Anita and the Dragons

The use of a fairy tale dragon metaphor for the aeroplanes is perfectly pitched for the target reader, well executed and draws the readers into Anita’s world with ease which only adds to the potential power of this book.

The author was inspired by the journey taken by her own mother as a young girl and the depth of understanding and emotional integrity is what makes this book a stand-out one. The reader is in no doubt how Anita feels about her home in the Dominican Republic and the reader is introduced to a number of Spanish words which is a perfect way of both introducing young children to a different culture and encouraging discussion and further exploration. The way the story describes Anita’s feelings is outstanding in a book aimed at young children and as an adult reading, it was refreshing to see how everyone’s emotions were acknowledged.

This outstanding book opens up the opportunity for talk and discussion around not only emigration but around family, home, belonging, leaving and encourages empathy and discussion on every page.  I would personally put a copy of this in every school and library if I were able.