School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 1-When his family sees a sign for a Flying Contest, little Drago wants to compete, but his parents and older siblings remind him that he can't fly. Determined, the youngster finds a bird to give him lessons. The little dragon practices every night and becomes particularly adept at figure eights. On the day of the contest, it is expected that he will watch while others fly. However, when the final event, the Figure Eight Contest, is announced, Drago cannot keep his feet on the ground, proving that high aspirations and perseverance pay off. While the plot is simple and predictable, the superhero image is sure to draw children to it. The text is presented in word balloons or inset boxes. The sweeping strokes, bold curving lines, and bright colors of the artwork will appeal to fans of animation and graphic novels. Pair this book with Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could (Platt & Munk, 1954) or Deloris Jordan's Salt in His Shoes (S & S, 2000), about young Michael Jordan, who was too short to be chosen to play basketball, for a storytime theme of working to achieve your goals.-Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.