Dewi and the Seeds of Doom

by Maggie Lyons

When Dewi is clobbered by a falling rat, the nosy Welsh dragon snoops his way into a challenging predicament. Helped by a toad with a passion for chemical wart cures, Dewi discovers that a megalomaniac baron is secretly breeding mutant corn at an unfriendly castle. To thwart the genetically modified-corn baron’s sickening plan, he must use moxie and firepower in a series of catastrophe-skirting capers.

Genres: Childrens

69 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

I’m a trapeze artist, astronaut, spy — just kidding! Well, the bit about being a spy is true. It was a long time ago in a far off land, lots of fun, and planets away from my middle-class upbringing in the UK. I was born in a little coal-mining town in South Wales and properly brought up in England where I did English things like attending an all-girls grammar school, playing rounders, doing two hours of homework every day, and going on soggy caravan holidays with my family. With no regard for my family's physical and emotional health, I also trained as a classical pianist - daily four-hour practices. Once I grew up — wait, that’s a fib; I’ve never actually grown up — I experimented with hedonism in Paris, where, among other things, I taught English to very proper French schoolgirls, and I failed to abide by the British embassy’s social rules in Romania, but that’s another story. My job in Bucharest was to appease visiting Royal Ballet dancers. If you’ve ever attempted to herd butterflies, you’ll know what I mean. Soon after that I gravitated to the USA because the streets there were supposed to be paved with gold. They weren’t, but I stayed anyway and finally wound up catching my breath in a tranquil fishing and farming community on Virginia’s coast.

The rest of my so-called professional life has been a regal zigzag through a motley variety of careers from orchestral management to law-firm media relations to academic editing, all of which entailed a lot of writing and editing. Although that work brought me plenty of satisfaction, it didn’t produce the kind of magic that can come from writing fiction and nonfiction for children.

Children’s literature has always fascinated me. My parents read bedtime stories to me when I was a child and I read stories to my son when he was small. All I needed was an excuse to borrow books from the children’s library, and declaring myself to be a children’s writer did the trick. Studying the work of great children’s writers gives me the chance to indulge my love of that enchanting mix of innocence, escapism, imagination, and humor that bubbles out of children’s literature.

Reviews

[Alicia Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 9 year old and I read Dewi and the Seed of Doom together. We really enjoyed Dewi and his adventures. A great book on kindness and great humor. Dewi is a great book for those young and old. While Dewi may be a short read for some, it is certainly an entertaining read for all.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Omnia vincit Doomus'

British author Maggie Lyons is from South Wales (appropriately enough as that is where her title character hails) and in addition to writing has been a part of the British embassy in Romania, and has lived in Virginia. Her wonderfully zany bio matches her talent for writing children's fantasies, and `a motley variety of careers from orchestral management to law-firm media relations to academic editing, all of which entailed a lot of writing and editing. Although that work brought me plenty of satisfaction, it didn't produce the kind of magic that can come from writing fiction and nonfiction for children.' Right from the beginning Maggie Lyons feels like the sort of writer we will like - a writer who indulges her love `of that enchanting mix of innocence, escapism, imagination, and humor that bubbles out of children's literature.'

Chief among the varied characters of this tale is Dewi the Welsh Dragon whose kindness to his friends is well known. But on a simple day a particle drops out to the sky hitting Dewi on the head - a particle Dewi at first hopes is a meteor that will make him famous, but the `particle' is a small rat, injured, but when cared for by Dewi, is named Bomber and reveals a secret about one Baron Doom from Gloomsgor who is breeding a type of corn that will destroy the earth. Dewi gathers of the aid of his creatively drawn circle of friends (including Jones the toad, Squiffy the water vole, Billy Know-All the goat) to solve the mystery - and the day - using not only his special fire breathing talents but also his wit and keen mind. He is captured in his attempt to right the wrongs of Baron Doom and locked in a dungeon cell. But with the use of his special gifts the mystery is solved and good triumphs as the Baron Doom's scheme fizzles (or `pops').

One of Maggie Lyons' talents is her ability to infuse humor and a hefty dose of parody into her writing. The book is without visual illustrations (except for a terrific cover) but the story is so well written that children will be beguiled. An excellent, witty, full of fun book for children (ages 6 - 11, and adults with a love for entertainment) to stretch their imaginations and have a terrific time doing so.

[Wayne Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could dragon, a sick rat, a toad, and bad corn all have in common? Dewi is a young Welsh dragon, the son of Owen, Dragon of Pembroke. One day, Dewi is hit in the nose by something that falls from the sky. He hopes that it is meteorite, but it turns out to be a very sick rat that was dropped by a kestrel because it seemed poisoned. What is wrong with the rat? With the help of his friends, Llewellyn Cledwyn, or Billy Know-All the goat, Squiffy the water vole, and Mr. Jones the toad, Dewi finds clues that lead him to the the Casstle Gloomsgor where the evil Baron Doom and his servant Peegor are secretly breeding mutant corn. What is the Baron planning to do with it? Will Dewi and his friends learn what the plan is and be able to stop it? Or will they get caught?

Dragon stories are all the rage among kids today. And everyone likes a good mystery to solve. As a detective, Dewi is smart and curious with a good upbringing. He knows how to search for clues and figure out what they mean. Also, he is persistent in not giving up when difficulties arise but pressing on. Yet, he realizes that he needs the help of his friends to achieve his goals. A few euphemisms and childish slang terms (“old fart,” “my butt’s sticking out,” gosh) are found. But basically this is a fun tale that middle grade youngsters will enjoy. Author Maggie Lyons, who was born in Wales and grew up in England before coming to Virginia, first wrote about Dewi the Red Dragon in the online children’s magazine knowonder! Dewi and the Seeds of Doom is well written with characters that will keep the reader laughing, and a plot that flows easily along.

[Mymcbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review: Dewi is a Welsh dragon, and he is the son of Owen, Dragon of Pembroke. While Dewi was out he was hit on the nose by something that fell from the sky which turns out to be a sick rat drop off by a kestrel. Something didn’t seem right with this sick rat so Dewi decided to investigate with the help of his friend Mr. Jones the toad.

After talking to the kestrel who dropped the rat and with some important information from the sick rat named Bomber, Dewi decided to check out the Castle Gloomsgor. What he saw made his spines rise like a row of hot red peppers along his back. There laid a row of cages full of rats and the evil Baron Doom and his servant Peegor are doing a weird chemistry experiment with corn. Dewi needs to bring this to the attention of the Royal Welsh Court. Will they believe him or would he has to come up with a solution himself? This makes for a good mystery and a detective story.

I really enjoyed reading this book but I wish it had some illustration to help tell the story.



Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are up for a good mystery, author Maggie Lyons will put young readers to the test. Follow along with Dewi and his motley crew to unravel the tale of the not so tasty corn. Young readers will enjoy following along with Dewi the dragon in this quick and curious middle grade read.

Dewi, a little red dragon, has a very strange mystery to solve that involves corn. Strange experiments are taking place over at Castle Gloomsgar. When Dewi discovers a rat that has been poisoned it's up to him to investigate. He encounters other animals who have discovered other rats with the same deadly symptoms. With the help of his toad friend Jones, who happens to be a chemist, together along with a few others they try to find what Baron Doom is up to.

[Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dewi is a kind, smart, young dragon that any reader of the book will find it hard not to fall in love with. The story is action-packed, featuring adorable animal characters and fun plots. It is written with a sense of humor that can be easily entertained by both kids and adults. It teaches young readers about kindness, friendship, and courage. My six-year-old loved reading the story with my assistance. I think the book would be more attractive and accesible to younger kids if accompanied by colorful illustrations.

*I received a free copy of the book to facilitate my honest review. All views and opinions expressed are my own.*

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewi and the Seeds of Doom by Maggie Lyons is a great little mystery for kids featuring the Welsh dragon, Dewi. When Dewi sets out one day, he encounters a very sick rat who somehow has crossed Dewi's path, and endeavors to help him. Dewi is a good little dragon with the best of intentions, but soon finds himself enmeshed in a mystery and plenty of turmoil. Ultimately he discovers a castle, which is in fact a laboratory of sorts, and soon discovers the evils of the GMO industry. While this premise my be a little over some kids' heads, the storyline itself is cute, with enough wit and charming characters to overcome any confusion about the science involved. The story could have benefitted from some artwork, only because the characters come across as so adorable, you kind of want to know what they look like. Well written with an easy flow, and good dialogue between the characters, this story for middle grades is highly recommended.

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewi is an adorable Welsh dragon that loves to snoop around. Because of that he always gets caught in the weirdest situations and lives phenomenal adventures.
The plotline is quite interesting, but to me, the anti-GMO backstory here does not work. Kids will not understand and is a very complex topic to be taking in a children book, simply picturing it as the factory from the bad guy. With that said, the characters are great with very nice and entertaining dialogues. The story has a great flow and it uses age-appropriate language, apart from the GMO stuff. The idea of inserting Science as a topic in the book is great but a different approach should be used, or at least not one so simplistic on such a controversial topic
I would have loved if the book had some drawings. The image from the cover is great and it would be a great addition to the story to have more images like that one inside.

[Maranda Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dewi and the Seeds of Doom”, written by Maggie Lyons, is a fun, exciting middle grade children’s fantasy adventure book. Dewi is the main character of course, who is a sweet, well-meaning Welsh dragon. Even though his intentions are always good though, like many of us, Dewi often finds himself innocently thrust into the midst of situations he can’t control and that test his goodness. I did see in the Amazon review section of this book that there is quite a bit of criticism and accusations about the book being nothing more than anti-GMO propaganda. I personally did not come away with that impression. I can see a little bit where they might have gotten that impression, but whether I agree with GMO food products or not, I could still appreciate the fun fantasy aspects of the story. And even if you happen to be pro-GMO, what is the danger in exposing yourself and your children to various points of view? Isn’t that what reading stories is supposed to be about?

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a cute mystery book for children and parents. Maggie Lyons uses animals both real and fiction to tell this tale, making it fun for the kids. The use of details was wonderfully done, really giving life to this story. I found that the pace was great as well making this a great story to read with your kids before bed or really anytime. I really look forward to more stories by author Maggie Lyons, in the future and know that my children will love to read them as well. This was a great story for either family reading or your child to read on their own. As a mother I really looked forward to finding out what was going to happen and how my children would react to the story. This was a must add to our family reading collection.

[M.A. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewi and the Seeds of Doom is a quick, entertaining read for early and reluctant readers. It’s the story of a young dragon and his friends, who are trying to solve the mystery of why a sick rat has fallen out of the sky. Their search leads them to Gloomsgor castle and the evil Dr. Doom. I enjoyed the can-do attitude of Dewi and his friend Jones, who persist in following up on clues while Dr. Doom and his sidekick Peegor do their best to stop them. While I found the story line fairly simplistic, I think it’s appropriate for the target audience. As some other reviewers have mentioned, illustrations would be a nice addition for a book of this age group. But overall, an enjoyable story for young readers.

[Justine Laismith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a chapter book for young readers 6-9 years, to be read as a family. It is fast paced and the talking animals is perfect for this age. I enjoyed the references to Wales and the Welsh places. The onomatopoeia will be fun to read aloud to a young audience, like a younger sibling. For these points I rate this book 3*.

I recommend this book to be read with adult because there are the underlying topics too mature for this age group. They are about animal testing, the chemistry terminology behind flame colours, and GMO. In addition, Some jokes would also go above a child's head, eg the joke about Excel. I can imagine the adult enjoying these parts if this book were read together, and it would generate quite a bit of discussion. If, however, the child reads it alone, it will all be lost on the reader.

On balance, I would rate it 2.5*.

[Alex Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ran across mention of this book on a Goodreads thread and decided to give it a read (it's short). After the first chapter, I realized this is definitely my favorite kind of read-aloud book, 'corny' jokes and all. I read it to my children, who are all technically too old for it, and we all laughed and had a great time with it. We loved spunky Dewi and his attempts to do good deeds and solve the mystery of the Baron's plot. My only complaint is that it really could use some clever illustrations.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewi is a young Welsh dragon who saves a rat, discovers an evil plot, and brings the bad guy to justice with the help of several friends. The chain of events is set in motion when a rat falls out of the clear blue sky and smacks Dewi on the snout. As the story progresses, the reader discovers why (and how) a rat came to fall from the sky. It's a long story (okay, really it's a pretty short story, an adult can easily read it in under an hour), but it involves and evil baron with an even eviller get-rich plot.

Dewi is a great role-model character for kids - his immediate instinct is to be helpful, but when he needs assistance he's able to ask for it. His friends all pitch in and help in their own unique ways – reviving a thoroughly traumatized rat who's been through the wringer, doing scientific research on the baron's ghastly corn, jumping (literally) into the thick of things, or even just offering advice to help the dragon solve the mystery and stop the baron.

Certain aspects of the story were a little too silly for my tastes (and that says a lot, coming from me). There are a great many silly similes in this book, right from the very first page: "… as clean as a dog's licked bowl; as still as a pickle on a plate…" For that reason, I did put the book down more than once before getting past that first page before finally reading it all the way through. If you can get past the slightly over-the-top silliness, though, it's a cute and well-written story with good underlying morals.

I received this ebook in exchange for my honest review; all opinions are my own.

[Inderpreet Uppal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragons and a mystery along with many adventures make this book a delight to read. Which kid would not love to read and go along?

A beautiful, funny, witty and brave dragon and his wise friend Jones a wise chemistry loving Toad.

The delight with which Dewi embarks on his quest for finding the cause of the doom and gloom! His friends support him and his father too guides him to the right path.

This book is a very fast read, did not stop reading once I read the first chapter and the twists and turns of the plot kept me hooked.

Like all good stories for children, it has a good moral of helping others in trouble and stating their point in a subtle manner. Fighting the evil baron and his evil plans to fool the poor villagers with his poisoned corn and deceit make for a exciting read for children and adults too!

This is one book you would even enjoy reading to your kid; I would have loved to have more pictures of Dewi & Jones in action. They seem so cool and heroic as I read the book. Pictures would add to the story making it even better.

Children of ages 6 and above will love this book; in fact the dragon on the cover would be a favourite among them with his fire breathing antics. He takes help, asks for advice, is kind and generous and a good friend.

All qualities we would like to inculcate in our children and this book is a good way to get the message across.

An afternoon well spent with Dewi – the Welsh Dragon.

[Kim Propp · Rating 5 out of 5]

HoaP would like to thank Maggie Lyons for giving us a copy of Dewi and the Seeds of Doom to review.

When I was asked to review a book about a dragon, I pictured a fierce mystical fire breathing creature. About the only fire breathing Dewi could do is enough to pop the corn in the Seeds of Doom. Dewi is a whimsical little dinosaur you are sure to love. Remember Puff? He and Dewi are probably best friends. Personified animals are the main characters with only one 'inhumane' human - the evil scientist who is planning to take over the world.

Dewi is a Welsh dragon who is a sleuth. One day a rat falls from the sky and hits Dewi. The creature exposes a secret that Dewi must investigate. He sneaks off to the place the rat tells him about. To his dismay Dewi discovers
the rat is telling the truth. With the help of a friend, Dewi foils the plot and saves the world as we know it.

Maggie Lyons has a wonderful sense of humor. Dewi is chock full of clever metaphors that caused me to laugh out loud more than once. The story is short and easy to read. I look forward reading more of Maggie's work.

Spelling is a bit different than American English on a few ocassions. Use this as an opportunity to discuss spelling with your children.

HoaP received a copy of Dewi and the Seeds of Doom in exchange for an honest review. If you would like HoaP to review a book or product for you, please contact us at philanthropicHR@yahoo.com.Thank you for your support and God Bless!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew from the introduction—“To all those who love a romp with a Welsh dragon”—that this children’s story would be different from the rest. Maybe it was because of my recent trip to Cardiff, Wales, where I fully learned of this culture’s appreciation for dragons, or the strong characters, but this story completely held its own from start to finish. While I always find it harder to judge a children’s story than a novel or a memoir, but this one is easier to review just because I loved it so much. I have a soft spot for unlikely friendships, so when a rat falls out of the sky and hits Dewi the dragon on the head, I was hooked.

This story is clever enough for adults to appreciate, and funny enough for children to enjoy. Author Maggie Lyons knows how to keep both adults and children entertained, as the entire plot is so imaginative and creative that it takes you into a fantasy world—one you don’t want to leave.

I know a book is solid when I can imagine a TV show spinoff, a movie, and merchandise all stemming from this book. Maggie Lyons has struck gold with her plot, and I see this book having a lot of potential in the future. If you are looking for another book to read to your child, one that is memorable and won’t fall into the forgotten heap of books, then this is a definite winner. Teachers, I highly recommend you stock your classrooms with this book.

[Amphitrite · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked: This is a short and very cute story that I read to my nephew who seemed very entertained by this book. It has a cast of characters from a Welsh dragon named Dewi, to a goat named Billy Know-All and each of them are interesting in different ways. Dewi goes out of his way to help a rat he names Bomber after Bomber falls out of the sky. It takes a while to get to the point and this is the classic good vs. evil plot which is perfect for children. The descriptions are well done and painted a great image for both my nephew and I while reading it. My nephew really enjoyed the way things were described and while I found them a little corny I thought they worked well for this book.

What I didn't like: I found some of the vocabulary a little more advanced for someone my nephew's age (he's almost six) so I did have to explain a few words to him. The humor was a little dry to me and didn't really make my nephew laugh about it even though he laughed at a few other things.

Overall Review: With only minor setbacks about the book this is an entertaining read for young children. I think this would work well as a quick bedtime story as it took us only half an hour to read this and it kept my nephew's attention for most of the time.

Recommend?: Certainly, this would be good for parents to read to their children or for young readers!

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know rats can simply fall out of the sky? Neither does the sweet dragon Dewi until one plops on him. As a dragon, you'd think that meant dinner time for Dewi...but not this loving Dragon. He's off to solve a mystery and find out what is going on. Of course, he finds more than he ever dreamed.

Dewi is a wonderful dragon who will really reach out to kids 6+. Not only is he kind and sweet and a dragon (yes, dragons are simply cool creatures), but he sometimes feels that he's underestimated and is capable of more than the 'adult' world will give him credit for. Kids will love it when he goes on this mystery, knowing that if his dragon father or others really knew what he was up to, they'd put an end to it quick. This dragon trusts himself and encourages kids to believe in themselves and their abilities.

The writing is perfect for first readers as is the length. The settings are whimsical and place kids in a magical world. There's danger without going over-board, action without being scary and evil characters which won't leave nightmares.

Summed up, I can highly recommend this adventurous tale (and adorable dragon) to readers who love adventure and a lot of fun.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Esperanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the modern day believable or not, we are ultimately living with GMO products yet they are being cultivated at a high cost to humanity. Many are unaware of the dangers of GMO products and Lyons brings this dreadful topic to life via the strong willed character Dewi the dragon. Dewi the main character in this awesome book Dewi and The Seeds of Doom, ultimately discovers the horrible happenings of GMO products and must make a choice in how he will approach this dreadful situation. The author Maggie Lyons, helps the reader to understand the dangers that are lurking in the GMO industry and just how awful the industry is to life on earth. Our homeschool children were intrigued with this story and they too learned a life lesson about the GMO industry. I believe this was a well written story and the children of the world deserve a good honest book as such! It is evident that we must teach our children about the clear dangers of GMO crops and what better way to bring forth this subject than in a awesome book! We rate this story with a thumbs up in our homeschool!

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Join nosy Welsh dragon, Dewi, and his critter pals as they try to foil the plot of the dastardly Baron Doom.

If it wasn’t for Bomber, the rat that bounced of Dewi’s snout, and the Welsh dragons habit of sticking his nose into everything, the mad experiments of Baron Doom might never have been discovered. That would have been a terrible fate for all.

Readers young and old will enjoy this adventure. Dewi, the nosy Welsh dragon. Bomber(AKA Taffy the Teeth), the scaredy rat. Jones the huge and brilliant toad. Baron Doom from Castle Gloomsgor. These are just some of the characters you’ll encounter.

Will Dewi and his friends be able to save the rats trapped in the castle? Will they be able to stop the mad Baron before his mutated corm destroys all they hold dear?

Follow the wacky adventures as the gang races to do just that.

There are some ‘corny’ jokes that make you giggle, like this one.

“What do you get when you cross a boy and a rat?”

“A brat!”

This is a fun story for the young and the young at heart.

I received this book for my honest review.

[Erika Messer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dewi is the cutest little dragon! I remember growing up with Puff the Magic Dragon and this did actually remind me a bit of him because they are both sweet and not scary dragons at all :) Dewi the Dragon is kind of a sleuth/detective and one day when he gets hit with a rat falling from the sky he can't help but get involved in the story. It is most definitely for elementary school kids, the writing is perfect for them and I would definitely recommend this for any child :) It is a short read with only 70 pages on the ebook I received, so you can read it in about one setting but it all depends on your childs attention span. I found it extremely enjoyable and I am 38, but I do love all kinds of books but especially fantasy so it appealed to me on a lot of levels :) The writer did a fabulous job and the cover is SUPER cute with the cartoonish dragon in the midst of a more realistic background. I am looking forward to seeing more stories about Dewi in the future! I can't wait to see what he finds to look into next :)

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewi and the Seeds of Doom is a children's fantasy about Dewi, a young Welsh dragon, who saves a rat and learns from the rat that there is an evil baron who has an evil plot. Dewi is afraid to tell his dad about it so he enlists the help of his friend, a toad named Jones, who is a scientist. The two of them attempt to get evidence to prove to the adults that there is an evil plot brewing at the Castle Gloomsgor.

Maggie Lyons' writing flows well and is easy to read, but not too easy. There are a couple animals mentioned, such as a vole, that I hadn't heard of but I think it's great that there are a couple words that children may have to look up while they're reading.

The story is cute with nonstop action and even a little suspense. The only thing I missed was pictures. I think a few pictures here and there of Dewi, the castle, Jones, etc., would make the book even better for chilren to read. Despite the absence of pictures, I believe children would enjoy Dewi and the Seeds of Doom.

[Jan Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dewi is an adventurous, bright red Welsh dragon who, after a sick rat falls on his head, sets out to uncovered the mystery of what happened to make the rat sick in the first place – don’t worry the rat is renamed Bomber and makes a full recovery! With the help of his friends, Jones the Toad, Billy-Know-All the Goat and Squiggle the water vole, Dewi discovers the Doomsday Company’s goal and evil plans of Baron Doom and saves the day.
My daughter and I read this together. She’s 11 and while she enjoyed it, and loved Dewi, she thought it would suit a younger audience better. Here’s what she had to say:
Very good things:
~funny characters
~it’s got good cliff-hangers
~chapters have good names
~I really liked the jokes that Dewi and Jones make

Less good things:
~short chapters
~there are quite a lot of names to remember
~short story. I wish it had been longer

Well and humorously -written and hugely appealing, I think we’d like to see more of Dewi please.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewi and the Seeds of Doom is a lighthearted adventure about a little dragon who undertakes a big quest in order to do good.

One day, as Dewi is exploring in the forest a rat falls right out of the sky. Knowing the rat needs help, Dewi carefully takes it to his friend Squiffy, who nurses the rat back to health. However, Dewi is determined to find out where the rat came from and enlists the help of his toad friend, Jones. Together they learn about Baron Doom and his evil scheme to create poisonous corn. Can Dewi and Jones foil the plan before anyone else becomes sick?

Dewi is simply adorable and his fun loving personality makes him irresistible. Young readers will get a kick out of the silly jokes the characters tel throughout the story and they will find Dewi's resourcefulness inspiring. I loved this playfully creative dragon tale that teaches children the importance of looking out for others.

I recommend picking up a copy.

[Annie McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for younger middle grade and reluctant readers. The plot is simple and easy to read, and yet it has some elements of mystery that keeps the reader interested. It contains a few big words (such as symptom) that are defined in a creative, natural way. Very well done. And I love the cover! The characters are very diverse: a dragon, a goat, a rat, a vole, a toad, a baron, a kestrel, and a dwarf. Did I forget any? Wow, all that in one short book. Never a boring moment! The only thing I don't like is the lack of emotion. It has a fairy tale feel to it, and I guess the emphasis on action rather than emotion goes with the style, but I personally like diving deeper into the characters' emotions when I read. But then again, I'm not too familiar with chapter books, as I normally review only MG novels. I'm still giving it four stars.

[L_manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewi is just your average young dragon until one day when he gets hit by a fallen rat. Not wanting to leave the at to perish, Dewi takes it upon himself to discover what happened to the poor rat. All of this leads him to a gloomy castle and some very strange happenings. Dewi will have to use everything he has to try and help save the world from this mess.

This is a super cute story. Dewi is a smart dragon, and he's not afraid to find others to help him. He really just wants to help people stay safe and happy. Even people or rats that fall on him from above. Dewi uses this sense of justice to help guide his decisions. Of course, he probably should talk to his dad about more things. Along the way, Dewi manages to get a few jokes in with friends as well. There's fun and action in this book, and many young children will get caught up in the story of Dewi.

Book provided for review.

[Chelseyam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally bought this book to comfort nieces and nephews before bedtime when they stay over. I expected them to want to read the book a couple of times and then we'd move on to something new; however, the kids can't seem to get enough of this clever little dragon. I love the book because it not only gives the gets an exciting little adventure to enjoy, but actually teaches some morals and the value of good character.

The book definitely engages kids, but isn't boring for adults either. There's quite a few funny moments that really keep the book going at a fast pace. Before I knew it the kids were acting out the book during the day and reading it to one another at night. It's always great to see kids ask for a book rather than a tv show. We're all hoping for more books about Dewi..

[Suzanne Montigny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this very charming and witty book to read on the skytrain. But I have to say it was kind of embarrassing. I couldn't stop giggling out loud at Maggie Lyon's humour. People kept looking at me, and I tried my hardest to hold in the laughter, but it was impossible. What a delightful story! What child wouldn't love this. It's a story for 6-10 year olds. It's a great book to read to your children when they're young or by themselves when they're older. If your child likes Geronimo Stilton, they'll fall in love with Dewie the little dragon and his friend Jones the toad. I hope Maggie Lyons will turn this into a series.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the humor found in this book. I think that it is a totally fun and engaging read not just for children but even for adults.

It did feel a little confusing at first but as the story went on, I realized just what the book was all about. It is indeed a great book full of excitement and adventure but beyond that, it sends a great message to children such as taking care of the environment. It is very important for kids to learn to love nature and their surroundings at an early age. There were definitely heart-pounding scenes in the book - at a child's level, of course - which makes it very exciting.

Disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.