The Tale of Sir Dragon: Dealing with Bullies for Kids (and Dragons).

A young girl and her Dragon friend happily set out as knights on a noble quest. While they play, Dragon is beset by bullies who mock his appearance and his right to be playing knights. When Dragon turns away sadly, the little girl speaks up for him and against injustice. She sets about finding a resolution with the aid of the King and Queen who represent authority.

Bullying is a topic often in the news and one that many children experience. As such, it is useful to have a book to help children with the issues involved. Through the perspectives of the protagonists we understand what it feels like to be a bully or his victim or even an onlooker.

Dragon has appeared in several previous works by Jean Pendziwol, including books about safety from strangers (Once Upon a Dragon), water safety (Treasure at Sea for Dragon and Me), and fire safety (No Dragons for Tea). In the Tale of Sir Dragon, she uses a rhyming narrative and the story playfully delivers a serious message. There are two pages of notes at the end to assist adults in a discussion with children, as well as a specific list of suggestions to help a child who is being bullied or to help stop bullying in general. In addition there is the “Dragon’s Decree,” a short but definite list of instructions for each of us to put into use on a daily basis and useful for class or family goals. Experts from various reputable associations dealing with child welfare, education, and policing were consulted.

Martine Gourbault, the illustrator of all the books in the series, has created complementary drawings using a pencil-crayon technique that truly makes the characters come alive. We see the vulnerability of the dragon and the determination of the little girl as well as read about it.

While this book has been written with a specific purpose in mind, the dragon protagonist will attract young readers for the story and illustrations alone but should also be included in public and school library collections for adults looking to share information on this topic. Recommended.