The first copies of ‘A Dragon for Christmas‘, our original children’s picture book, were ready just in time for Christmas 2020. Since then, the story has proved to be a favourite with children aged under-5 and early readers. They enjoy the lively rhyming text, exciting story and engaging characters.
In ‘A Dragon for Christmas’, three excited young children are still awake late on Christmas Eve, impatiently waiting for the next day. To pass the time, they read their favourite book together. What a great surprise they all have when the large green dragon from their story suddenly appears in their bedroom! Fun and games ensue, until Father and Mother – woken up by all the noise – arrive on the scene. Ignoring the children’s pleading, they send the dragon packing at once. But on Christmas morning the rather dejected children find that their parents need help with the Christmas dinner. Time for the dragon to come to the rescue!
Why the text is suitable for under-5s
The text of ‘A Dragon for Christmas’ is just right for very young children, who generally love rhymes, and this is a useful tool in their language development. The under-5s age group are acquiring vocabulary at this stage, while learning to follow a story. Children assimilate any occasional new words and arrive at the climax of the story, carried along by the easy informality of the rhyming text. In this story, the rhyme is in couplets, which provide a strong rhythmic framework throughout.
Use of repeated phrases is also helpful for very young children, as they get to grips with the complexities of stories and characters. The phrase ‘Tom and Louisa and Christopher John’ occurs three times during the story. This repetition reinforces the characters’ names so that young readers will recognise them more easily.
Engaging characters
Children often identify with the characters in their books. The three siblings in ‘A Dragon for Christmas’ form a happy, united family group, which helps young readers to feel included. They share in the experience of waiting for Christmas morning, and join in the fun of meeting the large green dragon. ‘Father and Mother’ provide a feeling of protection, and all children are likely to have experienced a degree of frustration with parental supervision!
Christmas morning arrives with a forlorn feeling after the dragon’s enforced departure. Even their lovely new toys cannot quite dispel the characters’ disappointment, which the young reader can enter into as well. But it is very satisfying for little children to feel that they are able to think of a solution to their parents’ problem, and gratifying to be proved right about the dragon’s trustworthiness after all.
Published by LRM Books and printed in the UK. Available from Goldcrest Gallery.