You've Got Dragons

This book introduces us to the idea that we all have ‘dragons’ – worries, fears, bad things – lurking round every corner, ready to leap out on us without warning. We learn how they make us feel, and are assured that we don’t get them ‘by being bad’. We discover the characteristics of dragons and the difficulty of managing them, and that when we’ve got them, we need lots of hugs. Oh, and they will go eventually, and then ‘you’ll never EVER get dragons so badly again’.

The book ends with a ‘problem page’, and a ‘top tips’ section, and has a distinctly American feel to it. It is beautifully produced, from the endpapers to the soft watercolour illustrations, sharpened by cross-hatching. This is one of those ‘PG’ rated books – great for the right child at the right time; bewildering, even frightening in the wrong circumstances. Know your child, and use it sensitively; play down the certainties – after all, who can predict what another’s next big worry may be like? Or use it in ‘Circle-time’ discussions where many children may find parts they can identify with.