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Billy and the Dragon
'Shireen’s latest book confirms her as one of the brightest and best picture book creators working in Britain today... Sensational.' - The Observer
Our fearless heroine Billy is back!
Whilst at a fancy-dress party, something terrible happens: Billy's loyal sidekick Fatcat is kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon. Uh-oh!
But luckily for Fatcat, Billy won't stand for that: off she goes on a brave rescue mission...
Join Billy for a fairytale adventure with a twist.
'It's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre-stage'- The Guardian on Billy and the Beast
Our fearless heroine Billy is back!
Whilst at a fancy-dress party, something terrible happens: Billy's loyal sidekick Fatcat is kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon. Uh-oh!
But luckily for Fatcat, Billy won't stand for that: off she goes on a brave rescue mission...
Join Billy for a fairytale adventure with a twist.
'It's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre-stage'- The Guardian on Billy and the Beast
32 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2019
2 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Nadia Shireen
40 books40 followersNadia was always destined for a career in illustration—as a child, she would doodle on her exercise books, while as a student she would doodle on her law degree notes. Then, when working as a journalist in London for pop music bible Smash Hits, she would doodle all the time on anything. The good people at Smash Hits didn’t fire her for doodling furry animals - instead they let her leave early to go to evening classes in illustration.
This was followed by a MA at the prestigious Anglia Ruskin University. Drawing and writing for a living is very much Nadia’s dream come true and we expect great things from this promising new author and illustrator.
source: http://www.carolinesheldon.co.uk/illu...
This was followed by a MA at the prestigious Anglia Ruskin University. Drawing and writing for a living is very much Nadia’s dream come true and we expect great things from this promising new author and illustrator.
source: http://www.carolinesheldon.co.uk/illu...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 29, 2022
A delightful magical adventure featuring knight Billy and her quest to save her cat!
I came across this book while searching for fun First Sentences/First Chapter First Paragraphs. And well, the first part certainly captured me and I just had to read this book fully. I had to know about Billy, about her cat, and if she could save him!
The book starts with a fun party! With dressing up, snacks (much to the delight of FatCat), presents, and even a bouncy castle! I just wanted to step in and bounce along with the others! YAS! But then the event from the blurb starts and things get very adventurous! I just adored that Billy wasn’t going to let anyone take her best friend, and that she didn’t care that it may get scary and hairy as the dragon is going to a scary forest of DOOM and DARKNESS! And I loved what happens next, the ideas she thought of, the dragon that ROARED, and how everyone of the party helped! Well, at least for a bit. XD
The ending to the story was just fabulous and I was so happy with it! It was an ending that fitted with the book perfectly + we also get why the dragon did that to FatCat.
I loved how the text at times did funny things. Like when Billy fell it was like the text fell as well. Hope that makes sense. Haha, it does in my head!
Can I just say that I absolutely loved that Billy’s poufy hair held all sorts of items? I mean, that is just perfect! And as a girl you have to do something given that we don’t always get pockets in our clothes! I wish I had poufy hair. Would a book fit in there? Mm, given that Billy pulls out all sorts of things, I would say yes.
The art, OMG, I just love it! It is so fun and playful and I like the style. Though I had a lot of laughs about FatCat’s never changing expressions (and Billy knowing fully well when he was happy or not while we as the readers are like, OK girl, if you say so).
All in all, a very fun adventurous story featuring dragons, parties, and more! I would recommend it! And I guess I will have to see if there are more Billy books~
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I came across this book while searching for fun First Sentences/First Chapter First Paragraphs. And well, the first part certainly captured me and I just had to read this book fully. I had to know about Billy, about her cat, and if she could save him!
The book starts with a fun party! With dressing up, snacks (much to the delight of FatCat), presents, and even a bouncy castle! I just wanted to step in and bounce along with the others! YAS! But then the event from the blurb starts and things get very adventurous! I just adored that Billy wasn’t going to let anyone take her best friend, and that she didn’t care that it may get scary and hairy as the dragon is going to a scary forest of DOOM and DARKNESS! And I loved what happens next, the ideas she thought of, the dragon that ROARED, and how everyone of the party helped! Well, at least for a bit. XD
The ending to the story was just fabulous and I was so happy with it! It was an ending that fitted with the book perfectly + we also get why the dragon did that to FatCat.
I loved how the text at times did funny things. Like when Billy fell it was like the text fell as well. Hope that makes sense. Haha, it does in my head!
Can I just say that I absolutely loved that Billy’s poufy hair held all sorts of items? I mean, that is just perfect! And as a girl you have to do something given that we don’t always get pockets in our clothes! I wish I had poufy hair. Would a book fit in there? Mm, given that Billy pulls out all sorts of things, I would say yes.
The art, OMG, I just love it! It is so fun and playful and I like the style. Though I had a lot of laughs about FatCat’s never changing expressions (and Billy knowing fully well when he was happy or not while we as the readers are like, OK girl, if you say so).
All in all, a very fun adventurous story featuring dragons, parties, and more! I would recommend it! And I guess I will have to see if there are more Billy books~
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 11, 2024
Billy is a GIRL.
If poor little William is excited to see his name in print, he might get a rude shock halfway through when the dude he was imagining having these epic adventures turns out to be a girl.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm not meaning to spark some woke gender debate - no troubles or concerns on that front.
I'm just a practical parent, with kids tosurviveraise, and sometimes the last thing you need is an unanticipated gender-bend with your name attached on a day where you felt less-than-special to begin with, and you were excited to be 'represented' in a book, but no.. no. Not a boy. Another girl.
So this review is for young William, preemptively. Billy - this Billy (not spelled Billie, which I find cute, but nevermind) is a she. Just know that going in and it'll be fine. The story's alright. There's a grumpy cat and misidentification of dragon offspring. Also cake. But please just know ahead of time that the protagonist is a girl and then you don't need to feel disappointed. I know you won't, if you are told that from the get-go. Billy's are wonderful explorers and adventurers, irrespective of their genitals or persuasions, etc. ;)
If poor little William is excited to see his name in print, he might get a rude shock halfway through when the dude he was imagining having these epic adventures turns out to be a girl.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm not meaning to spark some woke gender debate - no troubles or concerns on that front.
I'm just a practical parent, with kids to
So this review is for young William, preemptively. Billy - this Billy (not spelled Billie, which I find cute, but nevermind) is a she. Just know that going in and it'll be fine. The story's alright. There's a grumpy cat and misidentification of dragon offspring. Also cake. But please just know ahead of time that the protagonist is a girl and then you don't need to feel disappointed. I know you won't, if you are told that from the get-go. Billy's are wonderful explorers and adventurers, irrespective of their genitals or persuasions, etc. ;)
September 20, 2025
A great fun picture book about a costume party and one mixed up mom.
July 19, 2019
This is the second “Billy and the…” book and is, I think, much better than the first. This one has plenty of humour, and the story moves on at an exciting pace. Once again the hero is Billy, once again Billy has her trusty sidekick Fatcat with her (Fatcat who has just one expression) and once again Billy pulls things out of her big hair because she has everything in there, a little like Claude has all sorts of things under his beret in the Claude the Dog books. The book is also nicely illustrated with good, bold colours and clear art.
In this story Billy and Fatcat go to a fancy dress party, Fatcat not too keen on dressing up but going anyway as there's cake. However things quickly go wrong as a dragon swoops down and lifts Fatcat away. It is up to Billy to save the day.
There is humour here which I loved. The humour comes through the characters – for example the fox always doing things reluctantly when everyone else is most enthused – and through unexpected things happening – the worm showing up and delivering a line just because – and through the art – Fatcat with the one expression – and so on. Also the story was better than the first Billy book for me (Billy and the Beast).
We also like that Billy has big hair because my 8-year-old daughter has big hair too. So overall we love this book and think it is better than the first in the series.
In this story Billy and Fatcat go to a fancy dress party, Fatcat not too keen on dressing up but going anyway as there's cake. However things quickly go wrong as a dragon swoops down and lifts Fatcat away. It is up to Billy to save the day.
There is humour here which I loved. The humour comes through the characters – for example the fox always doing things reluctantly when everyone else is most enthused – and through unexpected things happening – the worm showing up and delivering a line just because – and through the art – Fatcat with the one expression – and so on. Also the story was better than the first Billy book for me (Billy and the Beast).
We also like that Billy has big hair because my 8-year-old daughter has big hair too. So overall we love this book and think it is better than the first in the series.
July 17, 2019
Billy and Fat Cat are back, and this time fancy-dress fun goes slightly wrong when Fat Cat is abducted by a dragon! Cue much cuteness and bravery as Billy battles her way through the forest, past difficult dangers and scary monsters as she tries to save the day.
Yes, all right, if I’m honest the story is a little thin, with some pages containing barely one sentence and rather a lot of space, and yes, I knew right from the start where the tale was going, but the illustrations are bold and colourful, and Billy’s determined face is so adorable, that it still won me over. Plus it has two of my favourite things – dragons and girl-knights!
Settle down with your favourite little reading partner, practise all your best voices and enjoy. We certainly did – with extra-special love for the NASA and Bee Mice.
(Review copy provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
Yes, all right, if I’m honest the story is a little thin, with some pages containing barely one sentence and rather a lot of space, and yes, I knew right from the start where the tale was going, but the illustrations are bold and colourful, and Billy’s determined face is so adorable, that it still won me over. Plus it has two of my favourite things – dragons and girl-knights!
Settle down with your favourite little reading partner, practise all your best voices and enjoy. We certainly did – with extra-special love for the NASA and Bee Mice.
(Review copy provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
October 6, 2019
I read this book to a Y1 class. We'd read the first Billy book the previous week and the children were excited to hear more about the characters especially Fatcat. The children were attentive and enjoyed the story - especially the cute dragon at the end. The illustrations got a big reaction. A great whole class read with a memorable heroine.
August 10, 2023
Billy and the Dragon and Billy and the Pirates are new-ish books to our home. My youngest loves them, "reads" to his stuffed animals, and really wants a cat to name Fatcat. (I'm not opposed to this idea 🤣) The imagination is perfect for your picture book lovers. If Shireen puts out any more in the series, we'll snag them 😀
September 6, 2023
I really like this booked. The characters are cute, the illustrations are adorable, and it’s about adventure. Read it more than several times to my kids and they loved how cuddly the characters looked!
July 19, 2020
This was a bit too advanced for the 2-year-old I wanted a present for, but I don't want to forget it - maybe next year!
April 18, 2023
super cute story about a brave girl taking on a dragon who stole her cat, subverting the traditional princess needing rescue story.
August 29, 2022
I love the whimsy and characters in this. The fox is great for a one-liner. And the throw-away worm, as it were. Pitch perfect.
Billy's hair comes to the rescue again.
Billy's hair comes to the rescue again.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews