Tame and Timid Dragons in Picture Books

Alexander, Barbara. A Furnace for Castle Thistlewart. New York: Discover, 1985. A lonely dragon (Heartburn) is taken in to fire a castle furnace in children’s imaginary adventure.

Anderson, Myra. A Tail of a Different Color. Illus. Debra Purchiaroni Jerome. Oakland, CA: DOT•Garnet, 1992. N. pag. Dragon brothers learn to overcome sibling rivalry and share.

Axworthy, Ann. The Dragon Who Couldn't Do Dragony Things. London: Zero to Ten, 2005. "Little Dragon has wings but can't fly, a snorty nose but no fire and he can't scare anyone! It's not easy being a dragon when you can't do dragony things. But Little Dragon does have one very surprising talent."

Baumgart, Klaus. The Little Green Dragon Steps Out. New York: Hyperion, 1992. One in a series of brief stories about Anna and a mischievous dragon who pops out of her book at night.

Baumgart, Klaus. Where Are You, Little Green Dragon? New York: Hyperion, 1993. The dragon has an icy adventure in the kitchen.

Baynton, Martin. Jane and the Dragon. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1988. 32 pp. "Jane longs to be a knight, but everyone laughs at her. Everyone, that is, except the court jester, who lends her a small suit of armor to help make her dream come true. And when an enormous dragon swoops in and steals the prince, Jane quickly gets the chance to prove herself!" (publisher description). See Jane and the Dragon television series, below, and chapter books on page Dragons in Chapter Books and Novels.

Bergsma, Jody. The Little Wizard. Book 2 in DragonFire Trilogy. Bellevue, WA: Illumination Arts, 2000. 32 pp. "An ancient prophecy is fulfilled in the Kingdom of Lugin when young Kevin, while traveling to Royal City to ask Queen Arianna for healing water to cure his sick mother, discovers special powers within himself" (Worldcat). A small dragon serves as guide and friend.

Berkeley, Jon. Chopsticks. New York: Random House, 2006. "A small mouse named Chopsticks who lives on a floating restaurant in China becomes friends with a carved wooden dragon who wants to fly."

Bertrand, Lynne. One Day, Two Dragons. Illus. Janet Street. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1992. Two dragon kids (who look like dinosaurs) survive a trip to the doctor’s office.

Brandenberg, Franz. Leo and Emily and the Dragon. Illus. Aliki. New York: Greenwillow, 1984. In two chapters, children go on a dragon hunt, take a net but never see a dragon except for a kitten’s eyes in their dark dining room. Babysitter lets them stay up and have hike indoors.

Brimner, Larry Dane. Silent Kay and the Dragon. Illus. Bob McMahon. New York: Children's Press, 2007. "Kay fights a fierce dragon, but after tripping over her own tangled shoelaces, she learns that dragons are good at undoing knots."

Broach, Elise. Hiding Hoover. Illus. Laura Huliska-Beith. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2005. "Two children must find a way around their father's 'no pets' rule when a friendly dragon appears in their backyard."

Burnside, Julian. Matilda and the Dragon. Illus. Bettina Guthridge. Allen & Unwin. A story in verse about a girl having tea with a friendly dragon. A Little Ark Book.

Chang, Grace. Jin Jin the Dragon. Illus. Chong Chang. New York: Enchanted Lion Books, 2007. "Jin Jin the dragon does not know what kind of creature he is, so he embarks on a journey, assisted by other animals he meets along the way, to find Old Turtle and Crane, who will help him learn his identity. Includes information about Chinese writing and the place of the dragon in Chinese lore."

Chang, Grace. Jin Jin and Rain Wizard. Illus. Chong Chang. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books, 2009. "Jin Jin the Chinese dragon travels back in time where he meets Rain Wizard and learns about the value of rice. End notes discuss the importance and folkloric origins of rice and rain."

Chin, Steven A. Dragon Parade: A Chinese New Year Story. Stories of America. Illus. Mou-Sien Tseng. Austin, Tex: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993. General editor Alex Haley.

Christelow, Eileen. Henry and the Dragon. New York: Clarion, 1984. Child bunny Henry learns not to fear dreams and shadows that scare him after hearing a dragon story. The dragon barely appears; Henry catches his father in his dragon trap.

Clarke, Jane. Knight Time. Illus. Jane Massey. London: Red Fox, 2008. "Every night, when their daddies tuck them in, Little Knight dreams of fierce knight-eating dragons . . . and Little Dragon dreams of dangerous dragon-slaying knights. But one stormy night, they make an astonishing discovery – and night-time in the time of knights and dragons is never the same again! A wonderfully reassuring bedtime story for little ones with a fabulous foldout, flaps and other surprises inside!" (book description)

Coombs, Kate. The Runaway Dragon. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010. "When her beloved dragon Laddy runs away from the castle, Princess Meg and some of her friends embark on a quest to find him and bring him home."

Cosgrove, Stephen. Dragolin. A Serendipity book. Illus. Robin James. 1978. Los Angeles: Price Stern Sloan, 1995. "Short, plump, and unable to breathe fire like the other dragons, Dragolin is in despair until he learns the importance of believing in oneself."

Cosgrove, Stephen. Muffin Dragon. A Serendipity book. Illus. Robin James. 1973. New York: Price Stern Sloan, 2001. A dragon who begins by taking muffins ends up helping to heat them in the oven.

Donnison, Polly. William the Dragon. New York: Coward, McCann, 1973. [author-illus. age 11] Lady Wilmount finds an egg, keeps dragon as a pet, buys it a coat from Harrod’s, etc.

Downing, Julie. No Hugs Till Saturday. New York: Clarion Books, 2008. "When Felix declares that there will be no hugs, snuggles, or super squeezes for a whole week, both he and his mama have a hard time."

Dragon Tales. An animated PBS television series about children who travel at the beginning of each episode to a land apart to have adventures with friendly dragons. Books include the following.

Fontes, Justine, and Jeffrey Scott. Emmy's Dream House. Illus. Jan Gerardi. Jellybean Books Just for Preschoolers. New York: CTW Books/Random House, 2000. "When Emmy and Max travel to Dragon Land to build a tree house Emmy wants everything done her way, and her brother and their friends feel left out and angry" (Worldcat).

Ehrlich, Amy. Baby Dragon. Illus. Will Hillenbrand. New York: Random House, 2008. "Baby Dragon knows he must wait for his mother by the red fern. He knows she'll be back by morning. So he counts his claws, draws in the sand, takes a nap, and otherwise bides his time, never budging even when friends coax him to run off and play. But as night falls, Baby Dragon starts to worry. What if his mother doesn't come back? Should he climb on sly Crocodile's back and try to find her? Blending just the right amount of excitement and apprehension, this deeply satisfying story confronts a child's common fear, and offers the ultimate comfort" (publisher summary).

Ellery, Tom and Amanda. If I Had a Dragon / si yo tuviera un Dragón. Spanish transl. Teresa Mlawer. New York: Scholastic/Lectorum, 2006. Brief text in Spanish and English throughout. A boy imagines the active things they would do together if his uninteresting little brother would turn into a dragon. Humorous illustrations show a goofy green dragon would bungle typical childhood fun–taking up the whole swimming pool, blocking the movie screen, burning the boy's hair when they whistle. He decides "a dragon doesn't make a very good playmate after all," so he sends the dragon home and has fun with his brother in the sandbox.

Fiona Watt. Hide-and-Seek Dragons. Usborne Touchy-Feely book on board pages. Illus. Fabiano Fiorin. Tulsa, OK: EDC Publishing, 2007. "Everyone's busy in Dragon Castle. The red dragons are looking for a blue dragon, the pink dragons are looking for a yellow dragon, and the green dragons are looking for a very special dragon. Can you help everyone find who they are looking for in this delightful touchy-feely flap book?" (cover)

Gagliardi, Tina. Carly's Dragon Days. Illus. Patrick Girouard. Edina, Minn: Magic Wagon, 2009. "Being a dragon isn't all it's cracked up to be. Who knew flying, breathing fire, and hiding treasure were so tough to learn? Carly struggles with schoolwork and dragon exercises at Fire-Breathers' Academy, just like every other average eight-year-old. And at home she has to live with 23 siblings! Luckily, she has the help of her imaginary human friend, Gretchen, to get through her dragon days!"

Gagliardi, Tina. Don't Forget the Knight Light. Carly's Dragon Days series. Illus. Patrick Girouard. Edina, Minn: Magic Wagon, 2009. "Carly is so afraid of knights she can't eat or sleep. Luckily, her magic knight light keeps those scary humans away! But what happens when the light gets broken--and Carly's already on the bus to the Museum of Dragon History? will she be able to face the Knight Room all on her own?"

Gagliardi, Tina. Dragonpox. Carly's Dragon Days series. Illus. Patrick Girouard. Edina, Minn: Magic Wagon, 2009.

Gagliardi, Tina. Fire Breathers' Academy. Carly's Dragon Days series. Illus. Patrick Girouard. Edina, Minn: Magic Wagon, 2009.

Gagliardi, Tina. Fire Breathers' Science Fair. Carly's Dragon Days series. Illus. Patrick Girouard. Edina, Minn: Magic Wagon, 2009. "It is time again for the Fire-Breathers' Academy Science Fair! Carly and her imaginary human friend Gretchen have a great idea for a project. They work really hard to win the fair. But what happens when Gretchen's help turns out to be not helpful at all? Will Gretchen ever appear again?"

Gagliardi, Tina. The Golden Dragon. Carly's Dragon Days series. Illus. Patrick Girouard. Edina, Minn: Magic Wagon, 2009. "It's time for the Dragon Olympics at Fire-Breathers' Academy. Carly is the fastest flyer at school. She could easily win the relay race--if slow Abigail weren't on her team. Carly has to find a way to bring home a golden dragon trophy for her school. Can she do it?"

Gagliardi, Tina. The Last One Is a Rotten Egg. Illus. Patrick Girouard. Edina, Minn: Magic Wagon, 2009. "Carly has 843 brothers and sisters--and a 100-year-old egg named Salvador. Everyone believes the dragon legend that says Salvador will be a mean dragon, but not Carly. When Salvador finally hatches, it seems the legend is true! Can Carly and her imaginary human friend Gretchen help her family accept her little brother after all the trouble he's caused?"

Galloway, Ruth. The Wise Dragon. New York: DK Publishing, 2008. "The wise dragon knows that Shan has always dreamed of climbing the faraway mountain. He also knows a way to make this possible. So with the help of his friends: a lucky unicorn, a determined tortoise, a clever phoenix, the wise dragon sets out with Shan thinks [sic] they can go no further, the wise dragon provides the perfect solution."

Gillespie, Sarah. Time for Bed. Illus. Kevin Parks. Darling Dragons. [Florida?]: Paradise Press, 2000. "A small dragon describes what his bedtime routine, including a story or song and goodnight kiss." The Tea Party, 2000. "Simple verse about the enjoyments of a dragon tea party." The Busy Day, 2000. "A young dragon describes some of her favorite activities, such as dancing, playing an instrument, kicking balls and jumping rope" (Worldcat). Also Out to Play, 2000. Board books labeled "A darling dragon tab book" (cover).

Gliori, Debi. The Trouble with Dragons. New York: Walker, 2008. "When dragons cut down too many trees, blow out too much hot air, and do other environmental damage, the future looks grim, but other animals advise them on how to mend their ways and save the planet."

Grohman, Almute. Dragon Teeth and Parrot Beaks: Even Creatures Brush Their Teeth. Illus. Patricia Bereck Weikersheimer. Carol Stream, IL: Quintessence, 1998. "Uses animals and rhyme to introduce the necessity of dental care."

Hill, T. L.. Morris and the Kingdom of Knoll. Illus. Jeff Colson. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2007. "Morris is a happy-go-lucky dragon who wears polka-dotted shorts and wreaks havoc in the Kingdom of Knoll. He seems to be more trouble than he's worth until one day the people of Knoll learn that Morris is more valuable than they had suspected. The book is published in association with the Children's Library Press" (book description).

Hillert, Margaret. Let’s Go, Dear Dragon. Illus. Carl Kock. Chicago: Follett, 1981. One of a series of numerous easy readers in which a boy and his pet dragon experience various events. On July 4th they play at the beach; the dragon helps cook the hot dogs and shoots fireworks. Some of the sequels listed below.

Hillert, Margaret. Come to School, Dear Dragon. Illus. David Helton. Cleveland: Modern Curriculum Press, 1985. Dragon goes to school with boy, sees dragon in book, follows rules, plays and holds hoop, eats dragon snacks at home like a dog.

Hillert, Margaret. Dear Dragon Goes to the Library. Illus. David Schimmell. Chicago: Norwood House, 2008. "A boy and his pet dragon go to story time and take out books from the library" (publisher description).

Hillert, Margaret. Happy Mother's Day, Dear Dragon. Illus. Craig Deeley. Starfall, 2005. An online version for beginning readers is available at www.Starfall.com. Many free materials to encourage readers and writers are offered at this site.

Hillert, Margaret. I Need You, Dear Dragon. Cleveland: Modern Curriculum Press, 1985.

Hillert, Margaret. It's St. Patrick's Day, Dear Dragon. Illus. David Schimmell. Chicago: Norwood House, 2008. "A boy and his pet dragon celebrate St. Patrick's Day by finding things that are green" (publisher description).

Holabird, Katherine. Alexander and the Dragon. Illus. Helen Craig. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, 1988. Boy is scared of things under bed, finds dragon is real, and they become friends.

Impey, Rose. Wanda Witch and the Stray Dragon. Scholastic reader level 3. Illus. Katharine McEwen. New York: Scholastic, 2003. Originally published UK: Orchard Books, 2003, under the title Titchy Witch and the Stray Dragon."Wanda Witch uses a special spell when her dragon gets too big to live in her house."

Jane and the Dragon. CGI animated television series about a medieval girl who would rather train to be a knight than a lady-in-waiting. Her best friend is a 300-year-old fire-breathing dragon. Created by Nelvana and WETA. Nelvana is a Canadian animation company. The web site says they tried to create the look of characters who stepped out of a children's book. For books, see Baynton, above and chapter books on page Dragons in Chapter Books and Novels.

Jennings, Paul. Rascal at the Show. Illus. Bob Lea. Camberwell, Vic, Australia: Puffin Books, 2005. 30 pp. "Ben wants Rascal to win Best in Show at the dragon show, but Rascal has fleas. Can he still win the award?" (Worldcat)

Jeschke, Susan. Firerose. New York: Holt, Rinehart, 1974. Zora, a fortuneteller with a talking cat, finds a baby girl with a dragon tail on her doorstep. Firerose needs help feeling happy with her tail and then without it. Even though Firerose saves Zora from a shark with her tail and fire, she isn't allowed in school. They travel to Dragon City and give the tail to a dragon born without one, so Firerose can go on with life as a person. Realistic black and white drawings throughout.

Kahl, Virginia. How Many Dragons Are Behind the Door? New York: Scribner’s, 1977. In counting rhymes, princesses hide and feed a fat dragon, which gives birth to 12 babies.

Kavanagh, Peter. Little Prince and the Great Dragon Chase. Barrons, 1995. A teddy bear is rescued by flying dragons.

Kimmel, Margaret Mary. Magic in the Mist. Illus. Trina Schart Hyman. New York: Atheneum, 1975. N. pag. Story of boy Thomas living alone in Wales, studying to be a wizard. He finds a little dragon; it helps him warm his house (light fire), teaches him a song that warms house, then leaves. Song of Thomas and Jeremy (toad friend) attracts creatures of the bog, keeps hut “snug and cheerful.”

Kincaid, Lucy and Eric. Dragon’s Hiding Place. Newmarket, English: Brimax. N.d. One of a series of easy readers on friendly dragon and woodland animals. Dragon needs help from small animals when stalked by hunting men with nets.

Knapman, Timothy. Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood? Illus. Gwen Millward. New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2008. "A young dragon finds a boy and introduces him to his family, friends, and teacher, but it is clear that the boy would like to return to his faraway home."

Konopka, Ursula. Dragon Franz. New York: Greenwillow, 1976. orig. by Josef Guggenmos. A young dragon who is teased for his inability to spit fire makes friends at school by changing colors.

Kumin, Maxime W. Sebastian and the Dragon. Illus. William D. Hayes. New York: Putnam, 1960. Short boy gets respect by bringing small dragon (in his little covered wagon) to live in zoo.

Leedy, Loreen. The Dragon ABC Hunt. New York: Holiday House, 1986. Ten bored little dragons go on a treasure hunt and find objects from A to Z.

Lexau, Joan M. Every Day a Dragon. Illus. Ben Shecter. New York: Harper & Row, 1967. Dragon represents a boy’s father, developing from scary to friendly.

Lindgren, Astrid. The Dragon with Red Eyes. Transl. Patricia Crampton. Illus. Ilon Wikland. New York: Viking Kestrel, 1985. Children care for a baby dragon on a farm until it flies away into the sunset.

Loehr, Mallory. Dragon Egg. Step into Reading. Step 1. Illus. Hala Wittwer. New York: Random House, 2007. "A dragon's egg rolls out of its nest in a cave, continuing along a road, past a castle, and through a town, where it bumps against a rock and cracks."

McInnes, John. Drat the Dragon. Illus. Rosalie Davidson. Champaign, IL: Garrard, 1973. Pink dragon family sends son Drat out to learn bravery. He learns to dodge cars, meets animals including a lizard, learns to swim. He helps keep girl with gold hair from drowning, starts a fire. He doesn’t meet her parents but she gives him a gold ring, his parents hug him and he’s a brave dragon.

Mahy, Margaret. The Dragon of an Ordinary Family. Illus. Helen Oxenbury. London: Heinemann, 1969. Also New York: Dial, 1992. "When Mr. Belsaki chooses a dragon as a pet for his son, what was a very ordinary family begins some extraordinary adventures."

Masey, Mary Lou. Branislav the Dragon: A New Tale of Old Russia. Illus. Helen Basilevsky. David McKay, 1967. Has a cover suggesting that an interesting Russian folk tale is inside, but instead there is a cartoon-like dragon indistinguishable from a dinosaur, a colorless reptile on pages filled with bright red and purple people. This “reluctant dragon” is pressured into capturing a maiden and later manages to get a job in the kitchen rather than being punished.

Mayer, Mercer. Herbert the Timid Dragon. New York: Golden Press, 1980. Reprinted in several editions, formats and collections, including a 1985 30-minute video by Golden Book Videos titled Three Mercer Mayer Stories and also Herbert the Timid Dragon and Other Tales. Herbert, suffering from knight envy, remains timid but wins treasure and rescues princess by sneezing a hole in Castle Grouch; thereafter the princess protects him and his heroic reputation.

Mayhew, James. Who Wants a Dragon? Illus. Lindsey Gardiner. New York: Orchard Books, 2004. "A baby dragon, looking for someone to love and cuddle him, finally encounters his mother."

Minarik, Else Holmelund. The Little Girl and the Dragon. Illus. Martine Gourbault. New York: Greenwillow, 1991. A dragon from the girl’s book swallows her toys.

Myers, Walter Dean. The Dragon Takes a Wife. Illus. Ann Grifalconi. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1972. Rpt. New York: Scholastic, 1995. Illus. Fiona French. Harry, “a good but lonely dragon” in ancient Lyraland, gets help from fairy Mabel Mae, who turns herself into a dragon to marry Harry and settle into happy middle-class domesticity.

Niemann, Christoph. The Pet Dragon: A Story About Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2008. "When Lin's beloved pet dragon disappears, she searches for him far and wide until a witch helps her to reach the dragon's new home. Introduces a different Chinese character on each step of Lin's adventure."

Nolan, Jerdine. Raising Dragons. Illus. Elise Primavera. Harcourt, 1998. An African American farm girl tells how her parents gradually accepted the first dragon she raised from an egg. In return for the girl’s affectionate care, the dragon takes her flying and helps with the crops in amazing ways. With gentle humor this fantasy shows a child discovering that her own talents are a little different from those of her parents.

Pavey, Peter. One Dragon’s Dream. Scarsdale, NY: Bradbury, 1978. Counting book in which a dragon dreams of animals harassing and dragging him around.

Peet, Bill. How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head. Boston: Houghton, 1971. A dragon does farm work in exchange for protection from a king, then is hired to display his head at the castle spring festivals (instead of being decapitated).

Pilkey, David. A Friend for Dragon. New York: Orchard, 1991. Dragon's Halloween. Dragon’s Fat Cat. New York: Orchard, 1992. A series on a chubby blue wingless dragon who needs to make friends and learn cat care.

Pendziwol, Jean. No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons). Illus. Martine Gourbault. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press, 1999. "Rhymed text and illustrations show what happened at a tea party when a friendly dragon sneezed. Includes a fire safety rhyme and a checklist of things to be prepared to do in case of fire."

Pendziwol, Jean. A Treasure at Sea for Dragon and Me: Water Safety for Kids (and Dragons). Illus. Martine Gourbault. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2005.

Reisner, Molly. The Dragon Dance. Illus. Daniel Mather. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Children's Books, 2009. "Come along with Kai-lan and her friends as they do 'The dragon dance' based on the new animated series 'Ni Hao, Kai-lan', this colorful book encourages young readers to follow the action and join the dance. It features a fabric covered spring that stretches and winds through the pages of the book, mimicking the movements of a dancing dragon. For learning fun, there are Chinese words and their English translations throughout the book."

Rigg, Jo, and Simon Mugford. Dizzy Dragon. Funny Faces. New York: Priddy Books, 2006. "Readers can feel the textured illustrations, move the googly eyes, and hear the sounds of dragons."

Robertson, M. P. The Dragon and the Gruesome Twosome. London: Frances Lincoln Children's, 2008. "George and his dragon are back in this magical adventure to save a fairytale kingdom from two terrible troll twins. Can George save the day?"

Robertson, M. P. The Dragon Snatcher. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2005. "George and his dragon go to the 'land that is neither here nor there' in order to save a dragon egg from a malevolent ice wizard."

Robertson, M. P. The Egg. New York: Puffin, 2000. A boy hatches a giant egg in his bedroom after finding it under his mother's chicken. Doing "his motherly duty to teach the dragon dragony ways," George instructs him in flying, fire breathing, distressing damsels, and defeating knights. Then a bedtime dragon story makes the dragon miss his own kind. Seven nights after leaving George, the dragon returns to take his friend on a night-time flight to the cave of his family. Bright illustrations of different sizes use lighting effectively to convey the drama and mystery of finding a giant egg under in the hen house and developing a dragon friendship in a realistic setting. See sequels above and below. Click here for review by a student.

Robertson, M. P. The Great Dragon Rescue. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2004. "George and his old friend the dragon try to rescue a baby dragon from a witch."

San Souci, Daniel. The Rabbit and the Dragon King. Illus. Eujin Kim Neilan. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press, 2002. A quick-witted rabbit and a turtle help an ill dragon king find the will to live. Based on a Korean folktale often called "The Hare's Liver," this story contains an underwater dragon king who is easily tricked into thinking he is cured even though he does not really get the rabbit's heart that he thought would save him.

Talbot, John. The Dragon’s Cold. Pleasant Hill, CA: Discovery Toys, 1988. Children make a giant handkerchief for a sick, tame dragon; then it heats the village’s water.

Thayer, Jane. The Popcorn Dragon. 1953. Rpt. Illus. Lisa McCue. New York: Morrow Jr. Books, 1989. Dexter the dragon shows off when he learns to blow smoke and smoke rings, but has no friends. He pops corn by mistake when sleeping, and then gets friends.

Thomas, Shelley Moore. A Cold Winter's Good Knight. Illus. Jennifer Plecas. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2008. "When three little dragons come to the castle on the night of a fancy ball, the Good Knight must remind them to mind their manners."

Thomas, Shelley Moore. Good Night, Good Knight. Illus. Jennifer Plecas. New York: Dutton, 2000. 47 pp. "A Good Knight helps three little dragons who are having trouble getting to sleep."

Thomas, Shelley Moore. Happy Birthday, Good Knight. Illus. Jennifer Plecas. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2006. 48 pp. "The Good Knight tries to help three little dragons make a birthday present for a very special friend" (Worldcat).

Thomas, Shelley Moore. Take Care, Good Knight. Illus. Paul Meisel. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2006. 32 pp. "The three little dragons have agreed to take care of the old wizard's cats while he is away, but their inability to read his instructions causes problems until their friend, the Good Knight, saves the day" (Worldcat).

Trez, Denise and Alain. The Little Knight’s Dragon. New York: World Publishing, 1963. A child prince forgets a dragon is dangerous, teaches the dragon to play marbles, takes him home to play and provide central heating for the castle in winter.

Uttley, Alison. Sam Pig and the Dragon. Illus. Graham Percy. London: Faber, 1940; rpr. 1989. Sam finds a friendly dragon who helps around the house before he has to go back to sleep.

Vrombaut, An. Dear Dragon. London: Hodder Children's, 2005. "It's Princess Florrie's birthday. She is tired of all the usual entertainment—jugglers, jesters, and acrobats and wants something a little unusual for her party. Something like a dreadful dragon. The rest of the palace is convinced he's too dreadful, but Princess Florrie likes a challenge so she decides to write him a letter!"

Vrombaut, An. The Dragon Festival. London: Hodder Children's, 2008. "Princess Florrie and Dear Dragon appear again in another exciting adventure - jam packed full of dragons with an endearing message of friendship and acceptance. There's a Dragoneering Competition at the castle and Princess Florrie thinks Dear Dragon should enter, but he's not sure that blowing bubbles is really a very dragoneering kind of skill!"

Wallace, Ian. Chin Chiang and the Dragon's Dance. New York: Atheneum, 1984. "Chin Chiang has long dreamed of dancing the dragon's dance, but when the first day of the Year of the Dragon arrives and he is to dance with his grandfather, he is sure he will shame his family and bring bad luck to everyone."

Watt, Fiona. That's Not My Dragon. Illus. Rachel Wells. Usborne Touchy-Feely Books. Tulsa, OK: EDC Pub, 2006. "Turn the pages and touch the patches of different textures to develop sensory and language awareness."

Wilson, Gina. Ignis. Illus. P. J. Lynch. London: Walker Books, 2001. Ignis (whose name means fire) is a young dragon in a fantasy world, Dragonland, depicted in sweeping, colorful landscapes. In spite of many positive traits and reassurance from his Gran-dragon and best friend, Ignis doubts his dragon identity because he can't breathe fire. He wanders off and makes several new friends, including a human girl. An encounter with an old volcano helps him begin producing magnificent bursts of fire. Bookplate based on this book available on Lynch's blog: http://pjlynchgallery.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html.

Wilson, Sarah. Beware the Dragons. New York: Harper & Row, 1985. A girl helps reconcile friendly dragons in a bay with the town that misunderstood them.

Wood, Audrey. The Princess and the Dragon. 1982. Child's Play Theatre Edition, 1993. A princess who misbehaves tries to make trouble for the knights by getting kidnapped by a dragon. She continues to throw tantrums when she finds that the dragon in his cave is tame and cultured. Everyone is happy when they changes places because dragons are expected to make trouble. Parents tell their children to be like the dragon-as-prissy-princess. Cartoonish illustrations climax in a colorful double-spread rumpus when all the children visit the princess in her fun cave. This edition contains song lyrics from the audio cassette.

Woodman, June and Rita Grainge. Wiff the Dragon. Illus. Peter Kingston. Loughborough: Ladybird Books, 1981. Wiff rescues his parents from a zoo with the help of the “digging dragons.”

Woodruff, Elvira. A Dragon in my Backpack. Illus. Denise Brunkus. Mahwah, NJ: WhistleStop, 1996. Ben loves dragons and takes his stuffed dragon Bumps everywhere, but they both have doubts about starting kindergarten the next day. After his father reads stories about fearless knights, Ben dreams about Sir Ben, who has to go to kindergarten for a day after a mishap keeps a prince out of school and a substitute pupil is required. Sir Ben's dragon Beastly Bumps follows him and burns down the school door. They enjoy their daily fights at the castle but they get in trouble in school for fighting and causing other problems, yet they end up saving everyone and getting gold stars. This silly dream about a burly knight who is intimidated by kindergarten convinces Ben to enjoy his first real day at school. This book also fits into the category of Dragons in the Imagination and Child's Dreams.

Wyllie, Steve. The Red Dragon: A 3-D Picture Book with Press-Out Disguises. New York: Dial, 1993. Dragon turns green but isn’t scary.

Yates, Irene. Bedtime for Little Dragons. Illus. Helen Floate. Snuggle up Stories. London: Ladybird, 2000.

Zamboni, Pablo. El dragón azul: un cuento sobre mares, ríos y lagos. Dragones de Colores. Buenos Aires: Albatros, 2007. In Spanish. "A blue dragon discovers a realm where all of the lakes, rivers, and seas are drying up because the animals wished the clouds away so they could enjoy sunny days, so he comes up with a plan to get the clouds to return."

Zamboni, Pablo. El dragón rojo: un cuento sobre las estaciones del año. Dragones de Colores. Buenos Aires: Albatros, 2007. In Spanish. "A red dragon discovers a forest so dark and cold that all of the animals have long since moved away, so he provides the forest with light and heat until it springs back to life, but eventually he must leave in order to help other forests."

Zamboni, Pablo. El dragón verde: un cuento sobre los bosques. Dragones de Colores. Buenos Aires: Albatros, 2007. In Spanish. "A green dragon discovers a realm with only small plants, so he breathes life into the land, causing the plants to flower, grow, and transform into trees, attracting many animals to the shelter of the new forest."