When a Dragon Moves in - by Jodi Moore (Paperback)

About the Book

On a beautiful day at the beach, a young boy brings his bucket, shovel, and imagination, and builds a perfect sand castle. Right away, a dragon moves in. The boy decides to befriend his dragon and they spend time roaming the shore, flying a kite, braving the waves, defying bullies, and roasting marshmallows-- all while Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is engrossed in her book.

Book Synopsis

On a beautiful day at the beach, a young boy brings his bucket, shovel, and imagination, and builds a perfect sand castle. Right away, a dragon moves in. The boy decides to befriend his dragon and they spend time roaming the shore, flying a kite, braving the waves, defying bullies, and roasting marshmallows-- all while Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is engrossed in her book. Unfortunately, no one believes the boy when he tries to share the news of this magnificent creature. That's when the mischief begins, and the dragon becomes a force to be reckoned with. While adults will recognize the naughty antics as a ploy for attention, children will dissolve into giggles as the dragon devours every last sandwich, blows bubbles in the lemonade, and leaves claw prints in the brownies. Maybe the dragon really is running amok on the beach, or maybe it's a little boy's imagination that is running wild.

Review Quotes

"[A] funny and creative riff on cause and effect. . . . Colorful, cartoony illustrations brim with humor . . . deadpan text is sure to illicit giggles. . . . A sandy complement to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie."

-- "Kirkus (April 11, 2011)"

"Dramatic in perspective, McWilliam's exaggerated, digitally colored art renders the monsters in a spectrum of neon hues and outlandish shapes."

-- "Publishers Weekly on I Need My Monster"

"Masterfully lit fish-eyed views, fur, fangs, claws and interesting perspectives make seven monsters just scary enough.... Stunningly gorgeous...."

--Mark and Andrea "Just One More Book.com podcast."

"Moore has a light, sure touch, and she gives McWilliam (I Need My Monster) plenty of room to exercise his considerable gifts for operatic expressiveness and expertly choreographed physical humor."

-- "Publishers Weekly (March 14, 2011)"

"Moore's heartfelt and humorous text paired with McWilliam's bright and vivid cartoon-styled illustrations are a wonderful blend. Readers young and old will love following the main character and his pet dragon....This series is a wonderful addition to any school or home library collection!"

--Heather Macht "SeasonsOfKidLit.com"

"The delightfully humorous fantasy introduces the enthusiastic sand architect and the happy, fire-belching dragon on the jacket. . . . The cartoony scenes contrast the usual activities of the family with the imaginary but plausible behavior of the playful dragon."

-- "Children's Literature (May 8, 2011)"

"This book is an absolute hoot! The storyline is appealing -- especially to kids ... It's a book that a grandparent -- or parent -- will not tire of reading over, and over, and over to kids ... I can't recommend it enough!"

--Nina Lewis "Grandma Ideas blog"

"This delightful picture book is the perfect summer read or for those winter days when you're dreaming of warmer weather. The endearing tale about friendship, humor, and the power of the imagination will transport you to the sunny, hot seaside, and leave you laughing and delightfully charmed."

-- "The Picture Book Pages blog"

"This sequel is SO much fun! Any kid who has had a younger sibling will find this one so funny!!! (And truly, all kids find it funny!) ... The bright, colorful, animated illustrations really bring this story to life!"

--Mrs.MakesReadingFun

"We love, love, love this one! When we read aloud to students, they were so engaged and laughed so much. It was one of the top picks to 're-read' at the end of the year!"

--Mrs.MakesReadingFun

The multimedia illustrations overflow with humorous details and comical expressions and poses. . . . True to its circular format, this book is likely to be read over and over again.

-- "Bayviews magazine (May 1, 2011)"

This cumulative tale reminiscent of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie tells of a small boy who believes if you build the perfect sandcastle a dragon will move in, and so he does. . . . The illustrations are . . . large, colorful and full of life. This is a great book for sharing with a group or as a jump start to a writing activity with an older audience.

-- "Puget Sound Council"

This is a really cute book that allows readers to question imagination vs. reality . . . . The illustrations are stellar and I think the cover appeal alone will see this book highly circulated.

--Stephanie "kissthebook.blogspot.co.il"

Warmly caricatured people, cinematic pacing, and gleaming pages give this a look that is just short of animation itself. This is a crowd-pleasing merger of sly text and pictures that will tickle many a funny bone. Highly recommended.

-- "Library Media Connection (October 2011)"

What a delightful book! Author Jodi Moore elevates this summer, beach story mixing fantasy and reality.... I won't spoil the twist ending. The illustrations by Howard McWilliam are adorable.

--Amy Houts, author of 100+ books

In honor of our 20th anniversary, we're having a 12-month blog tour! Each month, a different blogger will interview a Flashlight Press author and give away 20 copies of their book! This month's interview is with Jodi Moore, author of When a Dragon Moves In. Click this link to read her interview and enter the giveaway. https: //www.seasonsofkidlit.com/post/celebrate-appreciate-a-dragon-day-with-jodi-moore-plus-a-20-book-giveaway

About the Author

Jodi Moore was chief contributing editor of The Promo Network, a worldwide information resource to the hospitality and broadcast industries, and her articles have appeared in many local magazines. While she and her husband run a mobile disc-jockey service specializing in private and corporate functions, and love building sandcastles, her first love is writing. This is Jodi's first picture book. She lives in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. Howard McWilliam is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed I Need My Monster. He was chosen as National Young Cartoonist of the Year at the age of 12. A regular cover artist for the Week magazine, he also illustrates for the Sunday Telegraph, Moneyweek, and Outdoor Life. Other clients include PC Pro and Mac User magazines, and Nintendo. He was the Cartoon Art Trust's Cartoonist of the year in 2009. Since I Need My Monster, he has since illustrated six books in the Ghost Detectors series and six books in the Calico Illustrated Classics series (both published by Magic Wagon), six covers in the Alfie the Werewolf series (Hodder, a Hachette UK company), and four covers in the Kit Salter adventures (Quercus Books).