MINDEL AND THE MISFIT DRAGONS

A rambunctious little girl recruits three misfit dragons to solve the problems a castle faces each Jewish Sabbath in this children’s fantasy in verse.

An evil dragon once terrorized Castle Draconmere. The beast’s destruction was so unstoppable that the king asked Sir Benjamin to kill it, promising to give the castle to him in return. Sir Benjamin tricked the dragon with a sleep-inducing stew and slew it easily, and he, his wife, and their young daughter, Mindel, moved into the castle. But Castle Draconmere wasn’t ideal; every Sabbath, the family had to decide whether to leave the gate open or shut. Moving the gate would break the laws of the Sabbath itself. Leaving it open left them vulnerable to villains, because no guards could stay awake the duration of the night. Keeping it shut meant barring themselves from visitors. On top of this, the drafty castle blew out the candles early each Sabbath—and it’s forbidden to relight them. Finally, the pages of the sacred scrolls and books suddenly began to turn up wet and ruined with no clear culprit. Sir Benjamin warns Mindel that if they can’t find solutions to these problems, they must abandon Castle Draconmere. But Mindel desperately wants to stay. She stumbles upon three misfit dragons, each with traits that make them unsuitable for protecting anywhere but Castle Draconmere. Serpenfin was born with only fins and has trouble sleeping, making him the perfect guard for the moat. Pointilla is small, possessing the ability to shoot tiny, precise flames. She’s just the one to light the Sabbath candles. And Bibinfor yearns to watch over books, not jewels, creating the ultimate protector of the sacred tomes. Soon everyone has found a place and all is well—until the nasty dragon eels arrive. Debut author Michaels weaves an enchanting story that will enthrall young readers. Parents will delight in reading it aloud, finding an easy rhythm in the verse. Charming illustrations and carefully penned calligraphy add a visual element perfect for story time.

This captivating fairy tale melds whimsy and faith; children will clamor to hear it read aloud.