Picturebook Review: Lovabye Dragon by Barbara Joosse and Randy Cecil

Lovabye Dragon, written by Barbara Joosse and illustrated by Randy Cecil, is the story of a young girl longing for a dragon for a friend, and a dragon who dreams of befriending a girl. The young girls silver tears lead the dragon to her, and a fantastic friendship is born. The dragon is loving, protective, and gentle as it plays with his new little friend. The illustrations are fun and match the words and theme of the story perfectly.

Lovabye Dragon made me wish I had a dragon of my own. The young girl and the dragon start of craving a true, loving friend. Their longing and pairing is heartfelt, obvious in both words and the illustration. The desire and caring for a true friend, in dragon or other form, is something that every adult and child can relate to. The fun of the pair at play is just as obvious and relatable through the story as their initial longing. The illustrations are well paired with the words and give deeper insight into the moods of the characters.

I highly recommend Lovabye Dragon for storytime or one on one reading. The vivid illustrations and well formed phrases work together to draw children and adults into the emotion of the story, and remind us to value friendships regardless of if they are old, new, or not yet made.