#220 of 1001 · March 8, 2021

For a fantasy quest with a gentle message at its heart, try Dyan Sheldon and Gary Blythe’s The Moon Dragons. A king receives a visitor who tells him a strange tale. According to the wandering guest, the moon dragons, long thought to be extinct, still survive on a cloud-bounded mountaintop. The greedy king, wishing to capture one of the elusive beasts for himself, offers a lavish reward in exchange for their exact whereabouts. Though many embark on the quest for their hidden sanctuary, none can reach it. Then, much to the amusement of the court, a humble peasant girl responds to the royal decree. Though she possesses no special skills or remarkable talents, her patience, determination, and sheer grit propel her alone to success. She is then faced with a choice: prove her doubters wrong by revealing the dragons’ hideaway or swallow her pride and preserve the secret of the exquisite creatures’ existence. Sheldon’s thoughtful text and Blythe’s realistic acrylic paintings support the book’s tone of wonder and reverence for the pure splendor of life. #moon #dragon #dragons #king #mountain #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks