This story has everything:
A boy that turns into a dragon...and back again.
The longest, most boring train ride ever . Bully boys, making stuff, and a near disaster on the river.
There’s even magic, two court cases, a plane ride and a song.
Join the Drako family, the nasty Purkisses, teacher Hippolyta Scythe, singer Solange Luna, and Percy the phenomenal child artist...... along with Gallo the superhero dragon!
It's my pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Dragon River today. Many thanks to Rob Saunders for my copy of the book and for the delightful little model of Gallo the dragon who now sits on my bookcase and watches me read. Thanks also to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour.
There's something inherently appealing about dragons, even if some of them are fierce and terrible, stories are immediately more irresistible when they appear. Gallo the dragon isn't terrible but he can be fierce when he protects the Drako family from danger and though his appearances are limited to a few timely encounters, his magic is felt throughout the story.
The loose plot opens with the family living in the remote small of Brilliana where Gal and Sally catch fish in Dragon River and despite having to keep the nasty Purkisses happy, they seem to have a rather idyllic existence. When they first come across Gallo the dragon, he brings them luck but the town runs solely on electricity so a power cut changes everything and they have to move to the city to start a new life. From their mysterious new teacher, Hippolyta Scythe to the lonely little child artist, Percy, to a song and then a musical; life is never dull for the Drako family.
There are plenty of scenes which would be ideal for sparking discussions at home or school; what it would feel like moving to a completely new place, the challenges of starting again and fitting in, the importance of the creative arts - both practically and emotionally. The setting is richly described yet ambiguous enough to encourage children to use their own imaginations when picturing it.
Dragon River is a comfortingly traditional story, reminiscent of an Enid Blyton tale, and this isn't meant as a criticism. There is none of the brash humour that occurs in some of the books written for children and instead it has an almost timeless, folkloric feel to it. Although it is ostensibly just the one story, it is essentially split into a series of separate mini adventures making it the perfect book to share at bedtime or in a classroom at the end of the day. It would also suit children who are becoming more confident independent readers looking for chapter books to read to themselves.
Delighting in its celebration of music, theatre and imagination, Dragon River is an engaging middle-grade fantasy with a colourful cast of characters, complemented by Gillian Martin's charming illustrations. I enjoyed it very much.
Dragon River is published by Silverwood Books, purchasing links can be found here.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
When I was young I loved making things and when I was at school my favourite subjects were design and woodwork.
When I came to London I met a sculptor and started working for him. I learnt so much.
I then set up my own company and with the help of some very talented people made all sorts of things, for theatre and television mostly. You can see some examples at: www.appliedarts.co.uk
Occasionally I wrote some stories and came up with some ideas for tv but the company took up too much of my time to develop them. It's only now that I work part time making masks and a few other things that I can concentrate more on writing. So Dragon River is my first published book...I hope you like it.
PS.......So that you know, when I'm making I'm known as Bob and when I'm writing as Rob. My full name is Robert ..... I only was called that when I was young!
About the Illustrator
Hello! I am an illustrator which is a job I love. I like nothing more than to get to know the characters in a book, and I try to draw them as the author might have imagined them.
I usually work on my computer, but often draw and paint too. In fact, I always have a sketch book with me, just in case of sudden inspiration and I need to make some quick sketches! I feel very lucky to live beside the sea in a beautiful part of the Yorkshire coast, with my family and two cats Albus and Sushi.
Thanks so much for the blog tour support Karen xx
ReplyDeleteHi K
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, I've made a few slight editing alterations to your brilliant and encouraging review of Dragon River, see below. Apart from it being thorough and clear throughout I was particularly taken with your line "...There is none of the brash humour that occurs in some of the books written for children and instead it has an almost timeless, folkloric feel to it". As this was exactly what I was trying to achieve.
If it's ok with you, I'd be very grateful if you could post it on Amazon .co.uk and or Goodreads.
Thanks and with my warm regards
Rob Saunders
"There's something inherently appealing about dragons, even if some of them are fierce and terrible, a story is irresistible when they appear. Gallo the dragon isn't terrible but he can be fierce when he protects the Drako family from danger and though his appearances are limited to a few timely encounters, his magic is felt throughout the story.
The plot opens with the family living in the remote small town of Brilliana that runs solely on electricity so a power cut changes everything. They have to move to the city to start a new life. From their mysterious new teacher, Hippolyta Scythe to the lonely little child artist, Percy, to a song and then a musical; life is never dull for the Drako family. The setting is richly described yet ambiguous enough to encourage children to use their own imaginations when picturing it.
Dragon River is a comfortingly traditional story, reminiscent of an Enid Blyton tale, and this isn't meant as a criticism. There is none of the brash humour that occurs in some of the books written for children and instead it has an almost timeless, folkloric feel to it.
Delighting in its celebration of music, theatre and imagination, Dragon River is an engaging middle-grade fantasy with a colourful cast of characters, complemented by Gillian Martin's charming illustrations. I enjoyed it very much."