Flight of the Last Dragon
This slow-to-start picture book details the final flight of Earth’s last remaining dragon, Ultimon. He lives in the city sewers, dreaming of the olden days: “A time when dragons / Ruled the waves / And breathed hot flames / In jewel-filled caves.” Then, spurred on by a star calling out to him, Ultimon flies off into the night sky. In a somewhat confusing ending, Ultimon is beckoned by stars, “Come in, Ultimon / Out of the night!” and he takes his place as part of Draco, the dragon constellation. The whole thing is perhaps a little too ethereally described for the target audience, but there are obviously plenty of kids who will be drawn to the dragon theme. GrandPré’s lush, full-bleed acrylic art depicts a lean, muscular dragon (nothing cute here) that may tempt those who prefer their mythical creatures on the “realistic” side. Best here are the darkly hued spreads that reflect a stunning night sky and the dragon’s emotionally expressive face. An author’s note about the Draco constellation concludes. Grades 1-3. --Ann Kelley