sandcastle or is it just the little boy’s imagination? This is story with a familiar setting for young children. There is so much you can do with this story.. from turning the role play area into a beach, acting out the story in a drama session or writing character descriptions.
February 24, 2021
This book is very entertaining and I’m sure every kid that would read it would love it. This book is pretty goofy, explaining what would happen if a dragon moved into a sandcastle. This book shows how imaginative children are and can think of picture anything, like a dragon moving into a sandcastle on the beach. This book is a very happy book and I think all children would find it funny. I think children would like the colors used in the illustrations, the color of the sand and dragon stick out.
February 10, 2022
This story is a fun summer themed story about how powerful a child's imagination could be. This book uses a lot of visual effects through the illustrations and really brings them to life. There is a lot of funny moments too that are meant to get a laugh out of the reader. I chose this story for my read aloud because I thought it would be a fun story to read out loud and it shows how powerful the mind is but also ties in a family theme too towards the end. The story was very creative and enjoyable and now when I go to the beach and build a sandcastle I will think of dragons.
April 24, 2020
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade Range: K-1st
Book Review: I ABSOLUTELY love these types of books! I remember reading these books as a child and they bring back such good memories. The illustrations of the dragon so look amazing and go so well with this book. It makes me so happy how adamant the child is about how the dragon is causing the trouble and not him. This book is probably one of my top favorite children’s book ever! I will be buying this book for my own bookshelf
Grade Range: K-1st
Book Review: I ABSOLUTELY love these types of books! I remember reading these books as a child and they bring back such good memories. The illustrations of the dragon so look amazing and go so well with this book. It makes me so happy how adamant the child is about how the dragon is causing the trouble and not him. This book is probably one of my top favorite children’s book ever! I will be buying this book for my own bookshelf
June 2, 2012
Audience: P-2nd Grade Classroom Teacher, Counselors and students that have huge imaginations.
Appeal: Children would love reading this book, because they have connections with the book when their parents don't believe them, and they have experiences that are unusual like finding a dragon on the beach. It also has great illustrations.
Appeal: Children would love reading this book, because they have connections with the book when their parents don't believe them, and they have experiences that are unusual like finding a dragon on the beach. It also has great illustrations.
August 20, 2014
My son really enjoys the book and it certainly plays to his more mischievous qualities (the little boy in the story uses his "dragon" as an alibi when it comes to throwing sand on his sister, eating all the sandwiches, and taking a bite of each brownie during a family trip to the beach). The illustrations are great, the story is cute and imaginative, but the message is a little mixed.
September 8, 2011
This is a cute story along the lines of Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. Could be used as a mentor text to inspire kids creative writing.
January 14, 2024
Blurb: When a Dragon Moves In, When a Dragon Moves in Again, and I Love My Dragon by Jodi Moore and Howard McWilliam, published by Flashlight Press, follows an imaginative young boy and his dragon as they share a playday at the beach, roast marshmallows together, and even welcome a new baby into the family.
SeasonsOfKidLit.com says: Moore’s heartfelt and humorous text paired with McWilliam’s bright and vivid cartoon-styled illustrations are a wonderful blend. Readers young and old will love following the main character and his pet dragon around on their fun adventures in this entertaining series. Moore’s witty writing even lets the readers use their own imaginations to determine if the dragon is real or an imaginary friend. This series is a wonderful addition to any school or home library collection!
SeasonsOfKidLit.com says: Moore’s heartfelt and humorous text paired with McWilliam’s bright and vivid cartoon-styled illustrations are a wonderful blend. Readers young and old will love following the main character and his pet dragon around on their fun adventures in this entertaining series. Moore’s witty writing even lets the readers use their own imaginations to determine if the dragon is real or an imaginary friend. This series is a wonderful addition to any school or home library collection!
August 23, 2017
In this book, a boy builds the perfect sandcastle allowing a dragon to move in. The boy and the dragon fly kites together, roast marshmallows, and eat peanut butter sandwiches. Eventually, the dragon gets the boy in trouble for spraying sand on his sister. He leaves only to return the next day. The author, Jodi Moore, doesn't ever provide clarity if the dragon is real or a figure of the boys imagination. It's up to the reader to decide. This book would allow students to use their imagination and maybe decide how they would build their perfect sandcastle. What would it look like? What creature would move in?How would their dragon behave?
February 25, 2021
This one is pretty good and is one of those stories with details you don't pick up on the first time through, so it bears re-reading fairly well. My 3.5 year old enjoyed the idea of this kid getting up to all kinds of mischief with a dragon who may or may not have been there. Some may balk at the kid being such a pest and blaming it on the dragon, but it seems pretty true to life to me. A bit reminiscent of "if you give a mouse a cookie" and something else where a kid is blaming their behaviour on a made-up creature, maybe Where the Wild Things are (in terms of wildness, not tone or illustration style. But a fun one that my kid enjoyed!
May 6, 2017
I felt like giving this five stars until the ending. I'm not sure what happened. I was expecting more out of this, like something meaningful was being built up. But the sudden abandonment of the conflict for the quip of "until tomorrow" suddenly distanced me from the story. Not to make it too heavy because I know it was meant as a fun story about imagination. Just the seriousness from the family and the kid in his abandonment of the dragon lead to expect something meaningful in reply instead of something mischievous. Ah well. It was fun.
April 29, 2020
If you build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in. A book about the power of imagination. Other people may dismiss the boy’s imaginative dragon but he continues to enjoy his company. This story works well for creative writing tasks. There are also links to senses; with peanut butter sandwiches to eat, sand and feathers to feel, the sound of the sea and the smell of smoke. Lots of opportunity for sensory games and descriptive language.
Online link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s7aS...
Online link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s7aS...
December 3, 2024
1-4 sentences per page, lengthy picture book. About a boy who goes to the beach and has a pretend dragon with him there. The illustrations are animated but lifelike – the “seriously??” face the boy makes when he tells his mom to listen to his dragon’s roar and his mom replies that she hears the roar of the ocean made me laugh because it was just so...real. Facial expressions were drawn so well! Colorful. Covers a number of things kids do at the beach with their family and is creative and imaginative in the part the dragon plays in it with the boy.
September 1, 2017
I loved this book, but Alice was unable to finish it. There's this horrifyingly sad (and therefore intolerable) page on which the boy sends the dragon away after it misbehaves. Alice refused to finish the last two pages and read the happy ending and also refused to have the book included on her list of books read for the year. It was just too sad. What are we going to do when she gets to Where the Red Fern Grows? Buy antidepressants?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 264 reviews