If You Meet a Dragon and Smaller Challenges by Multiple Authors Book B in the set published by ScottForesman Hardback Book: 144 pages
Excellent book. Each story or poem included deals with a challenge in life. All the challenges of life addressed in story form here are related to being a dragon, something big and scary that has to be dealt with and seems impossible to overcome. Great analogy. The first story deals with a little boy who’s grandfather is the head of the dragon for the Dragon Dance for the New Year celebration and wants the little boy to dance with him as the dragon’s tail. The little boy stresses over this because he feels clumsy and is afraid he will embarrass his grandfather. He meets an old woman who also danced the dragon dance when she was young so she walks through the steps with the boy until he feels more confident. When the parade starts she is watching from the sidelines as the little boy joins his grandfather, then the little boy runs to her and pulls her into the dragon costume as well and they do a fine dragon dance amid the firecrackers and happy people celebrating the day. There is a story about a little girl who is a dwarf (this one is a true story complete with pictures). She is adorable and very at ease with herself. She asks her taller classmates to assist her if needed but mostly does things for herself. A great story about what one person might see as a difficult thing turn into a beautiful butterfly instead. She smiles and lets people know up front that she is a dwarf and has no problem with who she is. She is a warrior princess. Gotta love her. There is a story about a knight who while brave in all ways was deathly afraid of the dark and how a lovely damsel helps him overcome it. There are poems about a young girl afraid to dive off the diving board and a lovely Chinese fable about a fox and a tiger. The tiger while out hunting for food comes upon a fox, before he can eat him the fox esplains to the tiger that he can’t eat him because he is one of the most respected and feared animals and is the king of the forest. The tiger doesn’t really buy that idea so the fox says come with me and I will show you, so the tiger follows the fox through the forest and all the animals run away in fear. The tiger is like, “I see what you mean, guess I better find something else to eat.” And all the time the animals were actually running from the tiger who was walking behind the fox. The moral of the story is, “Small creatures must live by their wits.” The story of the City Mouse and the Country Mouse is included, a particular favorite of mine. It is all in what you are used to, the City mouse has lives in a loud place with lots of restaurant dumpster options but also lots of dangerous cats, cars and cleavers to avoid. The Country mouse has peace, a sky full of stars and plenty of natural foods and blissful quiet and serenity where a crust of bread in peace is just fine. Astory about “The Boy and the Ghost,” where a young man from a big family down south who are poor and don’t have enough food for all the family to eat. The older children have to help their parents work the farm, the younger children are too young to do any hard labor, so, Thomas, the middle child decides he must do something to help the family. He decides he will go to the City and get work. He carries a ham bone and a pan with him. As he walks along the way he picks vegetables and greens to make soup for his dinner. He stops near a stream along the way and builds a fire then he puts the hambone and all the veggies and greens he has gathered along the way in the pot and heats it up. A man even poorer than Thomas comes up in tattered clothes and asks if he could have just a taste of that soup he was cooking? Thomas says of course and they share the soup. After the meal the man asks Thomas where he is heading? Thomas tells his story that he is going to the City to make some money to help his family. The man tells him he might not have to go that far. The man tells Thomas about a house on a hill not far from there where a rich man lived but he died. Folks say the house is haunted but if anyone stays there from sunset to sunrise the person that stays will get the house and the old man’s treasure. Thomas thanks the man and heads toward the house. He packs up his hambone and picks more veggies and greesns for to make him some dinner. He gets to the house and sure enough it is haunted. I won’t spoil the story for you but it is a good one you will want to read. Then there is the story of “IF You Say So, Claude.” Another good one all about one’s perception of things. I am partial to Claude’s wife, Shirley. Just goes to show sometimes calamities can be your friend not your foe. All worth reading. Very fun, complete with thought provoking questions. A good learning experience as well as delightful reads.
