The Boy Who Painted Dragons by Demi.

Ping is a boy who paints dragons, but he doesn’t do it out of love or joy, he does it because he is terrified of dragons.  Each dragon he paints, he hopes that he will no longer be afraid.  He covers entire rooms in dragons, but his fear doesn’t lessen.  When the dragons in heaven take an interest in his painting, Ping is sent on a quest for three treasures.  Ping learns to face his fear and truly honor the dragons with his paintings.

The illustrations in this book are marvelous, filled with metallic and brightly-colored Chinese dragons.  Children will be immediately drawn into the story with the promise of dragons and may be surprised to learn about the traditions of dragons in the East.  The story is told with flourishes and touches that match the flamboyance of the illustrations.  It is a single unified story.

The lessons of the dragons:  Seek Your Truth, Find Your Truth and Dare to Be True will resound with children and adults alike.  It would make an interesting book to start a discussion on fears and overcoming them. 

Recommended for its multicultural focus and strong storytelling, this book will work well with a group.  It will be most appreciated by children age 6-8.