Tom and the Dragon
A Thrilling and Creative Bedtime Adventure!
★★★★★
Tom and the Dragon is an incredibly creative story that has completely captivated our imaginations! The plot is non-stop excitement as it follows Tom and his best friend, Steve, through the mysterious Dragonfly Gate and into the medieval kingdom of Vandar. This story has it all: ancient prophecies, a looming threat of Prince Morvash, and a desperate rescue quest. There is never a dull moment.
My 5-year-old is absolutely loving this book and is so invested in Tom's journey to step up, be brave, and face down the dragon. As a parent, I have to say I really appreciate the small chapters! They are the absolute perfect length for a bedtime story. On those late nights when everyone is tired, a short chapter is incredibly nice to have. However, the story is so engaging that we frequently find ourselves sneaking in an extra chapter (or even two!) just to see what happens next.
Highly recommend this to any parent looking for an action-packed, imaginative adventure to share with their kids!
D. Mathias Bair
Isabella's Special Days
Magical Moments
The first a-ha magical moment is opening the package and pulling out the book. The cover image of Isabella and the background of her world immediately set the stage of wanting to read. Glorious illustrations are sure to spark the reader or listener’s imagination.
The story unfolds with such clarity of place, as Mr. Guthrie takes us in hand into Isabella’s world. I felt I was there. For the age group most likely to be read this book, they will be mesmerized. I was! There are rich, vivid descriptions of the scenery, the objects that make up a scene, and, most of all, the feelings and world where the princess, Isabella, lives.
Told in four seasonal parts, we get a glimpse of Isabella’s world in each one: Autumn, Christmas, Spring (her birthday), and Summer.
Through the magical world of fairy tale princesses, the story develops to tell of a best (non-royal) friend, dreams that come true, and some dreams that need time to develop so they come true when the time is right. The virtues of kindness, family closeness, loyalty, and generosity make this storybook one that pleases on many levels.
I look forward to more magical tales from Stan Guthrie. He is surely off to a wonderful beginning. It is a book this grown up girl will treasure!
Lynn Severance
Stanwood, Washington
Author, Sole Sisters
Tom and the Dragon
Hard to Put Down
I bought this book for my granddaughter for her birthday. But since I know Stan (he was my editor once), I decided to read it first.
It was hard to put down. It’s obviously written for children, but any fan of The Hobbit, dragons, The Princess Bride, and Narnia will resonate with this quest (which begins in suburban Chicago). The chapters are short, moving the action along quickly, laden with suspense. The characters are well-formed, which is great for a children’s book.
One thing the book lacks is a map, but the exotic landscape features are well-described, so that’s not a major problem.*
This is a great book for parents to read with or to their children. They will look forward to each reading, and the creative names assigned to some of the nefarious characters will evoke much laughter.
Gordon Govier
*Editor's note: We now have a map on this website! Go to https://whimsybystan.com/map.
Isabella's Special Days
The Most Magical Gift
Isabella has it all: a loving father, a wonderful kingdom, beautiful things – everything a young princess could desire . . . except the one thing that matters most: a real friend who loves her for being who she is, not because she’s a princess.
Stan weaves a story spanning four seasons in the life of young Princess Isabella. She is royalty; however, she longs for the simple pleasure of going trick-or-treating like the rest of the children in the kingdom and dreams of a wooden rocking horse. For Christmas and her birthday, she’s showered with gifts, but the one thing she discovers is that, more than anything, true and lasting friendship is the most magical gift she could ever receive.
Isabella’s Special Days is a sweet story with a very important message. Christine did a great job on the lettering and artwork, and I can hear Stan’s voice reading to me as the story unfolds. The story teaches some valuable lessons about kindness, what’s truly important in life, and what it means to be a real friend. It should be on every child’s bookshelf . . . .
Amy Andersen Schilling
Author, The Money Roadmap: You Choose the Destination and the Way!
Author/owner, wholenesshealthandyou.com
