Franklin and Luna Go to the Moon

This is the second story to feature the delightful duo, Franklin the story loving dragon and his best friend Luna. Fuelled by their avid passion for reading the two have a thirst for adventure and now with Franklin having reached the ripe old age of six hundred and five, Luna decides it’s time to go on an adventure in search of her friend’s long lost family.

During the course of their travels they encounter all kinds of weird and wonderful characters including spaghetti-eating yetis, Shakespeare loving vampires, volleyball playing elves and roller skate wearing, disco dancing unicorns; but no dragons. Footsore and weary they’re no nearer finding that elusive dragon family.

But then, Neil Armstrong – love that name – Luna’s pet tortoise notices something way up in the sky above. In the time it takes to tickle Franklin’s nostrils and cause him to sneeze, the three of them are zooming off into space, lunar bound.

What they discover upon landing appears at first to be a distinct lack of dragons, but then footprints in the sand and a familiar sound lead the three adventurers to a hoard of silvery dragons. Joy of joys, it’s Franklin’s family at last and even more wonderful perhaps is the fact that they too are lovers of stories.  Despite his happiness at discovering his roots, this lunar landscape is no longer home to Franklin, so the reunion party must end with promises of things to come …

With its magical text and dreamily delicious illustrations (a mix of full page, double spread and vignette), this discovering your origins book is another triumph for the Campbell/Harnett duo. Bring on adventure number three.