If I Had a Dragon

by Gabby Dawnay, Alex Barrow (Illustrator)

Overview

The fiery new title in the best-selling If I Had a... series imagines life with a dragon as a pet.

Imagine what it would be like to have a dragon as a pet! Join our funny female protagonist on her latest flight of fancy, but watch out for that burning bad breath!

Dragons are mighty mythical beasts . . . and perfect pets. Getting to school is a breeze when you can fly, and you would never have to worry about lighting the barbecue! But what exactly do dragons eat? Perhaps a trip to the museum will help, just beware of knights in shining armor!

The latest in the fantastical If I Had a . . . series is full of fantasy fun, wrapping up an exciting day of dragon adventures with a warm and cozy nighttime scene, making it the perfect book for bedtime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500653630
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	10/22/2024
Series:	If I Had a... , #9
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 Months to 4 Years

About the Author

Gabby Dawnay is a writer and poet. She is the author of more than twenty books for children including the bestselling If I Had a . . . series. She is a regular contributor to OKIDO magazine and a scriptwriter for children’s television. Follow her on Instagram @gabdaw38.

Alex Barrow, a London-based illustrator, is the art director for and a regular contributor to OKIDO magazine. Alex and Gabby are also the duo behind children’s picture books If I Had a Dinosaur, A House for Mouse, and A Song for Bear.

Editorial Reviews

2024-08-03
A child indulges in a flight of fancy.

A brown-skinned youngster fantasizes about what it would be like to have a dragon. Sure, there are other cryptids to choose from. But the young narrator already has a unicorn, krakens require too much space, trolls are terrifying, and the yeti is abominable. Plus, dragons are “epic,” “amazing,” and “legendary.” And think of the fun you’d have with a dragon: learning to breathe fire, flying to school on her back, reading together at the library, and baking (you don’t even need an oven!). True, dragon ownership has its drawbacks: Dragons must eat a couple of knights “to keep their breath alight.” Meeting this need calls for weekly trips to the museum so the dragon can scarf down armored knights on display. (And just imagine the pile of flaming poop this would result in! Talk about epic—and epic fits of reader giggles, no doubt.) Another challenge: finding and storing caches of gold, because, you see, dragons love to bathe in it! Children who enjoy stretching their imaginations to the limit will appreciate this tale, narrated in rollicking rhyme. They’ll love discussing and even illustrating the adventures they’d have if they owned a dragon. Set against white backdrops, the colorful, dynamic cartoon images drive the story well. The graceful dragon, while toothy, isn’t fearsome. Background characters are racially diverse.

There’ll be no “dragon” of feet about reading this book: Kids will devour it.(Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews