Rita wants a Dragon by Máire Zepf

Rita wants a Dragon by Máire Zepf

By Máire Zepf (author) , Mr Ando (illustrator)

"This empathetic, conversation-starting picture book will ease even the fieriest of tempers"

Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19

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We’re big fans of Maire Zepf’s Rita Wants books here at LoveReading4kids — who can resist her infectious imagination, her unique perspective on the world, and the way she works through life’s problems (in this case, how to handle feeling cross)?

With bold, engaging snowy scenes and a vibrant dragon conjured by Mr Ado the illustrator, this fiery, thought-provoking picture book sees Rita in a terrible mood. She’s having one of those got-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed-days, when “everything is wrong” — something everyone can relate to.

Rita’s grumpy state of mind leads her to want a dragon. Like her, dragons are cross. They “roar louder than thunder” and “breathe fire, hot and angry”. Then, when they’ve roared themselves out, dragons can fly far away, somewhere they can be alone in peace. Thinking this scenario through, Rita decides she’d show her dragon how to breathe more calmly.

Together they’d talk about “what had gone wrong” and snuggle up together, which is exactly what Rita and her mum do!

This is the perfect story to share with toddlers to ease dragon-like outbursts and help them communicate why they’re feeling angry or out of sorts.

The series includes;

Rita wants a Fairy Godmother

Find out more about the series from author Máire Zepf.

Meet Rita. She’s a little girl with very big ideas.

When Rita gets cross she imagines she has a ferocious dragon that will make the world shudder with anger. But even the hottest tempers can be soothed and Rita’s mum knows just how.

Máire Zepf has written 12 books for children, from picture books to a YA verse novel. Winner of the KPMG Children’s Book of the Year, the Réics Carló Award and a White Raven in 2020, her books appear in 8 languages worldwide. The Co. Down author was the first Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland, based at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at QUB (2017-19). She is Artistic Director for Quotidian - Word on the Street.

About her series, Máire said, ‘Rita is a little girl with VERY big ideas. She has lots of adventures coming up in which she dreams up fantastical solutions to ordinary problems, often with hilarious results! Each book is based around a different character and centres on a new theme. There will be robots and dragons, ninjas, genies and a fairy godmother who will help her explore notions from fairness and order to the genderisation of clothing and emotional regulation.’

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The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Rita wants a Dragon and determined it is suitable for children aged 0-4 years old

Rita wants a Dragon features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Fantasy / Magical, Featured Books for 3+ readers, Recommendations, Books for Babies and Toddlers

Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.

Rita wants a Dragon was written by Máire Zepf and published by Graffeg Limited

Rita wants a Dragon has 38 pages

£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.

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