The Little Candy Breathing Dragons by Gloria Clark--Book Review

Charming and full of beautiful, colorful illustrations, The Little Candy Breathing Dragons by Gloria Clark is a sweet tale.

Dragon sisters Maj and Nay-Nay set out on a journey, running into many needy creatures along the way and leaving behind the delightful smell of candy. Tootie Slim, a dog with no legs; Munckhkin, a lost bear; Mrs. Pookie, the blind cat; Dig, the dragon with no mane; and Butchie, the deer who falls into a well, are helped by the kind Maj and Nay-Nay, and they remind the dragon sisters of the gifts of God and the importance of obedience. And the wise old owl, Mr. Dee helps Maj and Nay-Nay find their way back home to Buffalo.

There is much to like in this short tale of Maj and Nay-Nay. In an easy and fun way children learn about random acts of kindness and obedience. Through Maj and Nay-Nay they learn tolerance and acceptance of others. Children witness the unselfish acts and love that Maj and Nay-Nay shower on people they only just met.

The ilustrations are what make this book a real treasure. Stunning and beautiful, the bright colors and full page size adds to the overall pleasing appearance of the book.

The book had a few challenges--which I picked up on--that did not disturb my children, ages 4 and 6. All the text is placed in one huge block on the left-hand pages--dialogue and narrative are mixed together--and reading the text out loud, therefore, sounds a bit stilted. And because of this format, some of the rhyming words do not flow smoothly because they come at awkward breaks in the story.

Amazon.com lists this book as being for ages 9 thru 12, but I would say that my girls and perhaps children a year or two older will enjoy this book, but the rhyming and overall story is probably lost on a more advanced reader--though the lessons inside its pages are good at any age.

Overall, our family enjoyed The Little Candy Breathing Dragons by Gloria Clark and will certainly read it many more times.

Title: The Little Candy Breathing Dragons
Author: Gloria Clark
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 978-1-4327-1510-6
U.S. Price $12.95