The Dragon Machine
by
Helen Ward
Illustrated by Wayne Anderson
George begins to notice dragons everywhere, yet they seem to go unnoticed by everyone else. He befriends them, takes them home and feeds them, but their antics begin to cause him trouble. So George builds a dragon machine, which he uses to guide them back to their own land. This plan works as intended, but how is George going to deal with the loneliness of life without the dragons?
This is an absolutely beautiful book with a slightly melancholic feel, which is completely dispelled at the end. The illustrations are subtly executed and lively, creating a magical atmosphere.
The book comes with an audio version featuring atmospheric music and sound effects which help bring the story to life for many audiences including those who are visually impaired or have learning or concentration difficulties. Although the artwork is quite muted and subtle, there are plenty of visual clues to the dragons' whereabouts, which will help to maintain interest.
Publisher: Templar
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Helen Ward
Helen Ward trained at the Brighton School of Art, under the direction of well known children’s illustrators such as Raymond Briggs, Justin Todd, Chris McEwan and John Vernon Lord. In her final year in 1985, Helen was awarded the first Walker Prize for Children’s Illustration.
In 1999, Helen was the winner of the book category in the UK National Art Library Illustration Awards for the Templar title The Hare and The Tortoise. In 2000, Helen illustrated a new edition of The Wind in the Willows, and won the award again.
Helen has also written The Tin Forest, The Dragon Machine and Twenty-five December Lane, all illustrated by Wayne Anderson, as well as The Boat, illustrated by Ian Andrew. One of Helen’s most beautiful projects is the stunning Anthology of Aesop’s Fables, which she both retold and illustrated. This won a Cuffie in PW for best story collection of the year.
Helen has produced artwork for the best-selling Ology series, contributing to the latest titles, Monsterology and Spyology.
Photo: Templar
Video & audio
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Libby Hamilton, editor at Templar Publishing, describes the wonders of The Dragon Machine.
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