A Different Kind of Dragon

Children have different needs, and each has unique and beautiful gifts to share with the world. A Different Kind of Dragon follows the experience of Drax, a young dragon who finds his inner strength, despite being different from his peers.

Drax is the only dragon who can’t breathe fire. He views breathing fire as a defining characteristic of being a dragon. Fire breathing is celebrated by the Dragon Clan, and this leaves Drax feeling like an outsider while being bullied for being different. Drax, however, has hidden talents yet to be discovered, and his uniqueness will be the key to saving the other dragons from harm.

The book was written as a tribute to the author’s children who deal with hemophilia, a chronic medical condition where one’s blood doesn’t clot properly. The book is great for helping children to recognize that it’s okay to be different, and that even though some talents are more visible than others, each of us has something that makes us special. In this delightful tale, children are offered the opportunity to experience what it might feel like to be different than others, what it might feel like to have a disability, and how this might affect a child’s self-confidence. It stimulates conversation about how we are different from each other, the power overcoming fear, being aware of disabilities, and the importance of self-esteem.