The Great Dragon Rescue
M.P. Robertson is an amazing illustrator! The pictures in this book are wonderful. From the muscles rippling in the dragon's wings and the clasp of its claws, to the light glinting from George's glasses, viewers can feel every action taken by these characters. Clouds melt into the sky and the brew in the witch's cauldron bubbles as we watch the story unfold.
The story, however, is not as breathtaking as its illustrations. The idea of a young boy flying off to the land where "everything begins with 'Once Upon a Time'" on a father dragon's back to rescue his dragonling is wonderful. Readers long for stories like this — magical, suspenseful, and imaginative. Children want to be transported, to feel the wind rush by their ears, to feel the arc of a dragon's back beneath them.
And though the premise is great, the actual story falls short. From the abrupt beginning, where one minute George is chasing chicken and the next minute he is inside the chicken coop flying away, to the flat ending, readers are left with a disappointing experience. The words simply do not live up to the pictures on the page.
I've shared this book with several children, all of whom have delighted over the pictures on the page. None of them have been interested in hearing the story a second time. In fact, my niece is currently writing her own story to go along with the illustrations in the book. And while I'd be interested in checking out more of M.P. Robertson's work, it will be the illustrations I'll be most interested in seeing.
