Different Dragons

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University. She is the author of several books, including The
Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret
Laurence: The Long Journey Home.

Ben Tucker is a shy boy who dreads spending the upcoming weekend with
his aunt while his parents attend to other plans. Aunt Rose writes books
for boys. Ben has seen them in libraries, and his teacher is a fan. A
warm welcome lifts his spirits, but Ben is terrified by Gully, a large
Labrador retriever who, like Ben, is staying for the weekend.

Ben is also frightened of lightning. When a thunderstorm cuts power,
Ben takes refuge under his bed, only to find that Gully is there too.
Boy and dog wait out the storm together lying under the bed, while Ben
slowly comes to the realization that Gully is not a dragon. Despite his
massive size, Gully is as vulnerable and frightened as Ben is. All’s
well that ends well.

The plot is cleverly shaped, as fears are gradually beaten. Little’s
narrative also includes wonderfully comic images. Ben dubs Gully “a
big marshmallow” while they are hiding during the storm and realizes
that it’s difficult to be frightened of a dog that licks your ears and
trembles. Shared fears have become vanquished fears. Gully has moved
from being a monster to being a close friend, and Ben has changed from a
fearful boy who needs to be comforted into a brave champion who comforts
others. After the storm, Ben bravely tells his aunt that he would not
mind being left alone for an afternoon if he had Gully for company.

Little ties narrative and imagery together with both subtlety and
boldness, and handles Ben’s gradual but steady growth in
self-confidence through small but significant incidents that move toward
a very satisfying ending. Highly recommended.