I recently signed up my two year old daughter with our local library. My son is already a member via his school and both of them absolutely adore books. Their enthusiasm for new stories never tires. However just about every storage area they have available to them is dominated by masses of books. I thought therefore that the library would be a good compromise, allowing us to return them rather than hoard them!

The Trouble with Dragons by Debi Gliori is our most recent choice from the library. My daughter chose it not for herself but for her four year old brother who is fascinated by the world of dragons.

This book is currently available from Amazon at just £4.49 for paperback or £11.13 for a sturdier hardback book.

The story is a rather metaphoric one. The trouble with dragons is indeed not with dragons but rather with humans. We are shown how our world is slowly being damaged and even destroyed. For instance points are made such as "Dragons chop down forests, which melts both the poles, and puncture the atmosphere full of big holes". Towards the end of the book the animals of the world give advice to these dragons on how best to treat the Earth, such as "Eat food that is grown much closer to home and leave the wild places and ice caps alone".

The story is written in rhyme and has a good rhythm. I do prefer to read books to my children which are written in rhyme as I find them rather enjoyable to read aloud. The text is large, clear and is spaced out, with some words being positioned on their own to give particular importance to them.

The illustrations, I presume, are also by the author Debi Gliori, as there is no mention of a separate illustrator. The rather muted colours which are used give the book a slightly dated feel, though this is not an old publication (2008). I personally feel that bolder colours would enhance the images a little more. Regardless, the dragons are rather whimsical and endearing. The silhouettes used throughout create an enchanted feel which sits well with the story. The tangled ivy, home to various birds, which is seen on the front cover and towards the end of the book is rather reminiscent of a William Morris piece. Again, this gives the impression of an enchanted forest.

Both my four year old son and my two year old daughter enjoyed this book. They seemed to understand the message rather well despite their age and they were dawn in to the dragon's turmoil as I read the story to them. I personally enjoyed this book too, in fact I can honestly say that this is one of the few books, as we have read so many, that will stay in my mind and be recommended to friends who have similar aged children. I may even buy a few copies as gifts towards the end of the year. Overall this really is a very enjoyable story which has a very important message and states it very well too.

ISBN 978-0-7475-9540-3