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6 books with a mental health theme 03/02/25
Marmaduke the Very Different Dragon
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Marmaduke the dragon doesn't like being different. The other dragons laugh and say mean things to him and even the princesses he's supposed to protect don't want anything to do with him.
But while Marmaduke is crying in his cave, someone else is being different too. Princess Meg is a loud, messy but very happy, princess and she doesn't need protecting by anyone - until she gets lost in the forest and Marmaduke comes to the rescue.
Dragons and princesses have universal appeal for the under 5s, and the story of Marmaduke is appealing and engaging in its own right as well: it is also a celebration of the things that make us different and having the courage to just be yourself.