The Winter Dragon - Softcover

Caroline Pitcher's story Kevin the Blue won the Independent Story of the Year Award in 1993. Caroline's first book for Frances Lincoln was The Snow Whale with Jackie Morris, chosen as one of Child Education's Best Books of 1996 and shortlisted for the 1997 Children's Book Award. Sophy Williams attended the Central School of Art and Design and Kingston Polytechnic studying Graphic Design. Since then she has illustrated many award-winning children's books. She lives in Bradford on Avon.

PreSchool-Grade 2 - During winter, Rory likes to stay inside his warm house and play. One day he makes an emerald green dragon with glittery eyes and a brilliant red crest and places him on his bed. The boy is afraid of the dark, but, miraculously, the dragon springs to life and comforts him with his ability to shine in the night. Throughout the season, the creature keeps Rory physically warm, soothes his fears by standing guard at bedtime, and tells him stories of when the "world was young." However, by springtime, the dragon longs to return to his own home, the "melting middle of the earth" (the wood stove), and tells Rory that it's time for him to go. When winter returns, memories of the dragon and the times they shared help Rory get through the "darkness." Williams's muted, impressionistic illustrations done in oil pastels are suited to this tale of dreams and dream worlds. However, the text is lightweight and underdeveloped. Wavering between being a tale about facing fears and one about a toy that comes to life, the story never comes together. - Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA
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