Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
George, the dragon and the princess
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Random House UK, 2008 ISBN: 978-0224070720
On top of a mountain in a distant land there is a castle. And in one of the castle walls there is a small hole in which there lives a mouse. The mouse is called George and he is a very mild mannered sort of mouse who is ?rather timid and clumsy? and who is not at all good at practical matters. For example he is always burning his cheese on toast.
However there is one very big thing that he is extremely good at doing. George is very good at scaring dragons. So when one comes around and tries to snatch up the local princess, all George has to do is to say ?Boo!? and the dragon flies off in terror. The princess is, quite naturally, is very grateful for what George has done for her and very soon she finds a way to show her little rescuer just how thankful she is.
Chris Wormwell is the master of the understated picture book. His full page and almost full page artwork and his bare minimum text are perfectly paired. The amazing thing is that though there is very little text, it still manages to convey a great deal. It is both deliciously funny and perfectly well rounded to give readers a highly satisfactory story. The artwork is, of course, quite stunning, and the characters are wonderfully expressive. Who would have thought that a dragon could look so utterly terrified of a mouse!
