Felicity the Dragon

Felicity the Dragon
by Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg
Recommended Ages: 5+

I read a lot of books aimed at a younger age group, but very seldom do I get down among the very littlest readers or books to be read aloud to even littler kids. This is one of the littlest and lightest books I have read in a long time. But it was also the first book I was allowed to review pre-publication through the NetGalley website. It's also the first time I've successfully downloaded a book into my Kindle for pre-publication review. It feels like I've turned a new page as a book reviewer, only I didn't touch any actual pages. I hope I don't mess this up too badly.

Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg is a painter and sometime book illustrator who both wrote and illustrated this book. Set to be released Sept. 1, 2015, I think this is the first book she authored. In a few rhyming lines decorated with adorable paintings it tells the story of a lonely dragon who doesn't fit in with her kind. One day while watching some children play alongside a castle moat, she sees a boy fall into the water and dives to save him. This act of kindness brings Felicity her first taste of friendship and feelings of belonging.

It is a little, light, gentle story that shows how being nice to others can bring more happiness than being mean. The rhymes aren't perfect and the story isn't a conventional blockbuster, but in its brief and direct way it could become the go-to book for children struggling to fit in, maybe helping steer them away from the path of bullying at an early age.