Eye of the Monster

May 1, 2010
Gr 4-6-According to the introductions, dragons will eventually return to rule the world with the help of children who are just discovering that they have dragon blood. In "Eye", after being beaten up by a gang of older boys on a street in Tokyo, Ren discovers that he can transform into a ferocious dragon. He swoops through the sky and scoops two of his assailants up in his large talons. But instead of harming them, he releases them on the ground in a gesture of forgiveness. Piatti's illustrations have an excellent play of light, darkness, and shadow, lending an impressionistic quality to some pages, a cinematic feel to others. Just the right touch of mystery and suspense prevails. In the second title, Noor, a Middle Eastern girl from a war-torn country, searches around in a crumbling library with her friend, Farah, who discovers a book that has a picture of a dragon with a birthmark on its arm that matches Noor's. When gun-carrying soldiers discover the girls, Noor becomes a fire-breathing dragon. Again, the art matches the atmosphere and mood of the story with predominant muted colors and splashes of tawny tones complementing the sandy rubble of the Middle Eastern setting. With the feel of graphic novels, and with their large type and very brief texts, these are gems for reluctant readers."James K. Irwin, Evanston Public Library, IL"

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