What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boy Who Grew Dragons #1
El nen que criava dracs
When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandad's garden, he doesn't think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house - and gets the shock and delight of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragonfruit tree, and Tomas has got his very own dragon, Flicker ...
Tomas soon finds out that life with Flicker is great fun, but also very ... unpredictable. Yes, dragons are wonderful, but they also set fire to your toothbruth and leave your pants hanging from the TV aerial. Tomas has to learn how to look after Flicker - and quickly. And then something extraordinary happens - more dragonfruits appear on the tree. Tomas is officially growing dragons ...
Tomas soon finds out that life with Flicker is great fun, but also very ... unpredictable. Yes, dragons are wonderful, but they also set fire to your toothbruth and leave your pants hanging from the TV aerial. Tomas has to learn how to look after Flicker - and quickly. And then something extraordinary happens - more dragonfruits appear on the tree. Tomas is officially growing dragons ...
232 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2018
939 people are currently reading
981 people want to read
About the author
Andy Shepherd
35 books28 followersAndy Shepherd is a children's writer working on middle-grade fiction and picture books. She lives near Cambridge with her husband, two sons and their border collie. She spends her spare time trying to figure out how to move this beautiful city closer to the sea.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
July 20, 2023
In a Nutshell: Even dragons couldn’t save this for me. It has a few merits but becomes boring after a few chapters.
Story Synopsis:
I can’t believe that a book with dragons could bore me so much. The story started off wonderfully. Tomas’s discovery of the pitaya tree (commonly known as the dragon fruit tree) created a great beginning, and his initial adventures with Flicker were fun. However, the story soon starts dragging. Though the title does tell us that the focus will be on the “boy who grew dragons”, there should have been more of the dragon itself. Flicker’s appearances are relatively minimal, and the jokes about his exploding poo get monotonous quickly.
The writing approach seems similar to that of David Walliams, but unlike the latter’s books, this one goes off track quickly. The jokes fall flat after the first few chapters. The illustrations are decent, and probably the best feature of the book.
Now you might think that the book was written for middle-graders and hence will work better for the target age group. But my younger one read this book as well, and more importantly, she read this alone without me there to influence her., But her feedback was exactly the same – that it started off nicely but became too boring afterwards.
On the positive side, I enjoyed Tomas’ bond with his grandfather and his younger sister Lolli. Flicker also is really cute whenever he gets to be in the spotlight. Also, I had never bothered to look up a dragon fruit tree before this book sparked my curiosity. Those trees are amazing!
This is the first of a five book series, but I personally would rather read David Walliams than continue with this series, despite the dragons. Then again, this is a debut work, so it is quite possible that the author learnt from this experience and her subsequent books work better. The ratings on Goodreads seem to suggest the same. So it might still be worth giving this a series a try. Do check out the other reviews for a more informed decision.
2.5 stars. (2 stars from me, 3 stars from the little one. Averaging the two and rounding up keeping the target age group’s feedback in mind.)
My thanks to Piccadilly Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Boy Who Grew Dragons”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
When Tomas discovers a strange tree in a corner of his grandfather’s garden, he doesn’t realise that its odd egg-shaped fruit will soon hatch and produce a baby dragon. Tomas names his new pet Flicker and does his best to keep him fed and out of sight. However, having a pet dragon is not easy, especially when Tomas doesn’t know how to control it and can’t even ask anyone for help. When Tomas realises that having Flicker around is as much dangerous as it is fun, he needs to learn more about dragons, asap!
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Tomas.
I can’t believe that a book with dragons could bore me so much. The story started off wonderfully. Tomas’s discovery of the pitaya tree (commonly known as the dragon fruit tree) created a great beginning, and his initial adventures with Flicker were fun. However, the story soon starts dragging. Though the title does tell us that the focus will be on the “boy who grew dragons”, there should have been more of the dragon itself. Flicker’s appearances are relatively minimal, and the jokes about his exploding poo get monotonous quickly.
The writing approach seems similar to that of David Walliams, but unlike the latter’s books, this one goes off track quickly. The jokes fall flat after the first few chapters. The illustrations are decent, and probably the best feature of the book.
Now you might think that the book was written for middle-graders and hence will work better for the target age group. But my younger one read this book as well, and more importantly, she read this alone without me there to influence her., But her feedback was exactly the same – that it started off nicely but became too boring afterwards.
On the positive side, I enjoyed Tomas’ bond with his grandfather and his younger sister Lolli. Flicker also is really cute whenever he gets to be in the spotlight. Also, I had never bothered to look up a dragon fruit tree before this book sparked my curiosity. Those trees are amazing!
This is the first of a five book series, but I personally would rather read David Walliams than continue with this series, despite the dragons. Then again, this is a debut work, so it is quite possible that the author learnt from this experience and her subsequent books work better. The ratings on Goodreads seem to suggest the same. So it might still be worth giving this a series a try. Do check out the other reviews for a more informed decision.
2.5 stars. (2 stars from me, 3 stars from the little one. Averaging the two and rounding up keeping the target age group’s feedback in mind.)
My thanks to Piccadilly Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Boy Who Grew Dragons”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
July 14, 2020
The dragons are great! And the idea that they grow and can be gardened is fun and delightful.
The story itself focuses a bit too much on the generic but troubled family drama, instead of focusing on the dragons. The book would have been a lot better if it focused on the dragons.
The story itself focuses a bit too much on the generic but troubled family drama, instead of focusing on the dragons. The book would have been a lot better if it focused on the dragons.
February 21, 2020
I received this book as a gift for my English school from one of my students who visited England. I read this book chapter by chapter with my students for an advanced English class. In that context, the book was extremely enjoyable. Each chapter was very short, so I could read one chapter a class as a warm-up for the students. The pictures also made the book highly engaging for English language learners. In some parts, the book may seem over-written or cliched, but I find that this fine for certain groups of readers. I imagine this would be a great book to get kids into reading. It certainly worked wonders with my English students.
November 28, 2020
This was really cute! Think I’ll be on the look out for the second book to see what’s going to happen next.
Thoroughly enjoyable MG book.
Thoroughly enjoyable MG book.
October 15, 2021
Kako desetogodišnji dječak Tomas, glavni lik romana, na samom uvodu kaže: „Mi uzgajamo zmajeve. Samo da znate, njih je mnogo, mnogo teže uzgojiti nego krastavce!“, neće ova pustolovina biti med i mlijeko... A ne, ne! Bit će to jako zabavna, napeta, simpatična, duhovita, vrckava priča koja će se dotaknuti, osim genijalnih zmajeva, i odnosa među prijateljima, odnosa u obitelji i društvu. Priče su ovo kakve bi sve ovakve vrste priča trebale biti!
Cijeli osvrt pronađite ovdje: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
Cijeli osvrt pronađite ovdje: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
March 3, 2020
The Wonder of The Boy Who Grew Dragons
Most books about dragons feature evil creatures bent on ruling humans… or middle grade dragons meant to pal around. The Boy Who Grew Dragons is the later, and I desperately wanted to check it out with that title. Who grows dragons?! That’s insane… or terribly creative.
Did The Boy Who Grew Dragons blow away this dragon Fangirl?
“So, who wants to grow dragons ? Dumb question, right? I mean seriously, who in their right mind would say no? Not me, that’s for sure. And not you by the looks of it. But if you want to grow dragons, you need to know what you’re getting into. Sure, they’re fiery, fantastical, and dazzling, but dragons are not all fun and games. Not by a long shot. And it’s not just the fire and the flammable poo I’m talking about. Oh no! Which is why, my dragon-seeking desperados, I’m writing this all down, so at least you can go into it with your eyes open. Because, believe me, you’ll need them to stay wide, wide open.”
Andy Shepherd, The Boy Who Grew Dragons
As you can probably tell from the quote I loved this book. It’s dragon lore is quite creative with little twists from your typical dragonology. It’s all just enough to tantalize any dragon lover, but in particular young dragon lovers who think they know all about dragons. The Boy Who Grew Dragons delivers fun twists and sets it up in a normal boy’s life. I can’t help but feel more interested in exotic fruit and gardening too.
The best was Tomas’ little sister and grandad.
Many books incorporate family into their stories in fun and fantastic ways. The Boy Who Grew Dragons Surprised me when Tomas’ not yet 3-year-old sister, Lolli, was introduced. Sometimes we get great family members surrounding our protagonists but they don’t really participate in the story. Lollipop though helps Tomas out several times, because these siblings stick together. It was an adorable way to promote family.
Their grandad isn’t to be left out though. His love of gardening and desire to share it with his grandson is the reason Tomas is able to grow dragons. I loved how it was shown sometimes kids disappoint the adults in their life and that’s okay. His grandad is pretty fly and supports his grandson in a most loving and subtle way that I really appreciated.
Well, and of course, the dragon, Flicker!
“He stared up at me, his twinkling eyes looking right into me. It was like gazing into one of those crystal prisms, where the light is scattered into a rainbow. Fragments of color sparkled and danced around the dragon’s almond-shaped irises. I could have looked into those eyes forever. Then, just for a second, his sharp little claws tightened on my arm again.”
Andy Shepherd, The Boy Who Grew Dragons
Awwwwww. I bet you want one now too no matter your age. A lot of time is spent with Tomas bonding with his new little pet. I felt like this was smart because we feel like we’re bonding with our new dragon too. It also gives kids reading a sense of the responsibility that a pet brings to their life. Sure, a pet is fun and a firm friend but you also have to take care of them.
The little illustrations by the fabulous Sara Ogilvie really enliven The Boy Who Grew Dragons too.
While I enjoyed the friendship in The Boy Who Grew Dragons I wanted more to it.
Tomas like many kids his age has a small group of friends. I liked that the group was diverse and didn’t revolve around just boys. At the same time I didn’t bond with them. Each child was different and stood out as an individual, but I didn’t spend any quality time with them until the climax of the book. I don’t know that I wanted them to have dragons like Tomas. It also felt presumptuous that he would get them each one. The book is called The Boy Who Grew Dragons so the point was to grow more than one. I just wish it had been developed a bit better.
This is an early middle grade book. It’s reminiscent of a chapter book to me. This format has to be taken into account as we aren’t going going to get as fleshed story as a teen or adult might want. There is a bullying element I wanted more of, that felt like it was left hanging. I suspect we’ll get more of it in future books. Each book of the series advances the story, so by its very nature The Boy Who Grew Dragons is setup. Quite good setup, but it left me wanting more. Which is a good thing for middle grade readers.
I did love the illustration at the end showing Tomas’ bully. I won’t reveal what it shows, but it says to me that there is some enlightening commentary on bullying to come.
The Boy Who Grew Dragons can’t help but be fun from the very first page. I was totally blown away by the fabulous dragonlogy… And now I want my own Flicker! Family is the highlight of the book and you’ll fall for Lolli and grandad too. I can’t wait for the highjinks Tomas and his friends get into in future books.
Most books about dragons feature evil creatures bent on ruling humans… or middle grade dragons meant to pal around. The Boy Who Grew Dragons is the later, and I desperately wanted to check it out with that title. Who grows dragons?! That’s insane… or terribly creative.
Did The Boy Who Grew Dragons blow away this dragon Fangirl?
“So, who wants to grow dragons ? Dumb question, right? I mean seriously, who in their right mind would say no? Not me, that’s for sure. And not you by the looks of it. But if you want to grow dragons, you need to know what you’re getting into. Sure, they’re fiery, fantastical, and dazzling, but dragons are not all fun and games. Not by a long shot. And it’s not just the fire and the flammable poo I’m talking about. Oh no! Which is why, my dragon-seeking desperados, I’m writing this all down, so at least you can go into it with your eyes open. Because, believe me, you’ll need them to stay wide, wide open.”
Andy Shepherd, The Boy Who Grew Dragons
As you can probably tell from the quote I loved this book. It’s dragon lore is quite creative with little twists from your typical dragonology. It’s all just enough to tantalize any dragon lover, but in particular young dragon lovers who think they know all about dragons. The Boy Who Grew Dragons delivers fun twists and sets it up in a normal boy’s life. I can’t help but feel more interested in exotic fruit and gardening too.
The best was Tomas’ little sister and grandad.
Many books incorporate family into their stories in fun and fantastic ways. The Boy Who Grew Dragons Surprised me when Tomas’ not yet 3-year-old sister, Lolli, was introduced. Sometimes we get great family members surrounding our protagonists but they don’t really participate in the story. Lollipop though helps Tomas out several times, because these siblings stick together. It was an adorable way to promote family.
Their grandad isn’t to be left out though. His love of gardening and desire to share it with his grandson is the reason Tomas is able to grow dragons. I loved how it was shown sometimes kids disappoint the adults in their life and that’s okay. His grandad is pretty fly and supports his grandson in a most loving and subtle way that I really appreciated.
Well, and of course, the dragon, Flicker!
“He stared up at me, his twinkling eyes looking right into me. It was like gazing into one of those crystal prisms, where the light is scattered into a rainbow. Fragments of color sparkled and danced around the dragon’s almond-shaped irises. I could have looked into those eyes forever. Then, just for a second, his sharp little claws tightened on my arm again.”
Andy Shepherd, The Boy Who Grew Dragons
Awwwwww. I bet you want one now too no matter your age. A lot of time is spent with Tomas bonding with his new little pet. I felt like this was smart because we feel like we’re bonding with our new dragon too. It also gives kids reading a sense of the responsibility that a pet brings to their life. Sure, a pet is fun and a firm friend but you also have to take care of them.
The little illustrations by the fabulous Sara Ogilvie really enliven The Boy Who Grew Dragons too.
While I enjoyed the friendship in The Boy Who Grew Dragons I wanted more to it.
Tomas like many kids his age has a small group of friends. I liked that the group was diverse and didn’t revolve around just boys. At the same time I didn’t bond with them. Each child was different and stood out as an individual, but I didn’t spend any quality time with them until the climax of the book. I don’t know that I wanted them to have dragons like Tomas. It also felt presumptuous that he would get them each one. The book is called The Boy Who Grew Dragons so the point was to grow more than one. I just wish it had been developed a bit better.
This is an early middle grade book. It’s reminiscent of a chapter book to me. This format has to be taken into account as we aren’t going going to get as fleshed story as a teen or adult might want. There is a bullying element I wanted more of, that felt like it was left hanging. I suspect we’ll get more of it in future books. Each book of the series advances the story, so by its very nature The Boy Who Grew Dragons is setup. Quite good setup, but it left me wanting more. Which is a good thing for middle grade readers.
I did love the illustration at the end showing Tomas’ bully. I won’t reveal what it shows, but it says to me that there is some enlightening commentary on bullying to come.
The Boy Who Grew Dragons can’t help but be fun from the very first page. I was totally blown away by the fabulous dragonlogy… And now I want my own Flicker! Family is the highlight of the book and you’ll fall for Lolli and grandad too. I can’t wait for the highjinks Tomas and his friends get into in future books.
February 18, 2021
What a cute little story. I love the idea of dragons growing from a plant I wish I could have a dragon as a pet although I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy cleaning after it and I will be constantly worried that it will blow up the entire building with its droppings hahah
I have purchased all of the audio books and cannot wait to finish the rest of them. The narrator is doing an amazing job.
Highly recommended for small and big audience :)
I have purchased all of the audio books and cannot wait to finish the rest of them. The narrator is doing an amazing job.
Highly recommended for small and big audience :)
July 24, 2021
July 2021: A re read for my 9 year old daughter’s book club. The girls rated the book a 3.5-5 ⭐️. They also said they would read the next book in the series. Highly recommend this book!
What a fun read about mini dragons, exploding dragon poop, and friendships. This will officially be our July 2021 book club selection for my daughter’s book club.
What a fun read about mini dragons, exploding dragon poop, and friendships. This will officially be our July 2021 book club selection for my daughter’s book club.
October 3, 2021
Jeste li ikad razmišljali o zmaju kao kućnom ljubimcu, kojeg možete uzgojiti u vlastitom vrtu? Ideja je super, ali ne pokušavajte to kod kuće. Odličan fantasy serijal s obilježjima između Enid Blyton i njenih 5 prijatelja te serijala How to Train Your Dragon. Veselim se nastavcima!
July 10, 2018
"It looked like a bird. But it had thorny little spines down its back and it seemed more leathery than feathery. It was bright red and its wings were scalloped, a bit like a bat's. And it shimmered in the light of my rocket lamp, like it was having trouble deciding on the very best shade of red to be."
This was just a terrific, wonderful, amazing, magical book about a boy who, while gardening with his grandpa, stumbles upon a dragon-fruit tree. But oh, not that kind of dragon fruit, this one actually contains dragons! Oh my!
I almost read this one in one go yesterday evening, but I was just too tired sadly to finish. Thankfully I had some time today and I could finish this amazingly fun book. And in a way I am happy that I didn't finish this book in one go, now I could enjoy this one another day. Luckily, this one isn't the end for the dragons, at the end we see that there will be another book about Tomas and the dragons (and the chaos they will definitely be bringing with them).
From start to finish you will laugh, cheer, grumble (at Liam or that very annoying angry neighbour), roll of your chair/bed in laughter. There is definitely no moment of boredom, if anything the book gets better and better with each passing page. You just want to see more dragons, find out more about Flicker, hope that Tomas finally will tell his friends (as come on, I am sure they would love to know his secret and who doesn't love dragons?), and much more. After reading I wonder how many more dragons are in the wild, are there more plants like this, how big will our dragons get?
I loved Tomas from the start, I loved how well he took care of Flicker. How even though it wasn't easy, he still loved Flicker and tried to find out how to care for him. He never once got angry at his tiny little friend, even when his room got turned into a poo filled hell. :P He really had a ton of patience, and I was just laughing at how he tried to cover up all the trouble and chaos Flicker caused.
I did have to say that I wasn't always happy with Tomas. Oh no. I get that his dragon is important, but I just felt sad that he dropped his granddad like that. He was just on the way with helping with gardening when he got Flicker. After that he barely visited, and later on in the story he didn't help at all. Thankfully, and I am happy the author added this, Tomas does feel guilty for it and he has plans on making up with his granddad.
I was definitely rooting for him to just tell his friends, and I am glad with his decision in the end.
Seeing more dragons was just such a delight, they all looked adorable, and I would have loved to see them for real. To see them shimmer and glow, to see their colours change. But only that, I don't want to handle those poo bombs. Ewww. *shivers* Oh and not to mention having to keep them away from my precious book babies.
I also liked Tomas' little sister: Lolli, or Charlotte. Sometimes little siblings are annoying, but Lolli was a cute little sister and I loved how she and Tomas worked together. :P Well... mostly Tomas trying to bribe his little sister and turning her words into something different before people found out what she was actually babbling about. But they certainly made a fun pair.
Liam and also Grim were just terrible. They were great villains though. Liam at school (what a bully), and Grim as the next door neighbours of Tomas' grandparents. Yes, I get that Grim wasn't happy with what happened in his garden, but you are certainly not helping your case by acting like a bully.
As for Liam, eh. That guy just needs a new hobby in his life. Snooping, stalking, and bullying is just not the way to go. And then there is that thing at the end. Urgh. That is the worst thing that could happen.
The art? Well it is Sara Ogilvie, I just adore her art. And it fits so so well with this book, her dragons are amazingly cute. It was one of the 3 reasons why I bought this book (the first one being dragons, the second gardening in combination with that first).
I could probably talk about this book longer, but I will just end it with that everyone should read this wonderful, hilarious, warm, sweet book about dragons, gardening, friendship, and more dragons!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This was just a terrific, wonderful, amazing, magical book about a boy who, while gardening with his grandpa, stumbles upon a dragon-fruit tree. But oh, not that kind of dragon fruit, this one actually contains dragons! Oh my!
I almost read this one in one go yesterday evening, but I was just too tired sadly to finish. Thankfully I had some time today and I could finish this amazingly fun book. And in a way I am happy that I didn't finish this book in one go, now I could enjoy this one another day. Luckily, this one isn't the end for the dragons, at the end we see that there will be another book about Tomas and the dragons (and the chaos they will definitely be bringing with them).
From start to finish you will laugh, cheer, grumble (at Liam or that very annoying angry neighbour), roll of your chair/bed in laughter. There is definitely no moment of boredom, if anything the book gets better and better with each passing page. You just want to see more dragons, find out more about Flicker, hope that Tomas finally will tell his friends (as come on, I am sure they would love to know his secret and who doesn't love dragons?), and much more. After reading I wonder how many more dragons are in the wild, are there more plants like this, how big will our dragons get?
I loved Tomas from the start, I loved how well he took care of Flicker. How even though it wasn't easy, he still loved Flicker and tried to find out how to care for him. He never once got angry at his tiny little friend, even when his room got turned into a poo filled hell. :P He really had a ton of patience, and I was just laughing at how he tried to cover up all the trouble and chaos Flicker caused.
I did have to say that I wasn't always happy with Tomas. Oh no. I get that his dragon is important, but I just felt sad that he dropped his granddad like that. He was just on the way with helping with gardening when he got Flicker. After that he barely visited, and later on in the story he didn't help at all. Thankfully, and I am happy the author added this, Tomas does feel guilty for it and he has plans on making up with his granddad.
I was definitely rooting for him to just tell his friends, and I am glad with his decision in the end.
Seeing more dragons was just such a delight, they all looked adorable, and I would have loved to see them for real. To see them shimmer and glow, to see their colours change. But only that, I don't want to handle those poo bombs. Ewww. *shivers* Oh and not to mention having to keep them away from my precious book babies.
I also liked Tomas' little sister: Lolli, or Charlotte. Sometimes little siblings are annoying, but Lolli was a cute little sister and I loved how she and Tomas worked together. :P Well... mostly Tomas trying to bribe his little sister and turning her words into something different before people found out what she was actually babbling about. But they certainly made a fun pair.
Liam and also Grim were just terrible. They were great villains though. Liam at school (what a bully), and Grim as the next door neighbours of Tomas' grandparents. Yes, I get that Grim wasn't happy with what happened in his garden, but you are certainly not helping your case by acting like a bully.
As for Liam, eh. That guy just needs a new hobby in his life. Snooping, stalking, and bullying is just not the way to go. And then there is that thing at the end. Urgh. That is the worst thing that could happen.
The art? Well it is Sara Ogilvie, I just adore her art. And it fits so so well with this book, her dragons are amazingly cute. It was one of the 3 reasons why I bought this book (the first one being dragons, the second gardening in combination with that first).
I could probably talk about this book longer, but I will just end it with that everyone should read this wonderful, hilarious, warm, sweet book about dragons, gardening, friendship, and more dragons!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
March 7, 2021
Geweldig kinderboek, ik ga hem voorlezen in groep 3!
January 18, 2020
What a wonderful, beautiful story in a new series. It is enchanting and captivating. Perfect for families to read together, a book any age can enjoy and will be excited for the next book. It is magical and instantly grabs you from the first page. You feel like you are on this adventure with Tomas and it will be such a fun read for children and again, for the whole family.
In this story we follow Tomas. He finds a mysterious tree at the bottom of his grandparents garden. He doesn't know what to expect, or that hidden behind the strange fruit a dragon is waiting to hatch. A piece of fruit is about to change his life forever. His life is about to get a little bit more fun, exciting and maybe a little bit dangerous.
A wonderful, beautiful story that is filled with wonderful cast, the relationships between Tomas, his grandparents and his baby sister is adorable. They are a wonderful family and Tomas, even though things are happening around the house that he can't explain and has to keep a dragon secret from his family, it was just adorable to read about their relationship.
The descriptions with the illustrations by Sara just brings this story to life. It is captivating and reading about Tomas, who feels responsible for Flicker and takes care of the dragon who in returns makes Tomas feel more brave and bold and this dragon is about to change his life forever.
A wonderful start to a magical, story that I can't recommend enough! Fun for the whole family but beware of strange fruit that is hidden in the garden....
In this story we follow Tomas. He finds a mysterious tree at the bottom of his grandparents garden. He doesn't know what to expect, or that hidden behind the strange fruit a dragon is waiting to hatch. A piece of fruit is about to change his life forever. His life is about to get a little bit more fun, exciting and maybe a little bit dangerous.
A wonderful, beautiful story that is filled with wonderful cast, the relationships between Tomas, his grandparents and his baby sister is adorable. They are a wonderful family and Tomas, even though things are happening around the house that he can't explain and has to keep a dragon secret from his family, it was just adorable to read about their relationship.
The descriptions with the illustrations by Sara just brings this story to life. It is captivating and reading about Tomas, who feels responsible for Flicker and takes care of the dragon who in returns makes Tomas feel more brave and bold and this dragon is about to change his life forever.
A wonderful start to a magical, story that I can't recommend enough! Fun for the whole family but beware of strange fruit that is hidden in the garden....
July 2, 2020
Η Άντι Σέπερντ μας αφηγείται την ιστορία του Τόμας και των φίλων του και πώς καταφεραν παρέα με τον παππού να καλλιεργήσουν… δράκους. Η ιστορία αυτή έχει περίεργα δέντρα, έχει δράση, έχει χιούμορ, έχει φίλους καρδιακούς, αλλά και άλλους που θέλουν μόνο να χώνουν τη μύτη τους. Αλλά, βασικά, έχει δράκους. Πολλούς δράκους, που πετάνε ελεύθερα στον ουρανό και αμολάνε δρακοκακά που απειλούν να ανατιναχτούν μόλις στεγνώσουν! Εκτός όμως από όλα αυτά, τα ωραία και τα αστεία, έχει και κάτι άλλο: η συγγραφέας κάνει αναφορά σ’ένα πολύ σοβαρό θέμα, όπως είναι οι παιδικές ασθένειες που θεραπεύονται, αλλά και οι ασθένειες των μεγάλων ανθρώπων που δεν θεραπεύονται εύκολα λόγω ηλικίας, χωρίς να βαρύνει την ιστορία της με περιττούς συναισθηματισμούς. Ο Τόμας αναρρώνει από μια μεγάλη εγχείρηση στην καρδιά του, καθώς γεννήθηκε με φύσημα, ενώ ο παππούς του, λόγω ηλικίας, αντιμετωπίζει αναμενόμενα καρδιακά προβλήματα. Παρόλα αυτά, κανένα από τα δύο αυτά περιστατικά δεν φαίνεται να επηρεάζει -μέχρι στιγμής- την ιστορία. Ομως, ας μη ξεχνάμε, ότι μόλις τελειώσαμε να διαβάζουμε το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς. Τον Σεπτέμβριο αναμένουμε το δεύτερο και σύντομα και το τρίτο και τελευταίο βιβλίο.
Περισσότερα εδώ--> https://kokkinialepou.gr/to-agori-poy...
Περισσότερα εδώ--> https://kokkinialepou.gr/to-agori-poy...
January 28, 2022
Owen: this book was…okay…it was not my favorite, but it’s still pretty cool. I like how Flicker’s scales could change color. My favorite character was Tomas and my least favorite character was that bully kid.
Mom: The cover of this book caught me. The beginning was cute and exciting, and then the middle was just n o t h i n g. The last chapter had the same voice as the beginning chapter, which was markedly different from how most of the story was told. I suddenly remembered why we had started and felt sad that the middle was such a desert. There are just chapters of no development, plot or character—unless you count Tomas getting better at lying. I’m mad that the main character never told his Grandad about the dragons. I don’t understand why he kept him in the dark when they were supposedly so close and Grandad was so chill. It was uncool. In the end we were so tired of reading this we both just finished on our own to speed it up.
Mom: The cover of this book caught me. The beginning was cute and exciting, and then the middle was just n o t h i n g. The last chapter had the same voice as the beginning chapter, which was markedly different from how most of the story was told. I suddenly remembered why we had started and felt sad that the middle was such a desert. There are just chapters of no development, plot or character—unless you count Tomas getting better at lying. I’m mad that the main character never told his Grandad about the dragons. I don’t understand why he kept him in the dark when they were supposedly so close and Grandad was so chill. It was uncool. In the end we were so tired of reading this we both just finished on our own to speed it up.
January 19, 2023
I read this book to my six year old son after finding it in the library by happenstance. He chose to rate it highly because he “liked the details about the dragons” and he liked the characters. He said the frequent amounts of exploding dragon poop was funny. His least favorite part of the book was reading about how the bully got away with certain things (and ended up stealing a dragon fruit for himself). We both liked the illustrations throughout the book. It was a fun and entertaining read!
June 9, 2022
3.5/5 Fun, light hearted, magical story about a young boy who discovers a dragon plant in his granddad's garden! Lovely early chapter book suitable for developing readers aged 8+ who enjoy stories about family, friendships and fantastical pets.
January 13, 2022
Freakin’ delightful!
June 14, 2018
‘Sure to fire up the imagination and a love of reading, this is a series that’s going to be a roaring success. A debut of dragon delight… guaranteed to make children (and adults!) everywhere wish for their own dragon after reading this.’
Being from Wales, dragons are an important part of our culture – rooted in our myths and legends to appearing on our national flag – and so from the start, I felt some kind of connection to this book. Identifying with this book is not something that only I will be able to do easily as it’s also something that many readers will immediately feel when reading this too, whether that be through the familiar characters, the everyday settings of home, school and the garden or through the sense of awe, amazement and magic in the dragon-discovery to come…
After Tomas discovers a strange-looking tree at the bottom of his Grandad’s garden and decides to take one of its funny-looking fruits home with him, he doesn’t think much of it… until he keeps it in his bedroom and notices it start to move! Here, Tomas makes more than a discovery. Hatching from the aptly-named fruit, Tomas sees Flicker: his own real-life dragon. Trying his best to keep Flicker under wraps from his family, Tomas soon learns that life looking after Flicker is not only fun, but also quite unpredictable to say the very least!
How will Tomas explain:
1) his burnt toothbrush?
2) the chaos and carnage left behind in his bedroom?
and if you think that’s bad, worst of all…
3) the exploding dragon poo stinking up the place?
Andy brings a natural warmth and wonder to the book with her most imaginative of dragon-descriptions, especially when Tomas is – and we as readers are – introduced to Flicker, that are complemented by not only the very visually-appealing and richly-expressive vocabulary that Andy creatively uses but also within Sara’s distinctive and lively illustrations to match.
Here’s a short sample to exemplify when Tomas sees Flicker for the first time:
Things I noticed close up:
Glittery wings
Scales that rippled through every shade of red
Eyes like diamonds
Hot smoky breath
Sharp claws (three at the front, one at the back of each foot)
Arrowhead tail (which he didn’t seem to be able to control very well…)
Two little horns – one longer than the other.
It is through these features that I know that this book will be a catalyst for reading for young readers, because this tail(!) is sure to fire up the imagination and a love for reading as it will claw its way not only in to the minds of its readers but also in to their hearts. Even though it is thoroughly entertaining, I particularly like that it also shows a softer, warmer, friendlier side to dragons which is slightly different to what sometimes is typified in many other stories that children read or films that they may watch of dragons being beasts and monsters to fear and flee from.
As I briefly mentioned earlier, the relationship-building between characters such as Tomas and his grandfather is one to savour and this will resonate among many younger (and older!) readers reminding them of the positive relationships, for some whilst growing up, between themselves and their own grandparents or close relatives.
For me, a sign of a good book is that I read it in a couple of days. A sign of a really good book is that I will read it in a day. So I’ll leave it up to you for you to make your own mind up with how I feel about this one, when I need only say that I read it cover-to-cover in an hour.
Therefore, I’m so pleased to say that Andy Shepherd’s dragon-debut is an absolute delight and is just the very start to a series that I’m sure is going to be a roaring success. It’s a series that – pardon the pun – I just want to drag-on and on and on! Luckily for you, I and everyone else that enjoys it, it does. Perfect to read aloud to a child, a class of children or for them to read themselves, I know I’ll no doubt be recommending this to all (in particular to those that I teach) because it’s easily one of my favourites of the year so far.
Next time that I look at a dragonfruit, I hope that I won’t be left feeling disappointed as I can’t help but expect my very own Flicker to start hatching. After reading this, children (and adults!) everywhere will be wishing for their own dragons.
Being from Wales, dragons are an important part of our culture – rooted in our myths and legends to appearing on our national flag – and so from the start, I felt some kind of connection to this book. Identifying with this book is not something that only I will be able to do easily as it’s also something that many readers will immediately feel when reading this too, whether that be through the familiar characters, the everyday settings of home, school and the garden or through the sense of awe, amazement and magic in the dragon-discovery to come…
After Tomas discovers a strange-looking tree at the bottom of his Grandad’s garden and decides to take one of its funny-looking fruits home with him, he doesn’t think much of it… until he keeps it in his bedroom and notices it start to move! Here, Tomas makes more than a discovery. Hatching from the aptly-named fruit, Tomas sees Flicker: his own real-life dragon. Trying his best to keep Flicker under wraps from his family, Tomas soon learns that life looking after Flicker is not only fun, but also quite unpredictable to say the very least!
How will Tomas explain:
1) his burnt toothbrush?
2) the chaos and carnage left behind in his bedroom?
and if you think that’s bad, worst of all…
3) the exploding dragon poo stinking up the place?
Andy brings a natural warmth and wonder to the book with her most imaginative of dragon-descriptions, especially when Tomas is – and we as readers are – introduced to Flicker, that are complemented by not only the very visually-appealing and richly-expressive vocabulary that Andy creatively uses but also within Sara’s distinctive and lively illustrations to match.
Here’s a short sample to exemplify when Tomas sees Flicker for the first time:
Things I noticed close up:
Glittery wings
Scales that rippled through every shade of red
Eyes like diamonds
Hot smoky breath
Sharp claws (three at the front, one at the back of each foot)
Arrowhead tail (which he didn’t seem to be able to control very well…)
Two little horns – one longer than the other.
It is through these features that I know that this book will be a catalyst for reading for young readers, because this tail(!) is sure to fire up the imagination and a love for reading as it will claw its way not only in to the minds of its readers but also in to their hearts. Even though it is thoroughly entertaining, I particularly like that it also shows a softer, warmer, friendlier side to dragons which is slightly different to what sometimes is typified in many other stories that children read or films that they may watch of dragons being beasts and monsters to fear and flee from.
As I briefly mentioned earlier, the relationship-building between characters such as Tomas and his grandfather is one to savour and this will resonate among many younger (and older!) readers reminding them of the positive relationships, for some whilst growing up, between themselves and their own grandparents or close relatives.
For me, a sign of a good book is that I read it in a couple of days. A sign of a really good book is that I will read it in a day. So I’ll leave it up to you for you to make your own mind up with how I feel about this one, when I need only say that I read it cover-to-cover in an hour.
Therefore, I’m so pleased to say that Andy Shepherd’s dragon-debut is an absolute delight and is just the very start to a series that I’m sure is going to be a roaring success. It’s a series that – pardon the pun – I just want to drag-on and on and on! Luckily for you, I and everyone else that enjoys it, it does. Perfect to read aloud to a child, a class of children or for them to read themselves, I know I’ll no doubt be recommending this to all (in particular to those that I teach) because it’s easily one of my favourites of the year so far.
Next time that I look at a dragonfruit, I hope that I won’t be left feeling disappointed as I can’t help but expect my very own Flicker to start hatching. After reading this, children (and adults!) everywhere will be wishing for their own dragons.
January 12, 2019
Verhaal over Thomas die drakenfruit van zijn opa's boom mee naar huis neemt. Hieruit komt een draak! De lezer wordt aangesproken in het boek om ook te leren hoe het is om een draak als huisdier te hebben. Niet zo'n diepgaand verhaal en er wordt erg veel uitgewijd met extra informatie waardoor de vaart uit het verhaal verdwijnt. Het boek is de eerste in een serie. Het einde van dit boek is ook niet spannend, maar doet wel vermoeden dat er een nieuw deel aankomt.
October 25, 2022
Ja ik vind het niet zo’n supersterk verhaal. En ik ben ook niet echt nieuwsgierig naar de vervolgboeken. Maar ik denk dat ik de leerlingen wel warm krijg voor dit verhaal, omdat het idee dat je een eigen mini draakje kunt hebben wel geweldig is. Al vind ik de lezer toespreken in het verhaal echt een mindere factor.
March 4, 2023
I really like dragons so when I saw this book I was like “ Oh wow this book is about dragons” so I got the book and really enjoyed it so I got the rest of the series and was one of the best series I have ever read. Really recommend to people who like dragons or are looking for a good book to read. 😁
January 20, 2025
What little boy doesn't dream of a dragon as a pet?
Lovely, sweet, and a very gentle introduction to the concept of school ground bullying.
Has unfortunately led my son to believe that we can buy a pittaya from Waitrose, plant its seeds and have our own dragons. We barely have the mental bandwidth as a family to cope with taking on a hamster as a pet, but dream on kiddo.
Lovely, sweet, and a very gentle introduction to the concept of school ground bullying.
Has unfortunately led my son to believe that we can buy a pittaya from Waitrose, plant its seeds and have our own dragons. We barely have the mental bandwidth as a family to cope with taking on a hamster as a pet, but dream on kiddo.
May 1, 2020
Great fun listening to a child’s audiobook. Being a lover of dragons 🐉 this was a fantastic read, fun and silly perfect for any little child with a wild imagination. Only thing I missed with it being audio was the fantastic drawings which always complete a child’s book
July 17, 2018
This book is the first in a series aimed at a younger age than I normally read, so it was a very fast read for me. Tomas takes the reader straight into the story when he helps his grandad clear out his overgrown garden and discovers a dragon fruit tree. However, this is not your usual dragon fruit tree, as he finds out when one of his fruits hatches a little dragon! Coolest pet ever! But dragons come with self-combusting poos, specialist diets, and a whole lot of trouble keeping them secret from the grown-ups.
This is a charming and funny little story. Tomas' narration has a conversational voice that reminds me of a boy I know, even down to how he copies phrases and expressions he's heard adults use and acts a bit dramatic. Tomas has a lot of personality but is sweet and caring, too, and I loved his relationships with his grandfather and his little sister -- they were all adorable. It's especially always nice to see positive sibling relationships.
I think that some of the scenes in this book would also make fantastic children's TV. I especially loved reading the library and tent scenes. Imagining the utter chaos made me giggle relentlessly during my lunch break. The illustrations all the way through this little book were also lovely and cute, so serious kudos is owed to the illustrator too, for making this book so visually accessible. But I would have really loved a full-colour version. I did want a bit more from the ending I think, as it didn't feel like a full story to me with a bit of an abrupt ending, but I'm curious about what will happen in the next book and whether or not Tomas' grandad will be let in on the dragon secret (I hope so!).
This is a charming and funny little story. Tomas' narration has a conversational voice that reminds me of a boy I know, even down to how he copies phrases and expressions he's heard adults use and acts a bit dramatic. Tomas has a lot of personality but is sweet and caring, too, and I loved his relationships with his grandfather and his little sister -- they were all adorable. It's especially always nice to see positive sibling relationships.
I think that some of the scenes in this book would also make fantastic children's TV. I especially loved reading the library and tent scenes. Imagining the utter chaos made me giggle relentlessly during my lunch break. The illustrations all the way through this little book were also lovely and cute, so serious kudos is owed to the illustrator too, for making this book so visually accessible. But I would have really loved a full-colour version. I did want a bit more from the ending I think, as it didn't feel like a full story to me with a bit of an abrupt ending, but I'm curious about what will happen in the next book and whether or not Tomas' grandad will be let in on the dragon secret (I hope so!).
November 27, 2020
Lovely book. Would be a good read-aloud for Y2 up or an independent read from Y4. First in a series. Lots of lovely descriptions of dragons.
March 9, 2021
I would rate this for 3rd grade with a high reading level. Good illustrations that carry it along.
AR 5.5 and 4 pts.
AR 5.5 and 4 pts.
November 24, 2022
Our five year old loved this book! Witty throughout it was a nice book to read aloud. We will definitely be getting the next in the series.
September 14, 2023
Finished it on last day of prac 😔😔
February 8, 2024
Read to my 9 and 5 year old, both enjoyed but it is aimed at the older children. Plenty of humour and a good start to what I'm sure will be a good series.
March 11, 2024
Not ashamed to admit I loved it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews