The Secret Rescuers: The Storm Dragon

The Secret Rescuers: The Storm Dragon
Paula Harrison
Sophy Williams, Illustrator
Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, 2017  119 pages
Grades 2-4
Fantasy

Orphan Sophy works as a servant girl in the castle of the recently widowed Queen. Since the death of the King, life has been a bit more intense at the castle. Sir Fitzroy has the ear of the Queen and is determined to rid the kingdom of magical creatures of whom he considers dangerous. While Sophie is hard at work, a Golden Songbird leads her to a chest of beautiful crystals. Sophy puts them in her pocket, only to rediscover them when a baby dragon crash-lands into a tree while she is picking apples. The magic crystals allow her to communicate with the baby dragon and they can now understand each other perfectly. His name is Cloudy and he is a storm dragon, capable of creating wind and, eventually, controlling the weather. Cloudy wandered off and became separated from his dragon family. During this adventure he injured his wing and can no longer fly. He needs Dragonweed, a plant that grows beyond the castle walls, a repair it. Sophy must somehow sneak Cloudy out of the castle and find the mysterious Dragonweed without detection from soldiers or the Queen and Sir Fitzroy. How can a lowly servant girl save the day?

Originally published in the United Kingdom, this new series will appeal to young fairytale lovers not quite ready for The Land of Stories or lovers of the Fairy Magic series. With a bit more substance than Fairy Magic and drawing in animals enthusiasts, this new series has much to recommend it. Girls, especially, will enjoy Sophy's adventures and wish to discover their own magic creatures. The pencil illustrations are sweet and will draw readers into the pages. Targeted at the beginning chapter book set, the vocabulary is a bit deceiving, so although the packaging is on target for the age group, some of the words may be a bit tricky for newly independent readers. The story is magical, adventurous, and fun. It encourages readers to open their imaginations and observe their worlds more closely for hidden magic. Sophy learns that even though she is an orphaned servant girl, she is special. She was chosen to find the magical stones because of her kindness to animals and her yet untapped courage. I love the message that little people can do big things and Sophy demonstrates fearlessness, empathy, and character. The second and third in the series are already released in the United States with number four scheduled to come in November.