Book: “The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari” by Donita K. Paul & Evangeline Denmark

I was really excited to get The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark to read to the girls.  It is a story about two friends Padraig (the dragon) and Roger (the turtle) on a camping adventure together at the base of “Mount Sillymanborrow” (their backyard).   They have a camp fire, toast marshmallows, eat baked bugs, sleep in a tent, and let their creative imaginations send them on several fun Safari adventures.  Throughout the night they encountered a variety of “jungle” beasts – they heard noises from a howler monkey (owl), giraffes (squirrel), elephants (raccoon), fed a rhinoceros (dog), and rescued a baby leopard (kitten).

The two friends shared in the adventure together, supporting and encouraging each other when they were frightened.  Roger even nicknamed his friend Professor Padraig since he was an “expert” on jungle animals.  They chose to do activities that both friends wanted to do which also distracted them from thinking about the scary noises around them.  I liked how both friends encouraged each other throughout the night and never made fun of the other one even when they were scared.  If one friend did not want to do an activity (such as listen to a scary story) they just picked another safari activity to do together.  Even though they were scared they still were brave enough to help another animal in distress, the kitten.

Although the authors had a several wonderful underlying points in the story I was disappointed in the flow of the book.  It came across a little choppy in areas; the words didn’t flow together smoothly and the girls didn’t get some of the jokes.  The story at the end of the book “The Legend of Mount Sillymanborrow” didn’t seem to fit well with the story and I had to explain it to my girls.  With that being said,  I really enjoyed the very last page – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… God goes with you; he will never leave you.” – Deuteronomy 3:16   The authors did provide some really good discussion questions for kids and I liked how they encouraged our girls to think of positive ways to help a friend when they are scared.  Overall I think the book had some really good points and brought out some teachable moments for the kids, however, I would suggest checking the book out at the library first to make sure it is a good fit for your family prior to purchasing it.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”