By Andy Shepherd (author) , Sara Ogilvie (illustrator) Part of the The Boy Who Grew Dragons series
"The very best kind of magical storytelling "
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The Boy Who Grew Dragons book 4
Andy Shepherd’s series about Tomas, a boy who discovers dragons growing in his grandad’s garden is hugely popular and deservedly so. The plot is delicious – what young reader wouldn’t love to have magical, mischievous, lovable little pets flying round their bedrooms. If you think a kitten can cause trouble, just think of the extra chaos a young dragon can cause, fiery, exploding poo being just part of it!
Cheeky as the little dragons are, they are also hugely lovable, affectionate and loyal. When Tomas’s friends find dragons of their own, the fun multiplies, and together they find out more about their dragons and have wonderful adventures, fuelled always by copious amounts of jam tarts. Another joy is all the time Tomas spends with his wise old grandad, cultivating the garden and discovering lots about nature and life in general.
No matter how wild the dragon’s antics, the stories are grounded in real life and the human relationships are perfectly described. The stories are illustrated throughout with black and white line drawings by Sara Ogilvie and her dragons are quite as naughty and as gorgeous as they sound in Shepherd’s descriptions.
Eleven-year-old Tomas has a secret friend like no other: Flicker, a dragon with glittering eyes and scales that flicker from fiery orange to ruby red. But Tomas is also having to get used to Flicker being away, now that his dragon's home is back in the frosty North. Adventure is never far away for Tomas, though - as he finds out when another dragon hatches on the dragonfruit tree at the bottom of the garden, a dragon who quite quickly decides he is sticking firmly with Tomas!
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Zing is a tiny dragon with oversized wings, who causes havoc wherever he goes. When a new girl, Aura, starts at school, proclaiming herself to be a dragon expert, Tomas is thrown into confusion. He is the one with the dragons and the dragonfruit tree, after all! Before he knows it, Tomas has blurted out his secret to Aura, and sets in motion a chain of events which will lead to adventures and mayhem aplenty ...
Praise for the series;
A warm-hearted and really fun story - Parents In Touch
A delicious series that is as unexpected, as hilarious and as more-ish as any you could wish for - or grow! A true must-read for anyone who believes that a little magic, coupled with the soils of a garden, can bring forth a brilliant adventure or three Onjali Rauf, author of The Boy at the Back of the Class
Shepherd has created a magical series that makes eyes shine with wonder, hearts swell with warmth, and rooms fill with giggles Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
Imaginative and charming, The Boy Who Grew Dragons is a wonderfully whimsical story that kept me smiling the whole way through - Books for Topics
Free readers will get stuck into the new series The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd, about finding magic in the most ordinary of places - Angels and Urchins
an inspired concept, this is a funny and heartwarming tale of magic, family and friendship - Madge Reviews
This is a sumptuous start to a new series, bursting with energy and humour, yet tinged with the darker side of life too. There's a grumpy neighbour, aware but preoccupied parents, an eclectic group of friends, a strange gardening guide, nomenclature of dragon pets - so many facets all covered and explored. A perfect example of domesticity interrupted with a touch of magic. Dragon fruit will never look the same again! - Minerva Reads
Andy Shepherd's dragon-debut is an absolute delight and is just the very start to a series that I'm sure is going to be a roaring success. It's a series that - pardon the pun - I just want to drag-on and on and on! - The Reader Teacher
A hilarious rip-roaring adventure. Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Cressida Cowell - South Wales Evening Post
A warm-hearted debut... lovely, expressive, characterful - Sunday Times
The Boy Who Grew Dragons is one of those magical children's books that warms the cockles of your heart no matter what age you might be. It's fast, it's funny, it makes you feel good, and for the brief time, it takes to read its reassuring innocence comforts you into believing that everything is right with the world. This is Andy Shepherd's first book and she knocks it out of the park from page one - Starburst Magazine
a spectacular start to a new series - The Sun
[An] ingenious premise is brought to life with great skill and humour - The Scotsman
Shepherd delights in describing crazy situations, and the book's heartfelt message is one of care and friendship - Literary Review
Fantastic fire-breathing fun with wonderful illustrations by Sara Ogilvie, this is a lovely new series for anyone who ever wanted a pet dragon - WRD Magazine
A kind of Pete's Dragon with extra giggles, The Boy Who Grew Dragons takes on the rather hair-singeing challenges of finding that your grandad's garden has suddenly started sprouting fire-breathing mischief-makers and the illustrations by Sara Ogilvie really make it come alive - Waterstones Blog
charming [and] sublime - Event Magazine
Hilarious, warm and full of magic... featuring delightful line drawings - The Metro
My son and I really liked this. It's at heart a simple story, but has some rather charming elements. Tomas raises his baby dragon, keeping him a secret, though his little sister finds out and her precious little ways are rather adorable.Friends of course eventually become suspicious - especially when there's explosive dragon poo to be found in Tomas's school bag! One of our favourite scenes, I think. The scenes of baby Flicker causing mayhem are very much in line with the age group's humour - Nudge Book
Irresistible... everything you want in a book for a newly independent reader - tender realism, honouring children's inner feelings and anarchic magic, both beautiful and regrettable. Sara Ogilvie's illustrations capture both enchantment and stench... A modern classic - The Guardian
A proper children's book... the humour and Sara Ogilvie's illustrations are just right - New Statesman
The story is a heartwarming account of one boy's struggle to look after a mythical creature whilst juggling the reality of life at school and at home with lots of laugh-out-loud funny moments and peppered with bold illusstrations that will keep young readers enthralled - The School Librarian
A wonderfully whimsical story that's fast, funny and full of feel-good moments - Creative Bloq
Funny and Imaginative - The Week Junior
Andy Shepherd is the author of bestselling The Boy Who grew Dragons which has been translated into 25 languages . The first book was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize, The Sheffield Book Award and longlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award.
She lives near Cambridge with her husband, two sons.
Check out Andy's website for activities and resources linked to the series.
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The Boy Who Flew with Dragons
Eleven-year-old Tomas has a secret friend like no other: Flicker, a dragon with glittering eyes and scales that flicker from fiery orange to ruby red. But Tomas is also having to get used to Flicker being away, now that his dragon's home is back in the frosty North.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Boy Who Dreamed of Dragons and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-10 years old
The Boy Who Dreamed of Dragons features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Stories about Family and Friends, Fantasy / Magical, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Funny, Featured Books for 7+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Boy Who Dreamed of Dragons was written by Andy Shepherd and published by Piccadilly Press an imprint of Templar Publishing
The Boy Who Dreamed of Dragons has 263 pages
Yes it is part of The Boy Who Grew Dragons series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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