Dragon Quest

The dragonling is everyone's darling....

Now that the villagers have finally accepted Darek's dragonling, Zantor, they've all fallen in love with him. Especially Rowena, the spoiled daughter of the chief Elder -- so much that she wants the dragonling for her very own.

But Darek can't give him up! He and Zantor are so close that he can almost get inside the little dragon's mind. So the Chief Elder orders Darek's father to find another dragonling. Even though a dragon mother will have to die -- and maybe some villagers, too. Darek can't let that happen. But how can he stop them...unless he joins the dragon quest?

Gr. 3^-5. Koller's illustrated chapter book continues the story begun in The Dragonling (1991) and A Dragon in the Family (1993). Jealous of the growing affection between his little dragon, Zantor, and the chief elder's daughter, Rowena, young Darek turns down the village leader's offer to buy Zantor as a gift for Rowena's birthday. Darek's refusal sets in motion a dragon hunt that will end in violence for the hunted, the hunters, or both. Written with regard for ethical concerns as well as headlong adventure, this full-of-action fantasy reads well. The delicately shaded pencil drawings sensitively depict the characters and underscore the drama. The ending is a bit of a cliff-hanger, but readers will look forward to the sequel that must be in the works. Carolyn Phelan