I Love My Dragon

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I Love My Dragon

Written by Jodi Moore
Illustrated by Howard McWilliam

In this vibrantly colored board book about friendship, a little boy and his big dragon have tons of fun playing together at home, outdoors, in the pool and at the beach, making music and reading, and caring for the baby brother.

A perfect story for babies and toddlers to enjoy, and then to relax to as the boy and dragon snuggle at nap time.

Reviews

From Tome Tender
4 stars – I Love My Dragon is for everyone, you and young at heart, who love dragons.
I Love My Dragon depicts a small boy’s adventures and the dragon who goes everywhere with him. They go to the beach, read books and play with their new sibling together and more.
I Love My Dragon has lots of vivid illustrations that are highlight a basic-reader based plot. Perfect for new readers who are more interested in pictures and just learning words.

From Midwest Book Review, The Board Book Shelf
I Love My Dragon is a thoroughly charming board book for babies and toddlers. Colorful illustrations show a young boy and his dragon who love to swim together, share snacks together, and look after his baby brother together. The exuberant, colorful art brings to life the antics of the dragon-and-child duo! Sure to delight the littlest dragon fans, I Love My Dragon makes an excellent and highly recommended gift or read-aloud book.

From Bookworm for Kids, Tonja Drecker
This tale of a very special relationship touches the heart and lets imagination have free flight in a simple yet fun way.
The dragon has been this boy’s friend since the day he was born. Every moment, the dragon is by his side and definitely gains best friend status. At the beach, the pool and even in the snow, the dragon is always there.
Friendship rings loud and clear in these pages, and a very special kind. Perhaps, the dragon is real, but there’s enough to reason to think it might be an imaginary friend. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The dragon means the world to the boy and visa-versa. It’s inspiring and shows what real love and friendship really is, even if it’s with something as wonderful as a dragon. The addition of the little brother adds a nice, family warmth. In other words, this is a wholesome read which leaves young listeners feeling loved, while inviting them to dream away.
The illustrations and book are perfect for the intended age group. While simple, they still bring across the situations and emotions very nicely. It’s hard not to wish the dragon were real and give it a huge hug. This is a book young listeners are sure to enjoy, and especially those with an extra love for dragons.

From Jean Little Library, Jennifer Wharton
Flashlight takes two of its most popular properties – Amanda Noll’s Monster series and Jodi Moore’s Dragon titles – and takes them down to board book audiences.
I was initially very skeptical about this. Both are illustrated by Howard McWilliam and while his digital pictures are bright and attractive, they’re also kind of scary! This is perfect for the picture book audiences who love to giggle over the gruesome monsters and the cute twist of the ending, but how well would it go over with babies and toddlers? It turns out that these authors and illustrator have done an excellent job making these both appealing and appropriate for little ones.
Jodi Moore’s I Love My Dragon…features the mischievous, bright red dragon of the picture books growing up with the unnamed boy. Starting as a baby, his dragon entertains, cares for, and accompanies him everywhere. He’s shown peeking out in pictures, celebrating on the beach in a wave to the original picture book, helping the boy care for his baby brother, and curled up together for a nap. The bright colors are attractive and the cheerful exploration of daily fun will inspire small dragon fans.
Verdict: For parents and little ones who like the colorful pictures of McWilliam’s and just a little frisson of adventure and fear, these will be the perfect choices for snuggling up at bedtime.

From The Story Monsters Ink Shelf, Darleen Wohlfeil
I enjoyed this early reader board book. It is bright and colorful, with illustrations that are sure to capture a young imagination (and some old ones as well). Relationship has many faces, and friendship is surely her most attractive side. It often begins in those awkward early years when sorting imagination and reality is still a bit blurred. When young hearts are open and fluid, and magical thoughts are as lucid as the rising sun. Imaginary friends often set the stage, guiding the heart, while setting a lifelong understanding of the power of friendship. (Ages 2-5)

About the Creators

Jodi, Moore, friendship, imagination, beach, dragons, family, dad, sister, mom, mischievous, behavior, imaginary friend, time out, responsibility, when, a, dragon, moves, in

Jodi Moore is the author of the When a Dragon Moves In series. Jodi has written articles for various magazines and newsletters, and is co-developer of an educational series for the hospitality industry. Writing for children has always been Jodi’s passion because she strongly believes that if you nurture children’s imagination, you will nourish their dreams. Proud of her “Jersey girl” heritage, Jodi attributes some of her best childhood memories to time spent “down the shore.” She lives in Boalsburg, PA, with her husband and two sons who are relentless in their quest to build the perfect sandcastle.
You can find out more about Jodi and her work on her website. 

 

 

 

howard, mcwilliam, friendship, imagination, beach, dragons, family, dad, sister, mom, mischievous, behavior, imaginary friend, time out, responsibility, when, a, dragon, moves, in

Howard McWilliam is the illustrator of the When a Dragon Moves In and I Need My Monster series. In 2005, Howard left his work as a magazine editor and journalist to concentrate on his growing career as a cartoonist and illustrator. He is published in a wide range of UK magazines and newspapers, and is the cover artist for The Week. He has won numerous awards and competitions for his work. He lives in Cheltenham, England with his wife Rebecca and his two sons. 
You can find out more about Howard and his work on his website. 

ISBN: Board Book 9781947277304  ePDF 9781947277441  EPUB 9781947277458  KF8 9781947277465  Audiobook 9781947277830  Read-along Audio 9781947277694
Print Length: 24 Pages
Publication Date: August 2019
Age Group: 0-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018056914

Activity Guides & More

Leveling Information

Lexile Measurements provided by Metametrics. Guided Reading Levels provided by Marla Conn using Fountas and Pinnel Guided Reading Text Characteristics.

Lexile Display: AD250L

Word Count: 65

MSL: 4.643

MLF: 3.821

Decoding Display: Medium

Semantic Display: Low

Syntactic Display: Low

Structure Display: High

Guided Reading Level: G

Grade Level Equivalent: 1

Interest Level by Grade: Pre-K-K

Educational Description: Board book

Story Elements: setting, plot and character development, Point of view- young boy main character, simple language, detailed illustrations enhance meaning and tone

Comprehension Strategies: identify main idea and details, cause and effect relationships, compare and contrast books written about the same characters, by the same author

Themes: family, new sibling & creative imagination, dragons