You've Got Dragons

Author: Kathryn Cave and Nick Maland

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: could be used for a variety of issues. I'm using this for having a parent who is mentally ill

Year of Publication: 2003

Publisher & Location: Peachtree Publishers

ISBN#:

• ISBN-10: 156145284X
• ISBN-13: 978-1561452842

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary but can use with variety of ages including adolescents

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: Colorful, creative

Brief Summary: A young boy suddenly discovers that he is surrounded by dragons. He can't ignore them and he can't escape them: "Dragons are scary. You try to pretend yours isn't there. But it IS." As the child grows used to his unwanted companions, he writes an advice column about them and offers tips to others, such as "Talk with someone else about your dragon." Finally, he discovers that "dragons don't stay forever." The illustrations depict the omnipresent creatures as slightly scary, but not too threatening. The narrative includes humorous moments, but it will be hard for most children to really get what's going on. A list of "Ancient Dragon Wisdom" at the end indicates that the "dragons" the boy describes actually represent something else, perhaps fears or change or insecurity. There are no hints early on that the dragons aren't literally part of his world. Often they appear along with stressful childhood experiences, such as turning off the light or moving to a new home. Other times, though, he associates them with playing games or eating lunch, and it seems like it's all in fun. The metaphor could be used effectively by adults sharing the book with children, but it will be lost on most young readers.
Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: good for a variety of issues. Normalizes issues and makes things less scary for children. Emphasizes that "dragons", or issues, don't stick around forever.

Activity:
1. Read book
2. Talk about the dragons in the book while they draw
3. Talk about the qualities of dragon in the book
4. Discuss if there are any "dragons" in their lives, have them draw it
5. Discuss concept of talking about their dragons with others