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Ejderhalar Seviyor!
Öyle öpücükmüş, sarılıp sarmalanmalarmış, şefkatmiş,
ejderhalar arasında olmaz öyle şey!
Ateşparçası parkta kendi halinde oynarken birden küçük bir kız yanına gelir ve burnunun ucuna bir öpücük kondurur…
Eyvah, eyvah!
Ateşparçasının burun deliklerinden azıcık duman kaçar!
Minik ejderha arkadaşını kızartmak istemez, hemen uzaklaşır oradan!
Hay aksi! Ateşparçası ne yapmalı şimdi?
Belki de babasının ona verecek bir öğüdü vardır...
(Tanıtım Bülteninden)
ejderhalar arasında olmaz öyle şey!
Ateşparçası parkta kendi halinde oynarken birden küçük bir kız yanına gelir ve burnunun ucuna bir öpücük kondurur…
Eyvah, eyvah!
Ateşparçasının burun deliklerinden azıcık duman kaçar!
Minik ejderha arkadaşını kızartmak istemez, hemen uzaklaşır oradan!
Hay aksi! Ateşparçası ne yapmalı şimdi?
Belki de babasının ona verecek bir öğüdü vardır...
(Tanıtım Bülteninden)
28 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2016
15 people want to read
About the author
Alexandre Lacroix
94 books14 followersAlexandre Lacroix est rédacteur en chef de Philosophie Magazine et enseigne l’écriture créative à Sciences Po. Il est l’auteur de plusieurs romans adultes chez Flammarion, dont Voyage au centre de Paris, paru en 2013. Dragons, père et fils est son premier texte pour la jeunesse, suivi de Dragons Amoureux!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 26, 2019
I have to say, this is a weird little book. I don't think it's really appropriate for its intended audience, and I don't really feel comfortable recommending it in the #MeToo era.
The plot/premise is all over the place. At first, it seems like a story about a little dragon awakening to feelings of love/lust. But then it turns into a story about bullying. So I'm really not sure what the point was supposed to be.
I had problems almost from the beginning, when Violet kisses Drake on the snout without his permission. I know this is something little kids sometimes do, and this is why teaching about consent early is an important thing. Poor Drake is so "hot and confused", and he ends up flying around and breathing fire (which appears to be what happens when dragons get aroused, if his father's story about meeting his mother is anything to go by). I really didn't like the passage that read:
What a horrible message to give kids who might be subjected to sexual abuse. If it doesn't physically hurt, it's okay?
I was just as confused as Drake for much of the rest of the book. He seems to be most worried about his body's reaction to the kiss, and not the fact that his so-called friend put him in an uncomfortable position to begin with. Everything is "fixed" at the end with another kiss, this time from Drake, to which Violet gives consent. (I have to wonder: if the genders were reversed, would more people see the initial kiss as problematic?)
The illustrations are kind of cute and have a very European feel. I like seeing Drake's dad in his wife-beater (although I'm not sure why you need underwear if you don't wear any other type of clothing). But the whole consent issue just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe this sort of message still flies in Europe, but I don't think we should be teaching kids that it's okay to kiss their friends without consent. A whole discussion could've been had about how Violet's actions made Drake uncomfortable because of the lack of consent; instead, the focus was on his confusion because of how his body responded. It was kind of a missed opportunity.
Thank you to NetGalley and words & pictures for providing a digital ARC.
The plot/premise is all over the place. At first, it seems like a story about a little dragon awakening to feelings of love/lust. But then it turns into a story about bullying. So I'm really not sure what the point was supposed to be.
I had problems almost from the beginning, when Violet kisses Drake on the snout without his permission. I know this is something little kids sometimes do, and this is why teaching about consent early is an important thing. Poor Drake is so "hot and confused", and he ends up flying around and breathing fire (which appears to be what happens when dragons get aroused, if his father's story about meeting his mother is anything to go by). I really didn't like the passage that read:
My friend Violet kissed me. It didn't hurt. In fact it felt soft.
What a horrible message to give kids who might be subjected to sexual abuse. If it doesn't physically hurt, it's okay?
I was just as confused as Drake for much of the rest of the book. He seems to be most worried about his body's reaction to the kiss, and not the fact that his so-called friend put him in an uncomfortable position to begin with. Everything is "fixed" at the end with another kiss, this time from Drake, to which Violet gives consent. (I have to wonder: if the genders were reversed, would more people see the initial kiss as problematic?)
The illustrations are kind of cute and have a very European feel. I like seeing Drake's dad in his wife-beater (although I'm not sure why you need underwear if you don't wear any other type of clothing). But the whole consent issue just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe this sort of message still flies in Europe, but I don't think we should be teaching kids that it's okay to kiss their friends without consent. A whole discussion could've been had about how Violet's actions made Drake uncomfortable because of the lack of consent; instead, the focus was on his confusion because of how his body responded. It was kind of a missed opportunity.
Thank you to NetGalley and words & pictures for providing a digital ARC.
January 30, 2019
I really wanted to love this, especially with the cute cover and title, but it left me frustrated on many fronts. I almost feel like the cover had to have been designed by a different artist, since it looks nothing like the internal artwork does (at least, not to me). The interior artwork has none of that detail, nor any real facial expressions.
As for the story, there is way too much telling (not enough showing) in the actual storyline and text for me, especially in the dialogue, and this has far too many passive sentences. I prefer a more active story. The writing isn't great, and the story isn't well-constructed. It also feels like this story is forced, instead of that it just flows naturally, and that effects the overall pacing, which is slow, even for such a short book.
The artwork is a bit too blurry for me, and it’s very difficult to see expressions on the characters’ faces. I think this is a stylistic choice, and maybe it just didn’t really work for me. It’s pretty but so indistinct that it’s almost a struggle to understand and visualize the scene, even though it is right in front of me. I don’t mind some impressionism in the art gallery, but since picture books require world building, I struggled with this. My brain keeps trying to fill in all the gaps and missing information, in order to help me understand the story, and that ends up being frustrating and confusing, rather than interesting.
Basically, I would love the artwork, if it wasn’t part of this story, but it is. And since the storytelling has issues, I needed the artwork to be clear and strong, in order to support that story. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear, so while I might enjoy having a panel hung up on my wall, it wasn't great for this story.
I also had some issues with the actually kissing scene and follow up, and how everything was handled (poorly handled on most fronts). This could be my internal educator flaring up, but I don’t feel like this book provides children with any of the right messages---people might kiss you without your consent (okay, yes this definitely happens with small children, it’s the next parts that sat poorly with me)---if someone kisses you and it doesn’t physical hurt, then there’s no harm done---if you feel really uncomfortable after someone kisses you, then that’s your problem, not theirs---that after someone kisses you without consent and makes you very uncomfortable, then you should be worried about how they feel and what they think--and if your parent says hey, it's okay, because I felt out of control when your mom first kissed me, so you as a very small child should also feel out of control if someone kisses you as it's normal to feel out of control when you've been kissed--No. Just absolutely no on all fronts.
These are terrible messages for children, whether or not they are in an abusive situation.
Definitely do not give or read this story to children or groups of children who have potentially difficult, challenging, or dangerous home situations (which is many children), as these are not the messages that will help them be safe, happy, and comfortable. If you are raising a safe, happy, well-protected child, then you could open up discussions about what is right and wrong about this story with your child, and that itself could be helpful, as long as you make sure to point out the concerns as you go along.
As for the story, there is way too much telling (not enough showing) in the actual storyline and text for me, especially in the dialogue, and this has far too many passive sentences. I prefer a more active story. The writing isn't great, and the story isn't well-constructed. It also feels like this story is forced, instead of that it just flows naturally, and that effects the overall pacing, which is slow, even for such a short book.
The artwork is a bit too blurry for me, and it’s very difficult to see expressions on the characters’ faces. I think this is a stylistic choice, and maybe it just didn’t really work for me. It’s pretty but so indistinct that it’s almost a struggle to understand and visualize the scene, even though it is right in front of me. I don’t mind some impressionism in the art gallery, but since picture books require world building, I struggled with this. My brain keeps trying to fill in all the gaps and missing information, in order to help me understand the story, and that ends up being frustrating and confusing, rather than interesting.
Basically, I would love the artwork, if it wasn’t part of this story, but it is. And since the storytelling has issues, I needed the artwork to be clear and strong, in order to support that story. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear, so while I might enjoy having a panel hung up on my wall, it wasn't great for this story.
I also had some issues with the actually kissing scene and follow up, and how everything was handled (poorly handled on most fronts). This could be my internal educator flaring up, but I don’t feel like this book provides children with any of the right messages---people might kiss you without your consent (okay, yes this definitely happens with small children, it’s the next parts that sat poorly with me)---if someone kisses you and it doesn’t physical hurt, then there’s no harm done---if you feel really uncomfortable after someone kisses you, then that’s your problem, not theirs---that after someone kisses you without consent and makes you very uncomfortable, then you should be worried about how they feel and what they think--and if your parent says hey, it's okay, because I felt out of control when your mom first kissed me, so you as a very small child should also feel out of control if someone kisses you as it's normal to feel out of control when you've been kissed--No. Just absolutely no on all fronts.
These are terrible messages for children, whether or not they are in an abusive situation.
Definitely do not give or read this story to children or groups of children who have potentially difficult, challenging, or dangerous home situations (which is many children), as these are not the messages that will help them be safe, happy, and comfortable. If you are raising a safe, happy, well-protected child, then you could open up discussions about what is right and wrong about this story with your child, and that itself could be helpful, as long as you make sure to point out the concerns as you go along.
April 3, 2019
This is a cute story about a dragon and young girl sharing a kiss and how it makes them feel. I am not sure about this story. I read it to my grandson and he kept telling me that you're only supposed to kiss people in your family. Other people want their space and don't like being hugged and kissed without asking first. As we continued to read, he said that Drake would get in trouble for hurting the other kid. So, I can not recommend this one. I think he is just parroting what he has been told in school, but it made for an unenjoyable read aloud for us. I will say the illustrations are wonderful though. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
January 16, 2019
I love the illustrations style a lot, but the story... well I didn't rely find it relevant I guess I would say. There is some humor that might work well with the kids. but in term of story this wasn't what I'm looking for when I think about good children book!
January 26, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Dragons in Love is a cute illustrated story for young readers. The illustrations by Ronan Badel are sweet and whimsical.
Released 15th Jan 2019 from Quarto on their words & pictures imprint, it's 32 pages and available in hardcover (board) format. It was originally published in 2014 in French and translated into the English by Vanessa Miéville. The text has been translated very well although it does have nuances of cadence in language from the French (which I found charming).
I have to admit, I found the art wonderful. In fact, I spent a little while online trying to find the artist's other work in order to possibly obtain prints or other graphics from M. Badel.
So, the art is superlative and detailed enough to provide amusement to both young readers and their adults.
There are some lovely aspects to the story itself. The dragons in the story appear to be a solo dad and son family unit. Dad is willing and able to talk about feelings and life experiences with Drake, his son, and it never comes across as preachy or strident. I like their relationship. I like that he notices Drake's discomfort with the unexpected kiss and does his best to explain what's going on and help.
That being said there are some issues. The story revolves around the fact that drake gets kissed on the snout unexpectedly by his friend Violet. This confuses him and makes him sad (he avoids her and even avoids going places she likes to go), he doesn't want to eat, etc. His dad notices and tries to help by saying that breathing fire is just what dragons do when they fall in love. I think this is even more confusing to little kids (I might be overthinking things). The situation comes to a crisis when Drake sees Violet being bullied and flambés the mean kid. So is it ok for people to intervene with violence in a good cause? Dragons breathe fire when they're stressed...or mad.... or in love? Or... I'm not quite sure what the author is aiming for here (probably an audience of kids who take the story for what it is and don't try to interpret it).
At the end of the day, it's a kids' story and we adults might be over-analyzing everything... but there are so many really valuable genuinely moving children's books that I can't recommend this one unreservedly. I might have bought it for my own kids when they were small, but I really wouldn't feel comfortable buying it for someone else's kids unless I -knew- that their caregivers wouldn't be offended by the issues.
The art is superlative; a clear 5 stars. The story is iffy; 2,5-3 stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Dragons in Love is a cute illustrated story for young readers. The illustrations by Ronan Badel are sweet and whimsical.
Released 15th Jan 2019 from Quarto on their words & pictures imprint, it's 32 pages and available in hardcover (board) format. It was originally published in 2014 in French and translated into the English by Vanessa Miéville. The text has been translated very well although it does have nuances of cadence in language from the French (which I found charming).
I have to admit, I found the art wonderful. In fact, I spent a little while online trying to find the artist's other work in order to possibly obtain prints or other graphics from M. Badel.
So, the art is superlative and detailed enough to provide amusement to both young readers and their adults.
There are some lovely aspects to the story itself. The dragons in the story appear to be a solo dad and son family unit. Dad is willing and able to talk about feelings and life experiences with Drake, his son, and it never comes across as preachy or strident. I like their relationship. I like that he notices Drake's discomfort with the unexpected kiss and does his best to explain what's going on and help.
That being said there are some issues. The story revolves around the fact that drake gets kissed on the snout unexpectedly by his friend Violet. This confuses him and makes him sad (he avoids her and even avoids going places she likes to go), he doesn't want to eat, etc. His dad notices and tries to help by saying that breathing fire is just what dragons do when they fall in love. I think this is even more confusing to little kids (I might be overthinking things). The situation comes to a crisis when Drake sees Violet being bullied and flambés the mean kid. So is it ok for people to intervene with violence in a good cause? Dragons breathe fire when they're stressed...or mad.... or in love? Or... I'm not quite sure what the author is aiming for here (probably an audience of kids who take the story for what it is and don't try to interpret it).
At the end of the day, it's a kids' story and we adults might be over-analyzing everything... but there are so many really valuable genuinely moving children's books that I can't recommend this one unreservedly. I might have bought it for my own kids when they were small, but I really wouldn't feel comfortable buying it for someone else's kids unless I -knew- that their caregivers wouldn't be offended by the issues.
The art is superlative; a clear 5 stars. The story is iffy; 2,5-3 stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
January 19, 2019
Dragons in Love made me miss Dragon Tales so much! The reminiscing is real. Did they ever put that show on dvd?
Back to Dragons in Love, I didn't really like it. Don't get me wrong, it's a cute book with cute illustrations. I just don't think the theme is the right one for the audience it's aimed at. This is a book I would pick up for my 5 year old nephew because he loves dragons and dinosaurs but he's definitely not thinking about first kisses. He would want the book to see the 'cool' dragon have an adventure or something 'awesome' like that. 😂 I did like the stand up to bullies message. Kids need to hear that message more. Overall, I would recommend Dragons in Love as maybe a Valentine's gift for a young child or a cute anytime gift for an older child who has their first crush. 💕
***Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and Netgalley for honoring my review wish.***
Back to Dragons in Love, I didn't really like it. Don't get me wrong, it's a cute book with cute illustrations. I just don't think the theme is the right one for the audience it's aimed at. This is a book I would pick up for my 5 year old nephew because he loves dragons and dinosaurs but he's definitely not thinking about first kisses. He would want the book to see the 'cool' dragon have an adventure or something 'awesome' like that. 😂 I did like the stand up to bullies message. Kids need to hear that message more. Overall, I would recommend Dragons in Love as maybe a Valentine's gift for a young child or a cute anytime gift for an older child who has their first crush. 💕
***Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and Netgalley for honoring my review wish.***
January 21, 2019
'Dragons in Love' by Alexandre Lacroix with illustrations by Ronan Badel is a story about a young dragon who doesn't know what to do with his feelings after his first kiss.
Drake is a young dragon who likes to play with other kids. When one of them gives him a kiss, he's not sure what to do. He finds himself using his flame and feeling strangely. After a talk with his dad, things are put back in to perspective.
The illustrations are really great. It's a cute story, but first kisses and young love seem like odd subjects for young reader picture books. I'd like to see more by this team with perhaps a bit more appropriate storyline.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing-words and pictures, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Drake is a young dragon who likes to play with other kids. When one of them gives him a kiss, he's not sure what to do. He finds himself using his flame and feeling strangely. After a talk with his dad, things are put back in to perspective.
The illustrations are really great. It's a cute story, but first kisses and young love seem like odd subjects for young reader picture books. I'd like to see more by this team with perhaps a bit more appropriate storyline.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing-words and pictures, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
February 2, 2019
I just can't recommend this book. The illustrations are colorful and nice but the narration suggests violence is okay. Drake the Dragon receives a kiss and uncontrollably, spouts fire that burns down a building (according to the illustration) -- though that was an accident. Drake's father explains that the kiss made him feel 'love' (sexual feelings?) Breathing fire is the result of the feeling. Later, Drake shoots fire at a bully, out of anger, presumably to protect/help Violet, the girl that kissed him. So 'love' results in violence, or condones it? Uncontrollable behavior or acting out of anger? I'm sure that's not the author's intended meaning, but how else do you interpret it? A young child might get the wrong idea.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2019
Four and a half stars.
Drake the dragon likes playing with the human children – not as in playing with his food, but playing football with them. In goal, in fact. But when one of them kisses him he really doesn't understand what is going on. This second look at how we might have to do what seems counter to our intuitions follows on from a lovely debut (dragon child decides not to burn and pillage everything), and proves there could well be a larger series to come, for it surely could run and run. It's a simple lesson for the young reader about one instance of interacting with other people, and once again daddy dragon is there to put the youngster's mind to rest. Using a dragon to explore human nature does seem counter-intuitive, but that's what makes these books so surprising and clever. And the illustrations make them perfectly agreeable for the young, too.
Drake the dragon likes playing with the human children – not as in playing with his food, but playing football with them. In goal, in fact. But when one of them kisses him he really doesn't understand what is going on. This second look at how we might have to do what seems counter to our intuitions follows on from a lovely debut (dragon child decides not to burn and pillage everything), and proves there could well be a larger series to come, for it surely could run and run. It's a simple lesson for the young reader about one instance of interacting with other people, and once again daddy dragon is there to put the youngster's mind to rest. Using a dragon to explore human nature does seem counter-intuitive, but that's what makes these books so surprising and clever. And the illustrations make them perfectly agreeable for the young, too.
September 13, 2019
Dragons in love by Alexandre Lacroix
There is a dragon named Drake that lives at the bottom of a valley in a cave and went to play with children that were his friends. He found his friend Violet amongst his friends and they had been playing soccer when suddenly their ball became stuck inside of a tree. He was looking at the ball and then Violet kissed him on the nose and he breathed fire upon someone’s house. His Dad explains to him that it can happen when he has strong feelings for someone. This book does a great job at portraying how young children act in situations that are awkward but natural for them.
There is a dragon named Drake that lives at the bottom of a valley in a cave and went to play with children that were his friends. He found his friend Violet amongst his friends and they had been playing soccer when suddenly their ball became stuck inside of a tree. He was looking at the ball and then Violet kissed him on the nose and he breathed fire upon someone’s house. His Dad explains to him that it can happen when he has strong feelings for someone. This book does a great job at portraying how young children act in situations that are awkward but natural for them.
March 20, 2021
Many times we will have new experiences and at the moment we may not know how to react to it. Drake did the right thing by talking to his parent and his parent helped Drake work through the emotions he was experiencing. Drake acknowledged his feelings. And when he saw his friend Violet being bullied, he knew the right moment to use his strength.
Sunshine and I enjoyed this book very much. Enjoy it with us on our Youtube channel Storytime Sunshine.
Here is a direct link: https://youtu.be/1SBqQkP1v7I
Sunshine and I enjoyed this book very much. Enjoy it with us on our Youtube channel Storytime Sunshine.
Here is a direct link: https://youtu.be/1SBqQkP1v7I
July 31, 2019
A bit of a creepy story. Not sure what the lesson is meant to be. Is it a metaphor? A human girl nonconsensually kisses a dragon boy, and then he has an "uncontrollable" reaction of spitting fire? His dad says this is normal? The dragon is in love with the girl now? Then he saves her from a bully by spitting fire at the bully? So the story is that kissing without consent leads to violent outbursts, which can be used to solve problems? Wild. Would not read to any child.
March 4, 2019
I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I will start with a positive: the illustrations were lovely, especially the full page panels with no text. I just like the simple messy sketch lines kind of illustrations.
But the story was... weird, unevenly paced and felt like parts of it were missing, hence why I wasn't invested in the story or the characters.
I will start with a positive: the illustrations were lovely, especially the full page panels with no text. I just like the simple messy sketch lines kind of illustrations.
But the story was... weird, unevenly paced and felt like parts of it were missing, hence why I wasn't invested in the story or the characters.
March 13, 2019
Drake is a little confused. His friend Violet has kissed him and left some funny feelings in his stomach.
He has to figure out what he is going to do, and the first thought he has is to avoid her. But that does not seem like a good long term plan. But when he discovers a bully picking on her, he knows he has to do something.
Super cute little book about feelings and friendship.
He has to figure out what he is going to do, and the first thought he has is to avoid her. But that does not seem like a good long term plan. But when he discovers a bully picking on her, he knows he has to do something.
Super cute little book about feelings and friendship.
November 10, 2019
I would NOT recommend this book. First it's about a dragon dealing with feelings of lust then about bullying. This storyline is all over the place. It gave the impression that the dragon got aroused when he was kissed on the snout, this is definitely not something that should be in a child's book!!! Disgusting.
January 24, 2019
Ooohhh! I's so cute!! This would make a lovely story for Valentine's Day Even tho' I only have a Kindle, the illustrations are adorable! Love the little dragon- so cute! This would make a sweet gift for some little.
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
July 17, 2019
This is a book written by an author from France and the story is a bit different as this dragon and little girl talk about love. It is translated into English but loses something. Dragon steps in and saves his love from a bully, that part is fun for children to hear.
February 13, 2019
Adorable. That's really all I have to say about this book.
December 23, 2019
Different love is still love
July 16, 2024
Little girl kisses dragon. Dragon feels uncomfortable and proceeds to avoid girl. Obviously, this means that dragon must be in love with girl. Yeah, pass.
February 20, 2019
A beautiful picture book about a dragon named Drake who becomes hot and confused after being kissed by his friend, Violet. Unable to explain why he feels this way, he decides to avoid Violet. When he confides in his father about his feelings, his father tells him not to be ashamed of who is and goes on to explain to him that dragons are different when it comes to expressing their love. They do so by breathing fire.
But Drake is worried that Violet may not see it that way. Until one day when he wanders into the park and helps Violet retrieve her hairband from a bully named Gareth. Violet then smiles and asks Drake to kiss her on her cheek. What happens when he does?
Many thanks to Alexandre Lacroix, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
But Drake is worried that Violet may not see it that way. Until one day when he wanders into the park and helps Violet retrieve her hairband from a bully named Gareth. Violet then smiles and asks Drake to kiss her on her cheek. What happens when he does?
Many thanks to Alexandre Lacroix, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2024
A book I want to love because it has cute pictures of dragons, but I don't like the thought of talking about a "volcano erupting" inside of the dragon or Drake feeling "hot and confused" with my young children. I don't really understand what the author was trying to do...but I don't like it.
July 17, 2020
A fractured French fairy tale of a young dragon named Drake, who is suddenly kissed on his snout by his human friend Violet. This first kiss sets of emotions that Drake can't understand. His father explains what he is experiencing as he's stricken by the love bug. Will Drake compose himself when he sees Violet again?
January 16, 2019
Dragons in Love tells the tale of Drake's first kiss and how it made the little dragon feel. Badel's illustrations reminded me of the Black Lagoon series and were cute, but some do not seem to relay the story well. Lacroix's story is nice with regards to the father-son relationship, but I do take issue with Drake's response to the mean kid. All in all, I must say that this was not a wholly enjoyable book.
Thank you NetGalley and words & pictures for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.
Thank you NetGalley and words & pictures for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.
January 28, 2019
Dragons In Love was a sweet book about new feelings and what happens when you experience those feelings. While the illustrations were adorable and the text simple, the topic didn't seem very fitting for a picture book audience.
January 22, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I'm not sure about this one, it wasn't my favourite. When I first read the title, this was not quite what I was expecting.
I feel like it was very confusing for me let alone for young kids. Why was he so upset that he almost came across as mad? I suppose the idea was that he was scared of his big emotions, but it didn't really come across that way.
It made a kiss seem like a bad thing. Using breathing fire as a show of love. But he also used it kind of as a form of defense. Confusing.
For a kids book it still skipped some details that would have made the story easier to understand.
I'm not sure about this one, it wasn't my favourite. When I first read the title, this was not quite what I was expecting.
I feel like it was very confusing for me let alone for young kids. Why was he so upset that he almost came across as mad? I suppose the idea was that he was scared of his big emotions, but it didn't really come across that way.
It made a kiss seem like a bad thing. Using breathing fire as a show of love. But he also used it kind of as a form of defense. Confusing.
For a kids book it still skipped some details that would have made the story easier to understand.
January 23, 2019
Ah, the French must think that young love, and it does look like very young love, is the proper subject for a children's picture book.
The pictures are lovely, but the story is a little odd, at least for an American audience. It seems odd that children, including the dragon, would have such strong feelings and emotions over the love of a first kiss at what looks to be grade school age children.
Pictures are cute, as I have said, but the story is how the dragon child overcomes his emotions from his first kiss. Because, when Dragons fall in love, they breath out fire, which wouldn't do for human children.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The pictures are lovely, but the story is a little odd, at least for an American audience. It seems odd that children, including the dragon, would have such strong feelings and emotions over the love of a first kiss at what looks to be grade school age children.
Pictures are cute, as I have said, but the story is how the dragon child overcomes his emotions from his first kiss. Because, when Dragons fall in love, they breath out fire, which wouldn't do for human children.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
February 7, 2019
This is a lovely book about how to feel about the emotions we feel. It shows that while we may be different, if we are honest, we can make those differences turn out okay.
I enjoyed the story as Drake the dragon struggled with his feels after Violet, the girl, kissed him. He talks to his dad for advice. He finally realized that his feelings for Violet were okay and that his fire breathing skill could be useful.
I thought the story was cute and helpful for a child who does not understand or know what to do with his/her emotions. I thought the illustrations were excellent and colorful. The blues, yellows and reds are muted watercolors that fit appropriately with the story.
I have read some other reviews of this book and totally disagree that Drake’s fire breathing to help Violet was inappropriate. THAT’S WHAT DRAGONS DO. If they don’t want to read a story about dragons breathing fire, don’t read about dragons. This is a story about diversity and how those differences are okay. Can’t a story just be a story anymore? We don’t need to analyze everything for its significance in the bigger picture in life. Read for fun. Read about dragons and fairies and men in the moon. Then just enjoy the fun of fantasy.
I received this book from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.
I enjoyed the story as Drake the dragon struggled with his feels after Violet, the girl, kissed him. He talks to his dad for advice. He finally realized that his feelings for Violet were okay and that his fire breathing skill could be useful.
I thought the story was cute and helpful for a child who does not understand or know what to do with his/her emotions. I thought the illustrations were excellent and colorful. The blues, yellows and reds are muted watercolors that fit appropriately with the story.
I have read some other reviews of this book and totally disagree that Drake’s fire breathing to help Violet was inappropriate. THAT’S WHAT DRAGONS DO. If they don’t want to read a story about dragons breathing fire, don’t read about dragons. This is a story about diversity and how those differences are okay. Can’t a story just be a story anymore? We don’t need to analyze everything for its significance in the bigger picture in life. Read for fun. Read about dragons and fairies and men in the moon. Then just enjoy the fun of fantasy.
I received this book from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.
April 22, 2019
Very cute illustrations but the story is sorely lacking. I mean it just really, really misses the mark. What could have been an opportunity to teach young kids about consent turned into a cringe-fest. I was uncomfortable right from the beginning when a young dragon named Drake becomes "hot and confused" after his friend kisses him unexpectedly. There is not even a passing mention that she should've asked him first. Then Drake's dad explains that dragons breathe fire when they are in love so of course that means that dragon must be in love after this one unwanted kiss! To top it all off the book ends with Drake kissing his friend back when she asks him too. So one wrong is corrected by another? Drake is uncomfortable and trying to figure out why he feels the way he does through the whole story and not one person around him helps in a constructive way. Way to teach kids not to approach a grownup when they are made to feel badly and don't understand why. Overall this book just doesn't have a great message and as cute as the illustrations are they just can't save it.
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