A Dragon Called Spark
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Eva has moved house and she doesn’t know anyone. Luckily, she has her own dragon, Spark, who usually cheers her up, but even he feels a bit flat.
This year, Hanukkah will be quiet. But Eva’s mum points out that Hanukkah is also the season for miracles, and when they meet the neighbours, Eva and Spark start to make friends with Charlie. Small steps are made, with the kids in the park too, and by the final night of Hanukkah, she and Spark have had a magical few days.
It’s fantastic to have a story about moving house and making new friends that happens to be set during Hanukkah, meaning that this will speak to many children. It’s also a celebration of the power of imaginary friends – Eva encourages her new friends to wish for a dragon to help them when they’re afraid of the dark, for instance.
The pictures are beautiful, especially Spark's trails of warmth and light. This gentle, positive book would be useful to read with a child who is facing some fears, feeling alone, or moving house, because it may bring light into the shadows, like a candle or Hanukkah.
