It's been almost a month since I've done a PPBF,
and today's is a self-help sizzler!
Title: You've Got Dragons
Author: Kathryn Cave
Illustrator: Nick Maland
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd.
Date: July 2003
Suitable for: ages 5 and up
Themes: conquering fears, taming worries, managing feelings
Brief synopsis: The worries, fears, and scary feelings show up as dragons in young Ben's life. This is the creative narrative about how he conquers, tames, and manages them.
Realistic Fiction
Opening pages: Dragons show up when you least expect them. You turn around . . . and there they are.
Resources:
More about the book at the author's website {here}.
Read a review from the Blue Owl blog {here}.
My May 2012 post about Worries, Anxiety, and Fear {here}.
**Use a double bubble graphic organizer like the one below to compare and contrast this book with your favorite book
(or a book on the list at the above link)
about worry and fear.
(or a book on the list at the above link)
about worry and fear.
Why I like this book: So many children come to my office with issues of anxiety, panic, and fear and guess what? This is one of my go-to books when I want to normalize their fears and validate their frustrations. The soft illustrations perfectly complement the worry behind the words as Ben describes what happens when out of the blue his dragons appear. The text is funny, creative and oh, so spot on! In a slapstick-humor sort of way, Ben describes trying to ignore his dragon, trying to run away from his dragon, trying to blame his dragon for mistakes and ultimately deciding to name it, draw a picture of it, and make friends with it.
Oh, and I love its empowering parting words:
No dragon is more powerful than YOU.
Our little dragon-slayers must always remember
that no problem is ever more powerful than they.
Check out this book and have fun slaying those dragon-sized worries.
Humor! What a creative way to tackle this subject for kids. Great idea. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteIt's hilarious ... the kids gets so distracted ... what's 2 plus 2? 4 dragons ... I laugh every time I read it.
DeleteThank you, Joanne, for stopping by! Hope all's well in your corner of the world.
I love this book! I have used it countless times with my kiddos here at school. We draw pictures of what our dragons would look like and talk about how we can lessen our worries and how our dragons can be helpful.
ReplyDeleteHelpful ... yep. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? Thank you, Jennifer, for your validation of today's pick!
DeleteWhat a wonderful book for children. I love the use of dragons as a metaphor for fear. Slaying dragons never works, but befriending them does. I know several children who would benefit from this book -- and a few adults. Hope it's still available on-line.
ReplyDeleteAs always, Pat, your kind affirmations have made my day. Fingers crossed that you can find it.
DeleteWhat a powerful metaphor. This is a great visual fun way for helping children with their fears.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, Joanna, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
DeleteThis looks terrific, Barbara! A valuable and much-needed kind of story. The dragons are a great metaphor. Thanks so much for sharing - this is a great addition to our list!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Susanna. Thanks for coming by to check it out!
DeleteThis opening line is a great one! When we least expect it IS when "dragons" appear. I haven't seen this one.
ReplyDeleteIt's a keeper, Wendy!
DeleteSounds like a must-have! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGrade ONEderful
this is one of my favorites... what a fun book.
ReplyDelete