What is it: An illustrated kid's book series
What's it about: Danny Dragonbreath is the sole mythical creature in a school of reptiles and amphibians who goes on all kinds of adventures.
Why I like it: Awesome artwork, hilarious writing, and snarky humor that appeals to my inner 8-year-old. And my son thinks it's hilarious that I laugh along with him at the crazy stuff that happens to Danny and his best friend, Wendell.
Wendell is a nerdy iguana who does not share the same devil-may-care attitude that Danny has, but he's dragged along on various adventures all the same. The comedy is priceless, and there's just the right balance of danger and mystery to keep the pace bumping along.
In the first book, Dragonbreath, Danny is tasked with writing a paper about the ocean. Wendell refuses to help him, so Danny goes to visit his sea-serpent cousin (Danny's family is made up of all sorts of mythological critters) who takes them to see all sorts of neat things--a coral reef, a sunken ship, the lower depths where they almost get eaten by a giant squid.
The other books in the series are Attack of the Ninja Frogs, Curse of the Were-Wiener (my favorite so far), Lair of the Bat Monster, and No Such Thing as Ghosts.
What I didn't like: I love these books, but I had a difficult time finding the first two at any local store. I finally stumbled upon a single copy at a Barnes & Noble (maybe they're just super popular and demand is high). Be aware that they're in hardcover only and seem costly for their size (although they are entirely illustrated, but still, I wished these came in paperback and didn't cost so much).
Final thoughts: If you like quirky odd-couple repartee, adventure and snark, you might really enjoy this series.
More can be found at Ursula Vernon's website.
Comments