Kenny & the Dragon - Fantasy Adventure Book for Kids & Teens | Perfect for Bedtime Stories & Young Readers

I've slowly been making my way through a long list of books recommended to me by a librarian friend of mine, and besides her review, the other thing that caught my attention was the lovely cover art. It had a cozy charm to it that reminded me of Beatrix Potter's illustrations (and ironically enough, both her stories and this one features anthropomorphic animals). And what I got was exactly that.In a world of anthropomorphic characters (meaning animals that talk and behave like humans), a young rabbit named Kenny is surprised one day to find a dragon making a home for himself on Kenny's family farm. But said dragon, named Grahame, is nothing like the old fairy tales make dragons out to be. He doesn't have a single vicious bone in his body, and would rather play games in the fields, bake, and read books. The two quickly become the best of pals, but their friendship is soon in jeopardy when the townsfolk discover Grahame and want him removed--going so far as to recruit Kenny's other friend, a librarian (and retired knight) named George, to kill the dragon. Will the town's fear and misunderstanding make Kenny lose two friends? Or can the young rabbit find a clever way to avert a disaster?Supposedly, this book is a retelling of the story, "The Reluctant Dragon" (and even the book says as much at the end). I've never read the original story (nor seen the Disney adaption), so I can't comment on how similar or different this new version is by comparison. But none the less, this is a short, but sweet story about two unconventional best friends. While I wouldn't call Kenny an outcast, he IS pegged as a bit of an oddball amongst his classmates, with an active imagination and a passion for reading. And though his parents aren't as bookish as him, they still love and support their son and do whatever they can to help out his new dragon friend. As for Grahame, he's probably one of the nicest dragons you'll ever find in literature--preferring to eat baked goods and read all day, and finding the very notion of eating princesses and burning down villages utterly deplorable. His odd lifestyle is a welcome change of pace, but it's also what lands him in hot water when an old knight is forced out of retirement to slay him. The last thing Grahame wants to do is fight, and when George discovers the dragon's friendly nature, neither does he. But the fearful and superstitious townspeople won't see reason, and only through some clever ingenuity do our heroes find a way to make everyone happy.With clever dialogue and lovely illustrations, this is a cute little fairy tale that both kids and adults will enjoy, with lessons about being yourself, not giving into fear or rumors, using brains over brawn, and friendship conquering over adversity.