Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Suburban Dragon by Garasamo Maccagnone

The Suburban Dragon by Garasamo Maccagnone
Illustrated By: Al Ochsner
Geared Towards: no age specified, approx Ages 3-7
Published By: Crate & Fly
Publication Date: 1992
ISBN: 978-1-419-660443

When a rainy day in the suburbs keeps Garrett, Anthony, and Aimee inside they find themselves bored with nothing to do. Mom suggests curling up together for a story by the fire, but it's not a new story and the kids aren't taken with it. Will the bordem ever cease?

Suddenly a dragon jumps up from behind the couch, and in an instance the children are anything but bored. A little bit frightened, they run to hide but mom doesn't make it in time. The scary dragon nabs her before she can get away. Whatever are the kids to do?

Putting their heads together, the kids devise a plan that will allow them to fight off the mean dragon and save their mother from his scaley clutches. They dress up, they set traps, and in the end all their hard work pays off. Mom is saved, and the kids all learn a valuable lesson about using their imaginations.

I loved how this story depicted not only a solution for bordem, but a family spending honest to goodness time together. Mom's solution to a rainy day wasn't to set her kids in front of the television while she and dad occupied the time doing their own things. Instead, it was to read together and play together. To incite the kids to do something more than just sit around and mope about not being able to play outdoors.

The Suburban Dragon is a cute story about how much fun you can have when you put your mind to it and use your imagination. Life doesn't have to be boring. A little imagination goes a long way, and as the siblings in this book discovered it can be even more fun when you get the whole family involved.

OUR RATING: 4 hearts

1 comment:

Anna said...

Awesome review! My daughter and I read this one together as well. It was a bit young for her, but we still enjoyed it.

--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric