The Dragon at the Zoo product reviews

Miss Six and Mr Three were fascinated to find that this was a story about places they had visited - the Auckland Sky Tower, the harbour bridge, and the zoo. Add to this a charming and imaginative story and they could not wait to settle down to read it. Although the themes of adventure and friendship were two they could relate to, there were also strong messages about treating others as they would like to be treated themselves. On every level this book was a winner.

One of the more unique aspects of the narrative was the way that unusual words were included within the text. These are words that might not be familiar to children of their age, but in context they were accessible and offered a fun way to increase their vocabulary. Words like astride, skite, murmuration, discombobulated, komodo, morphed, phenomenon, and others are scattered throughout the text; some needed unpacking for the children, but even those they did not understand enriched the text. There was certainly no dumbing down of the narrative - rather, the children were encouraged to assimilate these new words, and that in a way that they did not even realise that they were learning!

The illustrations are delightful. The expressions on some of the animals' faces when Cedric flies above them tell it all; the tiger and the dragonfly are especially amusing. There is a photo of the actual dragon at the start of the book, showing that he was originally a vibrant red, but he is now a more natural dragon colour. He is portrayed in the book as being various shades of green and grey, but no doubt he will change colour yet again when he has another makeover. The only really bright colours in the book are Tig's hair and shoes and Cedric's tongue. Otherwise, the shades are muted to fit in with nature's hues.

There is an important message for older children reading the book as the zoo animals decide they want Cedric back in case more of them disappear. Of course, they do not know that he has just flown away because he feels rejected; for all they know, he has been abducted and one of them could be next. To lure him back, the birds fly in a dragon shape so that he will recognise them. By doing this they are showing solidarity with Cedric and showing that they want him to return. (Perhaps there is a lesson there for warmongers.)