Everybody knows what a dragon looks like. Don't they? They have wings. And breathe fire. They have sequined mermaid tails, and they wear roller skates.
So is the premise of How To Draw A Dragon, a book about creativity and about the art of compromise.
Author Kate Talbot passion for instilling a love for stories and storytelling in our younger readers is to the fore in this fun book. Her quirky characters, vibrant illustrations and tongue-in-cheek humour will have little ones hooked.
Her drawings are bold and imaginative, with clever use of colour and texture. There's lovely design features built into the text too, building on the premise of the book.
It's not just for the littlest readers though - adults reading it aloud will have loads of fun, with plenty of scope to improvise and make the story something special.
Not only that, but this book has the potential to be a wonderful resource in a school. I can see teachers and older readers alike using it as a great springboard into all sorts of different things - from the art and science curriculum there's plenty to explore with this fun and funny book. But, it's also a great book to dive into the key competencies embedded in our curriculum. Talbot offers space and ideas to build on concepts like compromise, collaboration, thinking, creativity, participating and contributing, and much, much more.
How To Draw A Dragon is a deceptively simple book bursting with potential. It will inspire everyone, regardless of age, to pull out the pencils and paper and be creative.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
Allen & Unwin