Dear Dragon: A Pen Pal Tale

by Hippocrates Junior, Rodolfo Montalvo (Illustrator)

Overview

A sweet and clever friendship story in rhyme, about looking past physical differences to appreciate the person (or dragon) underneath.

George and Blaise are pen pals, and they write letters to each other about everything: their pets, birthdays, favorite sports, and science fair projects. There’s just one thing that the two friends don’t know: George is a human, while Blaise is a dragon! What will happen when these pen pals finally meet face-to-face?

"When I was a kid, my best friend was Josh Funk. Now he's becoming a friend to a whole new generation.”--B.J. Novak, author of The New York Times bestseller The Book With No Pictures


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698180574
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	104 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Josh Funk (joshfunkbooks.com) lives in New England with his wife and children. He has never had a dragon as a pen pal, but he once wrote a letter to Corduroy (and sent along a spare button). He's the author of the picture books Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, Pirasaurs!, and more. Follow him on Twitter @joshfunkbooks.
 
Rodolfo Montalvo (rodolfomontalvo.com) grew up in Long Beach, California. He received a B.F.A. in illustration from California State University, Fullerton. He has illustrated children's books including The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School and The Amazing Wilmer Dooley, both written by Fowler Dewitt. He currently lives with his wife in the Los Angeles area. Follow him on Twitter @RMontalvo3.

Editorial Reviews

"When I was a kid, my best friend was Josh Funk. Now he's becoming a friend to a whole new generation.”—B.J. Novak, author of The New York Times bestseller The Book With No Pictures

* "Montalvo's visual irony skillfully paces alongside Funk's gamboling rhymes, rendering readers' investigation of each spread just as rewarding as the page turns. A playful celebration of difference (and poetry)."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Perfect for classes undertaking a pen-pal unit, but general picture book collections can benefit from this gentle reminder that kids who look different can still get along."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

George Slair and Blaise Dragomir, assigned as pen pals in school, write letters back and forth about their pets, families, sports, and science fair projects. Little do they know that George is a human while Blaise is a dragon! At first, they converse formally with each other, ending each letter with a full signature. As the story continues, their letters become friendlier and more heartfelt; they call each other friends. When the two meet at a pen pal picnic, they are shocked to discover their differences. They overcome their initial hesitation and worry and enjoy the rest of their picnic as the best of friends. Funk tells a rhyming and humorous story of friendship and affirms the value of a person’s character. Montalvo creates vivid watercolor images that capture how the boys visualize each other’s activities as described in their letters. The illustrations, in varying shades of green, tie the story together and keep readers focused throughout the book. Readers are invited into George and Blaise’s minds as they imagine sections of the letters in small thought bubbles outlined in cloud-like black acrylic ink. In George’s mind, Blaise is a human doing each surprising activity; and in Blaise’s mind, George is a dragon doing his equally surprising activities. On opposite pages, the reader gets a taste of what really happens. With intricate illustrations of bright and pastel watercolors that fill the entire page, Funk and Montalvo cleverly teach children to value individuality and appreciate others’ inner characteristics. Reviewer: Shalyn Rodriguez; Ages 4 to 8.

Children's Literature - Sarah Grace

10/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—In this picture book that's written in bouncy rhyme, classrooms at a school for human children and one for dragons are each beginning a combined poetry and pen-pal unit. Blaise Dragomir and George Slair exchange letters, telling each other about their families, relating what's going on in school, and finding out that they have lots in common, without ever realizing that theirs is an interspecies friendship. The game is up at the pen-pal picnic, though, when the friends are at first startled but then just happy to meet at last—and the teachers plan the same trick for next year. Young readers will enjoy being in on the secret that this tale's characters don't know about; adding to the fun are Montalvo's bright, detailed, and at times wonderfully chaotic depictions of childhood. VERDICT Funk's title is perfect for classes undertaking a pen-pal unit, but general picture book collections can benefit from this gentle reminder that kids who look different can still get along.—Henrietta Verma, National Information Standards Organization, Baltimore

School Library Journal

★ 2016-07-02
Two pen pals get to know each other over several months, and when they meet, each discovers that the other is a little different than imagined.Two classes in different schools are assigned a poetry and pen-pal project in which the members exchange letters, and all the letters must be in rhyme. But from the very beginning, readers know something the pen pals don’t: George Slair is a young boy of color, while Blaise Dragomir is a young green dragon. The pair establish a quick bond, but whether due to the constriction of rhyme or the brevity of their letters, George and Blaise are a little vague in their descriptions, allowing each to imagine the other is a boy or dragon similar to himself. When Blaise declares his favorite sport is sky diving, George pictures a boy fearlessly gliding under a parachute; when George says his towering volcano won the science fair, Blaise envisions a dragonet circling the mouth of an actual volcano. Epistolary anticipation builds for pen pals and readers alike until boy and dragon finally come face to face, and each is thrilled to discover that his new friend is even cooler than he imagined. Montalvo’s visual irony skillfully paces alongside Funk’s gamboling rhymes, rendering readers’ investigations of each spread just as rewarding as the page turns. A playful celebration of difference (and poetry). (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews