Be a Good Dragon
When Enzo the dragon catches a cold, it's no mere sniffle. No indeed! His coughs and sneezes set fields aflame and barns on fire. The villagers are fleeing their farms and the townsfolk are up in arms. What's a poor fire-sneezing dragon to do? As it turns out, a royal magician has just the right medicine to help Enzo get rid of his cold. And soon, with a little bit of Abbra-ka-brew, Enzo is feeling better and ready to head back to his dragon den. Told in rollicking rhyming text this cautionary tale from author/illustrator Kurt Cyrus (Shake a Leg, Egg! and Invisible Lizard) reminds readers of all ages to cover their mouths when they sneeze.
Interest Level | Kindergarten - Grade 3 |
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Reading Level | Grade 1 |
Dewey | E |
Lexile | 550L |
ATOS Reading Level | |
Guided Reading Level | K |
Publisher | Sleeping Bear Press |
Language | English |
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Available Formats | Hardcover (9781585363834), PDF (9781534122864), ePub (9781534123205), Hosted ebook (9781534123038), Kindle (9781534123373) |
Copyright | 2018 |
Number of Pages | 32 |
Dimensions | 9 x 11 |
Graphics | Full-color illustrations |
School Library Journal - Be a Good Dragon
PreS-Gr 2–When Enzo the dragon gets sick, nothing but trouble follows him. Unable to stave off his accidental attacks of fire-breathing sneezes, the neighborhood wizard tricks the dragon into getting some sleep and getting rid of his cold. Cyrus’s rhyming text is consistent in its rhythm and word choice, and filled with humorous lines like “Warn all the people! Sound the alarm! Pack up your piggies and flee from your farm!” The accompanying artwork certainly gets the job done, but if there’s any criticism to be found, it’s that the illustrations are perhaps too traditional. Although it does convey the action of the story and the many humorous moments, like Enzo sneezing corn into popcorn, the characters seem rather flat on the page with nothing really jumping out to readers, which doesn’t seem to match the outrageous and comedic nature of the story. That aside, kids will love the silliness of Enzo’s journey and will forever remember that if they are going to sneeze, “be a good dragon and cover it, please.” VERDICT A solid addition for all collections and a good storytime choice, especially during cold season.
Be a Good Dragon Coloring Page
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Author, Illustrator: Kurt Cyrus
On his way to becoming a writer, Kurt Cyrus picked fruit, drove forklifts, framed pictures, built solar panels, delivered oxygen, drilled holes in concrete, and manufactured burial vaults, among other things. Now he writes books (Invisible Lizard; Motor Dog), illustrates books (Hibernation Station; Mammoths on the Move), and sometimes writes and illustrates books (Billions of Bricks; Shake a Leg, Egg!). Check him out at www.kurtcyrus.com. Kurt lives in Oregon.
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Original artwork |
Reviewed |
Full-color illustrations |