The Dreadful Dragon of Dismal Rock

Susan Rogers was a librarian with the Laurenval School Board (Adult Services), Deux Montagnes, Quebec.

Dillingham, an educated friendly dragon and a misfit among his own kind, wishes to befriend a boy who loves baseball and fishing. He flies into town on Hallowe’en night and meets David Brown, a nine-year-old boy who used to do all the things Dillingham wishes to learn but who is now confined to a wheelchair. The story recounts the adventures of Dillingham and his friend Mouse as they live in the Brown house, avoiding discovery by the adults. The dragon’s one desire is to make David walk again.

The title of the book is somewhat gloomy, but the cover illustration is amusing and the story itself is never frightening. Ineke Standish’s illustrations, four black-and-white drawings and a small picture of Dillingham which heads each chapter, are attractive. The many punctuation errors are annoying to the reader but are not very important. The story is interesting and exciting. It involves magic and fantasy, but what is stressed throughout is the very real value of friendship. Not only does friendship achieve the “miracle” Dillingham wants, but it is also reflected in the actions of almost all the important characters in the book.