Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!
Wait ’til you see the gorgeous book I have to share with you today! I dare you not to love it! 🙂
Title: Dragon Night
Written & Illustrated By: J. R. Krause
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers, January 22 2019, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-7
Themes/Topics: friendship, kindness, childhood fears (nighttime), word play
Opening: “Georgie is afraid of the night.
It’s too dark with the lights off.
Too quiet with everyone asleep.
And being alone makes everything worse.”
text and illustration copyright J.R.Krause 2019
Brief Synopsis: Georgie is afraid of the night. The dragon is afraid of the knight. The dragon knows just how to help Georgie overcome his fear, and the two set off on a unforgettable adventure. But when the morning comes, Georgie feels better about the night, but the dragon is still afraid of the knight. How can Georgie help his friend?
Links To Resources: Make Your Own Night Light; write your own story for the dragon the way Georgie does – what items would you include? what setting? Make Dragon Egg Sugar Cookies! 🙂
Why I Like This Book: Lots of kids are afraid of the dark and the night, so this charming story is sure to be relatable and I think any child will find it comforting. It’s a lovely story for bedtime.
text and illustration copyright J.R.Krause 2019
The combination of text and illustration hits the exact magical note that makes a picture book truly perfect. Both Georgie and the Dragon are appealing characters (I hope no one misses that his name is Georgie 🙂 ), and the story is one of kindness, empathy, and understanding.
How endearing is this? 🙂 (text and illustration copyright J.R.Krause 2019)
My favorite part, aside from the lovely relationship that develops between the two, and getting to see the knight from the dragon’s point of view, is the fact that Georgie’s solution involves creative writing – what a great model for young readers! 🙂
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Susanna, I love the sugar cookies & making your own nightlight! The illustrations are amazing and do like Goergie’s solution. I can’t wait to read this one. Thank you for featuring it.
It’s wonderful, Maria! I loved it!
Aww…what a beautiful book. I must look out for this one. Love to read it. Funny about the night lights as we have left some of our white sparkly string lights up out in the shrubs and bedroom window.. It’s comforting at night.
You should see the page where they fly over the carnival – it’s gorgeous, Diane! And makes me think of your sparkly string lights 🙂
I love the “retro” feel of this book & the illustrations. I’ll be on the lookout for it!
It’s beautiful, Patricia – the illustrator has done a lot of animation and is talented – and the text is so sweet.
This looks like a delightfully beautiful book. I’m ordering it today. 🙂 Thank you for sharing it with us.
I hope you love it as much as I do, Sandra! Let me know 🙂
This book sounds amazing!!
It is, Melissa! Beautiful art and touching text – lovely for any child who worries about bedtime 🙂
I just read this was listed on Brightly’s best of January books. Such a cute concept. The boy is afraid of the night. The dragon is afraid of the knight.
Yes, Ashley, the word play is fun! And the story is sweet and the illustrations are beautiful! I hope you get a chance to read it!
Awww, the poor dragon still afraid of the knight! Looking fwd to reading it to see how it all ends 🙂
Have you ever seen a dragon that looks less threatening, Jenny? 🙂 How cute is that illustration with the tearful dragon and the boy?!
Beautiful illustrations and story! Love the bond between the boy and the dragon and how they help one another. Excellent choice.
I’m so glad you like it too, Pat! I thought it was fabulous on every level even before I got the solution – but as writers, there’s not much of a better way to resolve the story than what Georgie thought up! 🙂
Wow; this title, text and illustration package looks like the REAL deal. If I were still in the classroom, I’d totally compare and contrast with Jodi Moore’s Dragon books. Thank you, thank you.
That would be a fun comparison Barbara! The art is so different! I’m trying to remember exactly what happened in Jodi’s books, but I feel like that would be a great opportunity to compare and contrast 🙂
The illustrations pull me in immediately. And the one with the teary-eyed dragon makes me want to give them all a hug. Exactly what you want a picture book to do. Thanks for sharing this one, Susanna!
You will LOVE it, Jilanne! I hope you get to read it! 🙂
It’s already on my TBR list. ❤
Tell me if you like it after you’ve read it! 🙂
I totally got the Georgie nod! 🙂
Susanna, it is wonderful that we are seeing new people join in PPBF, but I wonder if it might be worth doing a very quick mention in maybe your next PPBF post about adding resources/activities to posts. I think this is what make PPBF really stand out compared to other PB lists. Just a thought.
You are totally right Joanna. I know I haven’t been able to keep up with visiting and reading everything, so I’m not always checking. Thank you for letting me know.
Mom and I don’t like the night either. We’re not sure about the knight, because none of them live in our building (that we know of…). We have many night lights to help us. Maybe the dragon just needs a knight-light.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
You are very wise, Cupcake. I think the dragon DOES need a knight-light! And maybe some love and licks from you 🙂
Love the use of complimentary colors in the artwork! Love Cupcake’s idea for a Knight-Light!
That Cupcake sure is smart, isn’t she, Julie?! 🙂
this is the book my kids would have cherished and worn out with reading every night. And yes, they would recognize George immediately. (they knew the names of all the great ones…)
It is absolutely a book worthy of cherishing, Sue – a real keeper! 🙂
LOVE this book…and it actually gave me an idea of what I might need to do with one of my stories. What engaging characters!!!
I know, Vivian – isn’t it wonderful? Definitely goes in the “wish I wrote that” category 🙂
Wow. Those illustrations are gorgeous!
Oh this book looks delightful indeed. I know a few older kids who could benefit from this too😉