#586 of 1001 · March 9, 2022

May you be entertained and comforted in equal measure by Rosemary Sutcliff and @emmachichesterc’s The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup. The story opens in an antique world lightly tinged with magic. A dragon egg falls from a cliff and lands on the beach below. A wandering minstrel happens by, witnesses the egg hatching, and names the baby dragon Lucky. The two become fast friends and explore the land together for several happy years. When they stop at a tavern, disaster strikes: a traveling showman steals Lucky in the middle of the night. The minstrel meanders about dejectedly for months until he arrives at a palace where a little prince lies afflicted with a mysterious illness. Out in the royal garden stands a menagerie filled with strange mythical beasts, and in one of the cages lies the lost dragon. The minstrel cures the prince with a tune on the harp. As a reward, the grateful king returns Lucky and issues a proclamation that the minstrel and the dragon pup are under his protection. Sutcliff’s spirited original tale is well served by Clark’s warm, smooth-textured illustrations. #dragon #pup #palace #garden #prince #king #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks