This picture book by Terry John Barto and Kim Sponaugle does two things. First, and perhaps most importantly, it entertains. It is an enjoyable book to read to and with your kids. Secondly it helps to reinforce a lesson we as parents should be trying to instill in our children, that of following their dreams.
Nickerbacher is a young dragon that dreams of being a stand-up comedian. The only thing is, his duty is standing in the way. Well, he is actually standing – standing guard of a princess, which is the duty of all dragons. One of the nice touches in this story is how the princess tells Nickerbacher she doesn’t need to be guarded. In fact she is encouraging of his dream.
Unfortunately Nickerbacher’s father isn’t as supportive.
Alright, so we can tell this is going to have a happy ending. This is a picture book after all. It is the journey that is the emphasis here, and if it resonates with the audience. In my household, it did. My 4 year old enjoyed the book partly because it had a dragon as a protagonist, which was nice, but also because, in his words, “It showed you can do what you want.”
The illustrations by Kim Sponaugle are very cheerful and full of life. Nickerbacher’s eyebrows look bushy and the backgrounds are full of detail. Essentially there’s a good story here that is illustrated excellently.
Nickerbacker: The Funniest Dragon is a great picture book that will elicit many a chuckle from youngsters and is well worth the price of admission. And if it helps to facilitate a discussion with your kids about what their dreams are, all the better.