What do you think?
Rate this book
Dear Dragon
A sweet and clever friendship story in rhyme, about looking past physical differences to appreciate the person (or dragon) underneath.
George and Blaise are pen pals, and they write letters to each other about everything: their pets, birthdays, favorite sports, and science fair projects. There’s just one thing that the two friends don’t know: George is a human, while Blaise is a dragon! What will happen when these pen pals finally meet face-to-face?
George and Blaise are pen pals, and they write letters to each other about everything: their pets, birthdays, favorite sports, and science fair projects. There’s just one thing that the two friends don’t know: George is a human, while Blaise is a dragon! What will happen when these pen pals finally meet face-to-face?
Hardcover
First published September 6, 2016
8 people are currently reading
865 people want to read
About the author
Josh Funk
28 books657 followersJosh Funk is the author of the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, Dear Unicorn, Dear Dragon, My Pet Feet, the It's Not a Fairy Tale series, Lost in the Library and more. His books have sold more than half a million copies worldwide and been translated into a dozen languages.
New in 2026: A Celebration of You (3.17) and The Dino Door (5.5).
Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes manuscripts. Since the fall of 2015, Josh has presented (or virtually presented) at over 950 schools, classrooms, and libraries.
Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.
For more about Josh Funk, visit joshfunkbooks.com and at @joshfunkbooks on socials.
New in 2026: A Celebration of You (3.17) and The Dino Door (5.5).
Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes manuscripts. Since the fall of 2015, Josh has presented (or virtually presented) at over 950 schools, classrooms, and libraries.
Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.
For more about Josh Funk, visit joshfunkbooks.com and at @joshfunkbooks on socials.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
September 27, 2016
I have a confession to make. I actually read the mock up of this book back in July 2015. And it was my favorite Josh Funk book. Shhhhh, it still is.
I love this book because of the joy it gives to readers.
I love this book because of the many mentor text purposes it has.
Thrilled to be sharing it with readers and teachers.
I love this book because of the joy it gives to readers.
I love this book because of the many mentor text purposes it has.
Thrilled to be sharing it with readers and teachers.
September 2, 2019
When Blaise and George are assigned to one another in a school pen-pal project, neither is aware of the other's identity. George Slair imagines that Blaise Dragomir is a human boy like himself, while Blaise thinks that George is a dragon. As the two correspond, they become better and better friends, eventually deciding to continue writing to one another even when the school assignment ends. But when their respective schools arrange a pen pal picnic, and they discover just who they've been writing to, will their friendship survive...?
A sweet tale of unfolding friendship - friendship that eventually allows two young boys to look past their superficial differences, and realize their essential similarities - is paired with cute illustrations in Dear Dragon. The artwork, done in watercolor, ink and graphite, highlights the misconceptions that the boys have throughout the tale, as each two-page spread depicts one of them reading a letter and imagining what is being described therein on one page, while the reality is shown on the facing page. This lets the reader/listener in on the secret well before the characters themselves discover it, something children usually enjoy. That sense of being "in the know," together with the appealing artwork and the entertaining rhyming text will make this an appealing read-aloud selection. Recommended to anyone looking for fun children's books about dragons, or friendship across cultural/identity/racial lines.
A sweet tale of unfolding friendship - friendship that eventually allows two young boys to look past their superficial differences, and realize their essential similarities - is paired with cute illustrations in Dear Dragon. The artwork, done in watercolor, ink and graphite, highlights the misconceptions that the boys have throughout the tale, as each two-page spread depicts one of them reading a letter and imagining what is being described therein on one page, while the reality is shown on the facing page. This lets the reader/listener in on the secret well before the characters themselves discover it, something children usually enjoy. That sense of being "in the know," together with the appealing artwork and the entertaining rhyming text will make this an appealing read-aloud selection. Recommended to anyone looking for fun children's books about dragons, or friendship across cultural/identity/racial lines.
October 15, 2016
George and Blaise begin the new school year, at two different schools, assigned as pen pals. They will write, in rhyme, to each other during the school year. This new activity is a first for both boys, who rely on twenty-first century technology, including the internet, social media, and texting via smart phones. Putting a pen to paper will be a conundrum for both boys. To add a layer of difficulty, each letter must be written in rhyming poetry. Wow.
Letters begin as formal short descriptions of their recent day and then delve into a friendship.
Dear Dragon is clever, a fun read, and a brilliant tale for young children who will learn more than anyone could ever expect from a pen pal. There is no twist at the end. Readers understand from pages one . . .
Originally reviewed by Kid Lit Reviews. To read the full review and see interior illustrations, go to: http://bit.ly/DearDragon
Letters begin as formal short descriptions of their recent day and then delve into a friendship.
Dear Dragon is clever, a fun read, and a brilliant tale for young children who will learn more than anyone could ever expect from a pen pal. There is no twist at the end. Readers understand from pages one . . .
Originally reviewed by Kid Lit Reviews. To read the full review and see interior illustrations, go to: http://bit.ly/DearDragon
January 19, 2023
This cute story shows an unlikely friendship developed between pen pals! The illustrations show that words paint a picture in one's mind that often isn't what the writer intends. When the two pen pals meet they are in for quite a surprise!
This book keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. The artwork is well done and helps the reader to follow the development of the story as it visualizes what each pen pal is visualizing when they read their pen pal’s letters. The artwork helps the reader understand the surprise that the pen pals feel when they finally meet each other.
Another interesting aspect of this book is the poetry included in each of the pen pal's letters. What a creative way to get children to read poetry in an enjoyable format.
Not only is this book well-written and illustrated, but it also teaches children that friendships can be formed with others that are different from you. There are some spiritual implications here for me that although someone may be different than me, I can befriend them and share with them the things that are important to me, including my faith in God.
This children's book is a winner.
This book keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. The artwork is well done and helps the reader to follow the development of the story as it visualizes what each pen pal is visualizing when they read their pen pal’s letters. The artwork helps the reader understand the surprise that the pen pals feel when they finally meet each other.
Another interesting aspect of this book is the poetry included in each of the pen pal's letters. What a creative way to get children to read poetry in an enjoyable format.
Not only is this book well-written and illustrated, but it also teaches children that friendships can be formed with others that are different from you. There are some spiritual implications here for me that although someone may be different than me, I can befriend them and share with them the things that are important to me, including my faith in God.
This children's book is a winner.
August 4, 2021
Age / Level: First Grade
July 11, 2016
I simply adored this book. It was quite clever and imaginative! I imagine it took a lot of thought to try to show how different George and Blaise's lives might be and how they might misinterpret the descriptions of simple daily life events. I am a huge fan of Josh Funk's writing and recommend all of his books. They all are witty and humorous, and my son and I always giggle while we read them. Each of his books teaches a life lesson that has been very useful for me as a mom, and I know they are equally useful for elementary school teachers. For Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, I have been able to constantly refer to the variety of foods in the text in order to help my son with his picky eating habits. With this book, Dear Dragon, I have been able to talk with my son about differences and how we might work to understand how others might lead different daily lives than ours. I am really looking forward to Josh's next book, Pirasaurs!. Based on his other books, I know it will be a good one!
I fondly remember our elementary school experiences with pen pals. My fourth class wrote to a class in Germany. It was so interesting to learn about all of the differences between our lives. This book would make for a great jumpstart to a pen pal project. It would be neat to connect to a class in another country or even across our own country. Students would learn a lot about how we are both similar and different from others--and how this is a good thing, indeed!
I fondly remember our elementary school experiences with pen pals. My fourth class wrote to a class in Germany. It was so interesting to learn about all of the differences between our lives. This book would make for a great jumpstart to a pen pal project. It would be neat to connect to a class in another country or even across our own country. Students would learn a lot about how we are both similar and different from others--and how this is a good thing, indeed!
July 27, 2016
Josh Funk, author of Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, is back with another hilarious, charming, and rhyming picture book!
Dear Dragon is the story of two students who have been paired as “pen pals” for the year. Blaise, a dragon, and George, a human, are tasked with getting to know each other through the exchange of written letters. Neither of the boys are particularly fond of writing but reluctantly participate in this exchange. As the letters start to arrive, George and Blaise get to know each other and form an unlikely friendship. They swap favorite hobbies and sports, talk about school subjects, and their families. The only thing they don’t learn is that one of them is a dragon and the other is a human! With the end of the school year pen pal picnic approaching, these two are excited to finally meet, but what will happen when they see each other for the first time?
Full review here!: http://wp.me/p78P3e-3E
Dear Dragon is the story of two students who have been paired as “pen pals” for the year. Blaise, a dragon, and George, a human, are tasked with getting to know each other through the exchange of written letters. Neither of the boys are particularly fond of writing but reluctantly participate in this exchange. As the letters start to arrive, George and Blaise get to know each other and form an unlikely friendship. They swap favorite hobbies and sports, talk about school subjects, and their families. The only thing they don’t learn is that one of them is a dragon and the other is a human! With the end of the school year pen pal picnic approaching, these two are excited to finally meet, but what will happen when they see each other for the first time?
Full review here!: http://wp.me/p78P3e-3E
April 14, 2018
I first read this book at NErDCampMI with the author by my side. Pretty lucky! A great story of two pen pals and their journey to get to know each other through letters and then finally in person. I love how they start out not enjoying writing and through their friendship, develop a desire to write beyond the assignment. Watching friendships grow as they get to know each other through written word, the way inaccurate assumptions are discredited in the end, and a true friendship is solidified despite differences are lessons that are particularly important with the current climate in our country.
July 13, 2016
I just love the illustrations that go with the letters. I think this would lead to great discussions about point of view...thinking about others...different perspectives, etc.
September 13, 2016
Dear Dragon is such a clever and hilarious book about friendship and mistaken identity told in rhyme. It’ll be perfect for National Poetry Month but I know I’ll be recommending it year-round!
March 16, 2017
This clever story features two pen-pals getting to know each other through the exchange of rhyming letters. When they meet face-to-face, will their expectations match reality?
Picture book, fiction
Interest level: K-3; Reading level: 2.6
4 out of 5 stars
As an assignment for class, students in two different schools are assigned pen pals. They are to write letters that rhyme to their assigned pal. Readers get to instantly see that the two schools are VERY different...one school is for humans and the other schools is for dragons!
The illustrations, by Rodolfo Montalvo, are key to the humor and purpose of the story. Each letter from one of the pen pals is featured in a two-page spread. Readers get to share the letters between Blaise Dragomir and George Slair. From the names alone, you can guess which one is the human and which is the dragon.
Each letter is accompanied by two different illustrations. The first illustrations shows the recipient reading the letter and envisioning his own version of events, while the author of the letter is seen on the accompanying page depicting the event happening in their own life. The different between what the letter writer and reader see is very humorous!
In one exchange, Blaise Dragomir writes, "My favorite sport is skydiving. I just near Falcor Peak." You can see from the illustration that Blaise and George have very different ideas of what it means to skydive!
It is fun to watch a friendship develop through the progression of letters. The letters become more personal and less formal.
The writing project ends with a pen pal picnic where the friends will get to meet each other. What makes this moment special is when they finally realize that their pen pal is not the same species that they are, and then when you turn the page, they are high-fiveing their friendship and differences.
This story has a good message about the similarities and differences between people of different cultures (or species) and celebrates the ability to bridge those differences and form friendships. In a global 21st-century world, this is a good message to spread to young readers.
Montalvo's illustrations are a such fun and are vital to the telling of the story. Teachers could use this book as a way to engage students at the beginning of a pen pal writing project.
Picture book, fiction
Interest level: K-3; Reading level: 2.6
4 out of 5 stars
As an assignment for class, students in two different schools are assigned pen pals. They are to write letters that rhyme to their assigned pal. Readers get to instantly see that the two schools are VERY different...one school is for humans and the other schools is for dragons!
The illustrations, by Rodolfo Montalvo, are key to the humor and purpose of the story. Each letter from one of the pen pals is featured in a two-page spread. Readers get to share the letters between Blaise Dragomir and George Slair. From the names alone, you can guess which one is the human and which is the dragon.
Each letter is accompanied by two different illustrations. The first illustrations shows the recipient reading the letter and envisioning his own version of events, while the author of the letter is seen on the accompanying page depicting the event happening in their own life. The different between what the letter writer and reader see is very humorous!
In one exchange, Blaise Dragomir writes, "My favorite sport is skydiving. I just near Falcor Peak." You can see from the illustration that Blaise and George have very different ideas of what it means to skydive!
It is fun to watch a friendship develop through the progression of letters. The letters become more personal and less formal.
The writing project ends with a pen pal picnic where the friends will get to meet each other. What makes this moment special is when they finally realize that their pen pal is not the same species that they are, and then when you turn the page, they are high-fiveing their friendship and differences.
This story has a good message about the similarities and differences between people of different cultures (or species) and celebrates the ability to bridge those differences and form friendships. In a global 21st-century world, this is a good message to spread to young readers.
Montalvo's illustrations are a such fun and are vital to the telling of the story. Teachers could use this book as a way to engage students at the beginning of a pen pal writing project.
April 17, 2017
This is one of those books that made me laugh out loud. It's delightful!
Written in rhyme it's about a class of young children - focusing on one boy in particular - involved in a penpal program. They are to write faithfully in rhyme to their penpals. The funny thing is they are given dragon penpals but, until the penpal picnic at the end, the dragons think their penpals are dragons and the children think theirs are children.
The illustrations show how the boy and his dragon penpal are misunderstanding one another - such as, the boy wrote that he and his dad built a giant fort. It's made out of boxes, but the dragon imagines a huge castle. When the dragon writes that his dad is in demolition the boy imagines him as a heavy-equipment operator.
This is an entertaining story that the reader will want to go through again and again.
Written in rhyme it's about a class of young children - focusing on one boy in particular - involved in a penpal program. They are to write faithfully in rhyme to their penpals. The funny thing is they are given dragon penpals but, until the penpal picnic at the end, the dragons think their penpals are dragons and the children think theirs are children.
The illustrations show how the boy and his dragon penpal are misunderstanding one another - such as, the boy wrote that he and his dad built a giant fort. It's made out of boxes, but the dragon imagines a huge castle. When the dragon writes that his dad is in demolition the boy imagines him as a heavy-equipment operator.
This is an entertaining story that the reader will want to go through again and again.
June 12, 2017
What a fantastic concept!
This tale introduces the concept {old-fashioned for sure, :-)} of actually writing letters! WOW! Letter writing is greeted with a great sigh of reluctance....and as time continues ....this initial emotion is transformed, as each 'pen pal' begins to find common ground /interests.....and at the reveal where the pen-pals come face to face.....holds a delightful surprise for both the reader as they witness the characters reacting to the discovery of their differences!
Highly Recommended!
FIVE STARS
This tale introduces the concept {old-fashioned for sure, :-)} of actually writing letters! WOW! Letter writing is greeted with a great sigh of reluctance....and as time continues ....this initial emotion is transformed, as each 'pen pal' begins to find common ground /interests.....and at the reveal where the pen-pals come face to face.....holds a delightful surprise for both the reader as they witness the characters reacting to the discovery of their differences!
Highly Recommended!
FIVE STARS
June 25, 2018
Such a cute book. Two people have a class assignment to write a letter to a new pen pal in poetry form. What is neat about this book is the side by side pictures. So if Blaise is reading a letter from George, you have one side that shows what Blaise is thinking, and one side that shows what George meant. Only towards the end do they know one is human and one is dragon. This was a neat way to tell a story. Lots of fun.
September 15, 2019
Cute. A boy doesn't realize his pen pal is a dragon, and the dragon doesn't realize his pen pal is a human, leading to some misinterpretations of their messages. Funny, but basically the same joke repeated.
September 14, 2022
Dear dragon is about a human and a dragon who become pen pals because it is an assignment for school. They do not know that they are different and they begin writing letters back and forth about their everyday lives. They end up becoming friends and get excited to meet each other at the pen pal picnic. At the picnic they are shocked to find out at they are not the same but decide it is play and become friends anyway.
I personally did not love this book. I thought that the illustrations were kind of hard to understand at first, I feel like you would have to explain what the pictures meant before reading it to a class. Also since the whole book is letters there is not very much action so I felt that the book was not very entertaining.
I would use this book in class to introduce poetry or to introduce letter writing. Since the whole book is letters it would give them a good example of simple letters. Also since the all of the letters in the books are written as poems, it shows many basic rhythming poems.
I personally did not love this book. I thought that the illustrations were kind of hard to understand at first, I feel like you would have to explain what the pictures meant before reading it to a class. Also since the whole book is letters there is not very much action so I felt that the book was not very entertaining.
I would use this book in class to introduce poetry or to introduce letter writing. Since the whole book is letters it would give them a good example of simple letters. Also since the all of the letters in the books are written as poems, it shows many basic rhythming poems.
December 31, 2017
What fun! Poetry and pen pals! I would really like to have a dragon as a pen pal.
The bright, colorful artwork was engaging. I enjoyed how George and Blaise each imagined the other's activities.
The bright, colorful artwork was engaging. I enjoyed how George and Blaise each imagined the other's activities.
January 26, 2018
My favorite kind of book (written in letter form) revives the idea of pen pals...social media before there was social media. The hidden message in this rhyming pre-school -3rd grade picture book is how easy it is to become friends if kids/dragons substract what they look like and concentrate on what they have in common. The meet-up at the end is priceless. Thanks for the recommend, Penny!
October 11, 2018
I like the story a lot and the pictures even more but the rhythm of the poetry really did not work for me.
January 9, 2022
Not so sure about the theme
April 18, 2022
Cute. Two pen pals write poems to each other. Nice illustrations.
January 23, 2017
Loved the rhyming and the surprise. A great book to use when introducing pen pals. Letter writing seems to be a dying art so I'm a strong advocate for letter writing with children. It's writing with a purpose and audience and who doesn't love receiving mail?
November 10, 2025
Dear Dragon is such a fun book! I found this book in my school's library and it was recommended by our librarian. It’s about a little boy named George and a dragon named Blaise who are both starting their pen pal/poetry writing units in school! They are supposed to write letters to each other while also making them rhyme. You learn a lot about the characters through their letters and their friendship grows over the school year that they get to write to each other!
This book has not won any awards that I can find, but it was highly recommended by a trusted source!
The illustrations in this book are amazing! They are bright, colorful, and full of funny little details that make the characters feel alive. The emotions on each character's face are easy to determine for young readers as well. They would engage any reader into the story, especially because of the small twist at the end!
This book would be perfect in a primary classroom because the characters are extremely relatable and the story is easy to follow! It could be used to teach students how to structure and write letters, and it could also be used to teach about friendships between unlikely pairs! You could even have students draw their own dragons or use it to introduce pen pals, just like the story.
This book has not won any awards that I can find, but it was highly recommended by a trusted source!
The illustrations in this book are amazing! They are bright, colorful, and full of funny little details that make the characters feel alive. The emotions on each character's face are easy to determine for young readers as well. They would engage any reader into the story, especially because of the small twist at the end!
This book would be perfect in a primary classroom because the characters are extremely relatable and the story is easy to follow! It could be used to teach students how to structure and write letters, and it could also be used to teach about friendships between unlikely pairs! You could even have students draw their own dragons or use it to introduce pen pals, just like the story.
December 5, 2022
I read Dear Dragon by Josh Funk as part of the science fiction/fantasy part of my reading class. I chose to read this book because I found it on the website called “50 Must Read Fantasy Books for Kids,” that was linked from my class page. I read this picture book in its traditional format. I enjoyed having the book in front of me and seeing the pictures in the story.
Funk covers the theme of friendship in this short story.
The protagonist in this book is George. He is a young African American boy. Another main character is Blaise who is a young dragon who has human-like qualities. The characters are pen pals and they write letters to each other that have rhymes in them. Eventually, the pen pals are able to meet each other, and they realize just how different they are. This fantasy book would fall under the personified animal section because the author had the dragons communicating with the humans.
I think this book is a good example of quality children’s literature because it uses figurative language to convey the idea of friendship. I like how the author brings the characters to life and helps readers develop their sense of imagination.
The pictures are double-page spreads and are cartoon-like. They have a variety of colors and use some human-like qualities to make them relatable to readers. The theme is compelling to readers in the real world and in the fantasy world. George seems to respond to the situation like any person would which helps the reader suspend disbelief. The order of events makes sense with how things would also play out in the real world if it were to happen.
I enjoyed this story because of the rhyming words and because it shows students how to write letters. Teachers can use this book for young students to discuss rhyming words, personification, and dialogue. I think this would be a great read-aloud for students in elementary school!
Funk covers the theme of friendship in this short story.
The protagonist in this book is George. He is a young African American boy. Another main character is Blaise who is a young dragon who has human-like qualities. The characters are pen pals and they write letters to each other that have rhymes in them. Eventually, the pen pals are able to meet each other, and they realize just how different they are. This fantasy book would fall under the personified animal section because the author had the dragons communicating with the humans.
I think this book is a good example of quality children’s literature because it uses figurative language to convey the idea of friendship. I like how the author brings the characters to life and helps readers develop their sense of imagination.
The pictures are double-page spreads and are cartoon-like. They have a variety of colors and use some human-like qualities to make them relatable to readers. The theme is compelling to readers in the real world and in the fantasy world. George seems to respond to the situation like any person would which helps the reader suspend disbelief. The order of events makes sense with how things would also play out in the real world if it were to happen.
I enjoyed this story because of the rhyming words and because it shows students how to write letters. Teachers can use this book for young students to discuss rhyming words, personification, and dialogue. I think this would be a great read-aloud for students in elementary school!
Read
September 16, 2016For more than a year two people have exchanged messages by mail, email, almost daily. These letters are written and sent in the morning. They are a way to stay connected, to gather thoughts about each day, to set goals, rejoice in accomplishments and to chronicle events. They are a way to understand each other's likes, dislikes, and personalities and to grow a friendship. These two people realize the value of written communication, the art in selecting the right words.
When you know you will be sending and receiving mail, there is a special kind of anticipation. If you have not met the party in real life or are beginning a new relationship the air of mystery magnifies the excitement. Dear Dragon (Viking, September 6, 2016) written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Rodolfo Montalvo is a delightful, epistolary adventure.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
When you know you will be sending and receiving mail, there is a special kind of anticipation. If you have not met the party in real life or are beginning a new relationship the air of mystery magnifies the excitement. Dear Dragon (Viking, September 6, 2016) written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Rodolfo Montalvo is a delightful, epistolary adventure.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
May 25, 2016
Got to read an early copy of the final version of this book, and I so adore it still! The story is sweet, told in rhyming pen pal letters, the illustrations are fabulous and add to the story, and the message is important and accessible. This begs to be shared with kids!!
Original thoughts on mock up: I absolutely adored this story! I was lucky to see an early mock-up copy of it, and even without final illustrations, I can tell they are going to be incredible. I especially like the layout of the page designs for the letter format of the story. The elements of mistaken identity in the text will entertain younger and older readers alike, and the underlying themes of understanding others and being accepting of differences will make for a book I will want to share with students. I am eager to see the final version of this book!
Original thoughts on mock up: I absolutely adored this story! I was lucky to see an early mock-up copy of it, and even without final illustrations, I can tell they are going to be incredible. I especially like the layout of the page designs for the letter format of the story. The elements of mistaken identity in the text will entertain younger and older readers alike, and the underlying themes of understanding others and being accepting of differences will make for a book I will want to share with students. I am eager to see the final version of this book!
May 8, 2017
Full review with teaching tools: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1...
The books I find myself gravitating towards and recommending the most are the books that I not only love as a mother but can also definitely see the application of the book in all levels of classrooms. Dear Dragon fits into this category because it is such an amusing and fun book that is just a blast to read and discuss; however, it also has so many ways that I can see myself and other teachers using it in the classroom: for a mentor text, for a pen pal unit, for a read aloud. Dear Dragon also is an amazing set up to discuss first impressions and differences between people in safe place (since, you know, Blaise is a dragon). I also loved the quirky, colorful, detailed illustrations that accompany George and Blaise’s letters. The silly conversations just from these will make for a wonderful conversation.
The books I find myself gravitating towards and recommending the most are the books that I not only love as a mother but can also definitely see the application of the book in all levels of classrooms. Dear Dragon fits into this category because it is such an amusing and fun book that is just a blast to read and discuss; however, it also has so many ways that I can see myself and other teachers using it in the classroom: for a mentor text, for a pen pal unit, for a read aloud. Dear Dragon also is an amazing set up to discuss first impressions and differences between people in safe place (since, you know, Blaise is a dragon). I also loved the quirky, colorful, detailed illustrations that accompany George and Blaise’s letters. The silly conversations just from these will make for a wonderful conversation.
September 20, 2016
This is such a fun picture book that mixes pen pal letters and poetry in such a creative way. George and Blaise are part of their respective schools' pen pal project. Their assignment is to write pen pal letters that rhyme! They write back and forth and discover all sorts of cool things about each other and develop a great friendship! The only thing that they don't know is that they are different in a very significant way. Wait until they meet each other at the Pen Pal Picnic at the end of the school year. Our school participates in a pen pal program with students from the Ohio State University. The project culminates in a field trip to the campus for a tour and a meet & greet between pen pals. This book would be fun to share as we get that started this year!
January 10, 2017
Dear dragon uses sing-song rhyme to carry the story. The shtick is that the main character doesn't realize his pen-pal is a dragon, (nor does the little dragon realize his pen-pal is a boy.) There isn't much of a reveal, but rather the humor comes from misunderstandings as each character reads the next letter. The story arc is rather flat, as the climactic problem is "what will happen when these two meet?" Without more of a climax, the ending feels predictable and didactic. The resolution is one page and the story finishes with a "wink-wink" button ending. Though kids may enjoy it at first, I think parents would dread rereading it nightly.
July 29, 2016
Amazing illustrations and an endearing story of a boy and a dragon. This has so many uses in the classroom from letter writing, rhyming, friendship and more importantly one of accepting differences! My copy is already pre-ordered for the classroom!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews