How to Ride a Dragonfly
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Like a laugh-out-loud spin on Thumbelina, this whimsical, beautifully illustrated picture book stars an adventurous little girl who shrinks down to the size of a bug and takes a tour of the swamp on a dragonfly's back.
Have you ever wanted to ride a dragonfly? Well, there’s one problem… You’re too big! But if you follow these simple steps, you'll be sure to have a fantastic journey:
Step 1: Put a rose petal in your pocket at sunrise, which will make you shrink. But don't forget: you must return by sunset-- or else you’ll stay shrunk!Step 2: Pick a blade of grass and lasso the first dragonfly that buzzes by--we'll call her Priscilla. Climb aboard!Step 3: Joust a bumblebee, groove to the Beetle Band, dine with fairies, and have an adventure. Watch out for the frogs! They love to eat dragonflies, and Priscilla looks quite tasty...Oh, dear! The sun is almost touching the mountains. Can you and Priscilla zip back in time before sunset?
With a delightfully funny text by an elementary school teacher and deliciously playful artwork by a beloved illustrator, here is the perfect picture book for any child in search of adventure!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Surrounded by the pleasures of a summery meadow, a blond, pale-skinned child in a red polka dot shift shrinks down and takes a dragonfly as a trusty steed. With a little simple magic ("Put a rose petal in your pocket at sunrise"), the child becomes small enough to catch and saddle the eager-eyed insect, which wears a dapper blue jacket and red striped pants. "Let's call her Priscilla," suggests the omniscient second-person narrator about the dragonfly. The intrepid duo joust with a bumblebee, attend a mishap-filled tea with two fairies, escape a hungry frog, and boogie with the Beetle Band before returning to the original place of enchantment just in time for the child to avoid staying permanently tiny. Donohoe (There's Something About Sam) strikes a tone of matter-of-fact commentary about the fanciful scenarios: "I'll bet you didn't know that fairies loathe stains and have bad tempers. You'd better hide if you want to avoid being turned into a toadstool." Thin-lined watercolor and ink illustrations by Wilsdorf, making a picture book debut, combine a Victorian floral sensibility with an action-packed arc, resulting in small-scale-focused visuals that are equal parts magical and impish. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. Illustrator's agent: Judy Sue Goodwin Sturges and April Prince, Studio Goodwin Sturges.
