Review by Booklist Review
It's bedtime, but young Georgie's awake, his dragon-themed room covered in darkness, and "being alone makes everything worse." But then, from one of Georgie's books, a dragon suddenly appears, explaining, "I'm running away . . . I'm afraid of the knight." When Georgie confesses he's "afraid of the night, too," the pair fly off, Georgie atop the dragon's back, seeking safe haven. However, while brightly lit places below comfort Georgie, the dragon is apprehensive of each, including the baseball stadium where Georgie's favorite team--the Knights--are playing. But eventually, they help each other see and experience things differently, in mutually rewarding ways. Charming, digitally enhanced pen, brush, and ink illustrations effectively employ a deep, moody blue-hued palette with contrasting bright orange, depicting the new friends' adventures and extending the animated, often-lyrical narrative. While the twist on the story of St. George and the dragon (a book with that title appears but is otherwise unmentioned) may go unrecognized, and some of the humor hinges on understanding homophones, many kids, dragon fans especially, will appreciate the duo's affectionate relationship, support, and reassurances.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Animator Krause creates a vintage look through dramatic, woodcutlike spreads tinted with fiery orange and midnight blue. "Georgie is afraid of the night," the book begins, showing the boy in bed; "It's too dark with the lights off." As Georgie's room decor reveals, he's way into dragons, and in a burst of glowing light, one leaps forth from the child's copy of St. George and the Dragon. The dragon is afraid, too-not of the night, but of the knight. "He always wants to fight," it tells Georgie. So the two run away and share a glorious nighttime flight. Georgie's a fan of the Knights, a baseball team, and when the two spot its mascot at a nighttime game that's underway, the dragon realizes that their homophonic fears differ. Despite its greater size and strength, the dragon needs just as much comforting as the boy does, and they support one another as equals. The knight/night pun clanks a bit, depending for its effect on a sports mascot and a factory logo, but flying journeys and creatures in need of solace offer a promising strategy for bedtime reluctance of all sorts. Ages 3-7. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A boy and a dragon bond over a shared fearsort of.Actually, "Georgie is afraid of the night," and the dragon that crawls out of his copy of St. George and the Dragon is (with some justice!) "afraid of the knight." The mutual anxiety is close enough, though, to send both winging out through Georgie's bedroom window in search of safety. The two come at last to rest on a dark hillside, where the dragon points out stars, shooting stars, and the soothing sounds of crickets to the boy in its lapand next day, back in the bedroom, Georgie returns the favor, concocting a safe haven for the dragon by creating a new story book with a friendlier knight. Cozy interchanges between the two (" Will the knight want to fight?' asks the dragon. Instead of fighting, the knight loves to play catch,' replies Georgie. What if the knight doesn't like me?' asks the dragon. Don't worry,' says Georgie. I'll help you' ") give the narrative an intimate tone that Krause reinforces with shadowy pictures, done in thick lines and dark hues, pairing a tiny boy who presents Asian and an improbably huge but vulnerable-looking, even at times tearful, dragon. Well-crafted bedtime reading featuring an unusually captivating monster. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
