About the Holidays

Sponsored by UNESCO, World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day and International Day of the Book, encourages families and individuals to rediscover the joys of reading and promotes the availability of a wide range of books to all and in all languages. April 23 was chosen to celebrate books in honor of William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, who all died on this date. The holiday offers an opportunity to highlight the power of books and to promote the United Nations’ vision of societies that are inclusive, pluralistic, equitable, and open and participatory for all citizens. Each year publishers, booksellers, and libraries choose a World Book Capitol for a one-year period to acknowledge the city’s commitment to promoting books and fostering reading. The World Book Capitol for 2021 is Tbilisi, Georgia. This year’s theme is “Share a Story.” For more information on World Book Day and to find a communication toolkit as well as other resources, visit the UNESCO website and The World Book Day website.

First established in the United Kingdom and Ireland but now a global event, World Book Night is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. While World Book Day focuses on promoting reading for and with children, World Book Night encourages adults to set aside time to read for pleasure as well. Reading for pleasure can have a enormous impact on one’s life, from learning new information to feeling more connected to the world to just relaxing and taking a healthy break from daily responsibilities. World Book Night was also conceived as a way to get more books into more hands, and as such is actively involved in giving away designated books to care homes, youth centers, colleges, prisons, public libraries, mental health groups and other charity partners who match books with new readers to reach those who may not have access to or the resources to buy books. To learn more about this initiative, visit the World Book Night website.

You can get involved too! Why not start today? With so many amazing books to discover, reading daily is a luxury worth indulging. For kids, there may be no cozier routine than snuggling up next to mom or dad or cuddling under the covers and getting lost in a wonderful story before falling asleep. And adults? You never really lose that comforting feeling of ending the day with a good book.

Thanks go to Lerner Books for sharing a copy of Where is the Dragon? for review consideration, all opinions on the book are my own.

Where is the Dragon?

By Leo Timmers

The king was having nightmares about a dragon he was sure was on the prowl, so he sent “his knights: One, Two and Three. ‘Save the realm! But mainly me,'” he ordered. The knights bravely went out into the dark forest armed only with…well…their armor and a candle, but they had a problem. It turned out that none of them had every seen a dragon before. But they each had assurances from the king as to how a dragon behaved and what it looked like. Knight Two knew (from the king) that forest animals ran away from a dragon.

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Just as they came upon a suspicious-looking shape cloaked in the darkness, “Knight One [said], ‘Well, the king confided / their spikes are thick and double-sided.'” The mound in front of them appeared to have a head, a well-spiked body, and a pointy tale. Without trepidation, however, the smallest knight approached and held up his candle to find… a wagon overflowing with carrots and long-eared rabbits taking a snooze.

The three moved on, out of the forest and into an area of lush undergrowth. As they came to a truly frightening silhouette that looked ready to gobble them up, Knight Two alerted his friends that the king had warned him about a dragon’s teeth. While Knight One and Knight Two were fumbling in the dark on their way to slay this dragon, Knight Three stepped forward. “‘Ha ha, ho ho,'” he laughed. Their “dragon” wasn’t scary at all.

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In a moment, the knights had gotten themselves into an awful fix when they began crossing a fallen tree that led right to a dragon’s nest. How did they know this was a real dragon? Knight One told them, “‘Well, the king declared / their necks are long, their nostrils flared.'” And, indeed, in front of them awaited the shadow of just such a beast. But as Knight Two took another bumbling trip, the intrepid Knight Three discovered in his dwindling candle’s light a rather peaceful, sleepy scene.

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Farther on another scare in the deep, dark night turned out to be just another snore. By this time the candle was burning low when they happened upon a rocky mound. There were no spikes, no sharp teeth, no neck or even head, and there was absolutely none of that “‘… scalding sizzling smelly breath'” the king had told them about. Knight Two had had enough. “‘Dragons? No such thing,'” he said. “‘Let’s all go home and tell the king.'” But just to make sure, Knight Three held up his sputtering candle. There was nothing there to frighten him, and he decided “‘the dragon’s just in the king’s head.'” But did he really get a good look?

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Leo Timmers puts a medieval spin on “things that go bump in the night” with his laugh-out-loud tale of three knights on a mission to rid the kingdom of a dragon that’s vexing the king. As they set out on a dark, but starry night, the knights have only the descriptions the king has provided to guide them. Accompanying each two-page spread in which the knights encounter ominous silhouettes are Timmers’ short and cunning rhyming couplets that lead the knights – and readers – to conclude that indeed a dragon lies ahead.

But in the glow of the candle (just as when the bedroom light flips on) the dragon disappears, and in its place is a harmless – and hilarious – bedtime scene. Meanwhile, as Knight Three is uncovering the sleepers of the realm on the righthand page, on the left page bumbling Knight Two is engaged in slapstick trips, falls, and mishaps all to the detriment of Knight One. These increasingly will keep kids laughing and waiting to see what happens next. Timmons’ pitch-perfect ending will enchant kids and anyone just looking for a good night’s sleep.

Part Monty Python, part bedtime story, and entirely ingenious, Where is the Dragon? will become a quick favorite for fun, madcap and imagination-filled daytime or nighttime story times at home, in the classroom, and for public library collections.

Ages 4 – 7

Gecko Press / Lerner Books, 2021 | ISBN 978-1776573110

To learn more about Leo Timmers, his books, and his art, visit his website.

World Book Day and World Book Night Activity

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I’ve Got the Reading Bug! Collection

When you buy a new book, you need new book bling to go with it! Here’s a printable book plate and bookmark, plus a want-to-read list to help you choose your next new book to buy!

I’ve Got the Reading Bug! Books to Read List | I’ve Got the Reading Bug Bookmark | I’ve Got the Reading Bug Bookplate