I thought that this was a lovely book.

It was well written, easy to read and follow and it had some wonderful illustrations.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

A fun little story which will appeal to all children, with magic and mystical creatures and a fun easy to read plot this is perfect bedtime reading!

This cute book describes the adventures of Simon the robin trying to find a dragon. He searches asking everyone about the whereabouts of this mythical creature, but no one seems to know anything. Only the Owl is sufficiently wise to show him the right direction.
I liked the message that the book sends to kids: to never make an opinion about a fact or about a person only from what the others say. Here everyone knew that dragons were dangerous and scary and in the end Simon discovers other things. The illustrations were beautiful, and children will be definitely delighted to follow the story even if only through images

Just from the cover I knew this book would have beautiful illustrations and I found it was accompanied with a great story, perfect for any storytime!

I love a sweet children's story and this definitely fits the bill. Simon's Search for the Scary Dragon has a very good message and teaches that sometimes what we think is really scary, is actually not so bad after all. The illustrations were nice and would have probably been even more beautiful if I saw them in color. This would make a great gift for the children in your life.

A very cute children's books - the illustrations were so detailed and gorgeous, and I loved the meter of the narration. Lovely!

Simon is a young bluebird ready for an adventure. He has heard rumors of a dragon living in the barn and he is ready to find it. He approaches all his friends to get information and to find out if any of them have seen the dragon or if they know where it might be found. It isn't until wise owl points him in the right direction that he finds what or who he is looking for. We really enjoyed this story for several reasons. First, I want to talk about the illustrations. They are amazing! I love the way the various friends are characterized by the images. We spent a lot of time talking about them. Of course, I had to talk to my grandson about this just being a story, because he was sure a little bluebird wouldn't be friends with an owl or an eagle who are predators. Next is the text. The rhyming couplets present a story that has a perfect cadence to read aloud. My oldest took turns reading with me to the younger ones. Of course there is a wonderful message as well: never to judge someone/something based on what you hear. It is important to get to know someone, before passing judgement as everyone has their own perceptions. I don't want to tell you how this book ends, just know it is a sweet ending. I have one tiny complaint and that is the cover. For a children's book, the cover does not pull them in. When I first asked them if they wanted to read this book, they took one look at it and replied, "no thank you grandma". I persisted and they really enjoyed it.

The thing I love most about this book is the artwork. This is the kind of illustrative style that as a kid, I would have traced over the light pouring through each illustration, imagining myself in the world of this story. It's so vivid and tangible and wholesome. The rhyming format makes the narrative flow with ease and a sing-song quality that makes it easy to read. The message of the story was incredibly powerful. It honestly made me tear up a bit as an adult to see this beautiful conclusion, that something that once seemed scary and unknowable was something far more friendly and full of love than we'd have expected.

Five stars!
Beautifully illustrated children's book with a rhyming text about Simon, a very curious bird, who has heard that there is a dragon living in the forest, and so sets out on an adventure to find him. However, what he finds is definitely not what he expects at all.

This is the second book that I have read by this writer/illustrator team, and I am so impressed with them. The illustrations in both are beyond gorgeous, and the stories so well done, with a message we all need to learn, no matter our age... In Simon's case, don't judge people based on rumors and stories. Get to know them yourself and you just might be pleasantly surprised. (The first, Calvin the Christmas Tree, was just as well done, and highly recommended.)

I'm grateful to Netgalley, Valley of Mexico IBPA, and Stephen G. Bowling for the opportunity to read and review Simon's Search for the Scary Dragon.

Gorgeous illustrations makes this cute adventure one to love and revisit again and again.

Simon has heard all sorts of rumors and whispers about a scary dragon as he spends his day flying around the farm. So, he's decided it's time to see it for himself. With a protective pop-bottle lid bound to his head, he heads on his quest to find the dragon, visiting the various animals along the way in hopes they may assist him. But he may not discover what he expected he would.

Can I just say I love the illustrations in this book? Honestly, these are enough (really that lovely) to gain a full five stars. These are done with love and detail and allow each scene to open up the door to Simon's world and adventure. I smiled at every one and could sink into them time and again. So, these alone would make this a book to keep on the shelves and read to each round of children which comes through.

Now, for the tale itself. It's a cute, sweet and very nice tale with traditional feel and a true story for the age group. There aren't any hidden agendas and makes a lovely read for story time. The entire thing is written in very clear rhyme. I wish it hadn't been, since this story could have worked very wonderfully without that. But for rhyme fans, it's a treat. There were one or two spots where it stumbled a tiny bit, but it was still enjoyable.

Summed up, I'm a bit torn on this one...but just a tiny bit. The illustrations shoot this one into the 'must have' category, the tale and character go right in there with it, but the rhyming style wasn't quite my thing...although it does work and I have no doubt kids will enjoy it. So, thumbs up on this one. I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and am giving this one 4.5 stars and rounding up.

Cute rhyming picture book about finding a dragon. Illustrations are beautiful, but the eyes of the animals are a little creepy as they look so realistic. The text is separate from the illustrations, which isn't par for the course when modern picture books. It reminds me of books published in the 90s.

Simon wants to find the scary dragon. He looks all over the forest for him, asks all of his friends about it, and when he finds him, he is not what he expected, at all. :)

Simon's Search for the Scary Dragon is a very sweet story, told in rhyme and accompanied by the most beautiful illustrations.

It's has a beautiful message, don't judge by what you were told, use your own mind, and eyes. The picture book reminds me of those classic stories, that every child has to read. :)

Highly recommend it! :)

This story was an absolute delight to read from the first page to the last. Bowling has crafted an exquisite tale of adventure and friendship that children and adults will adore from the moment they open the cover.

Simon is a little bird who has heard stories about the scary dragon that lurks out in the big world. He decides he wants to find one of the terrifying creatures for himself. With his bottle cap helmet for protection, he ventures out of the tree in search of the dragon. Simon's quest takes him across the farms and fields. From the streams to the woods, he meets a variety of other animals and he asks them to help him on his mission, but none of the other creatures have heard of such a terrible beast. So Simon goes to the Wise Owl and asks for help. Owl says he has never heard of a dragon before, but perhaps it may be in disguise in a different form. Owl sends Simon to see his friend Clarence by the pond. There, Simon discovers Clarence the dragonfly. A true dragon, but not like he expected at all. The dragonfly isn't scary at all! Simon learns that the stories he hear may not be completely true and that he shouldn't believe everything he hears. In the end, they become the best of friends, because Simon was able to see past the false rumors and see the truth of the dragon.

This story was so touching and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. So often, children miss out on the opportunity to make new friends because of what they heard about the other person. This tale teaches children to look past their own biases and underlying prejudices and get to know someone before making judgements about who they are.

This story was impressively illustrated by Vitali Dudarenka. The pictures were lush and vibrant, almost as if you could slip right into them. They were so incredibly detailed that every individual feather and blade of grass appeared real. The book was beautiful, a true work of art in of itself. The prose was simple and rhymed, making it an easy read for a growing young reader but the simplicity of the words did not undermine or detract from the power and importance of the message behind them.

Absolutely, a must read.

I loved the illustrations and the colour palette in this lovely book. It has a nice message, and it manages to be informative about animals without being boring. Excellent work!

I received an advance copy of, Simon's Search for the Scary Dragon, by Stephen G. Bowling. This is a great book for kids, I love the rhyming and the illustrations. Simon the bird is on the lookout for the scary dragon, will he find him?

Simon’s Search for the Scary Dragon by Stephen G. Bowling. I absolutely loved Simons Search for the scary Dragon. And the illustrations that accompany the search are wonderful. Children love rhymes and will enjoy the fast paced story.

Bird on a Quest

Such a beautiful children's book. I know any child would love it and want to read it over and over again. The illustrations are just beautiful and so detailed. The colors are bright and cheerful. As you read you will find the text is written in prose. It all rhymes throughout the book.

Simon is a bird on a quest. With a bottle cap on his head he heads off to find the scary dragon he has heard talk about. He flies through the forest asking all the animals if they have seen the dragon.

He learns that sometimes things are not what they seem and that they are quite different from what we think. Sometimes what appears to be scary is not so after all.

What a delightful and beautiful story for children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. This would make a great gift for any child. I recommend it.

Thanks to Stephen G. Bowling, IBPA (Independent book Association), and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy for my honest review.

Simon's Search for the Scary Dragon is a beautifully written story which flows so well with clever rhymes. It tells children an important story of not judging people on hearsay. The story is accompanied by a series of beautiful illustrations.
I read it to my 4 year old son and we both loved it.

Thank you to Stephen G. Bowling, NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

This is a wonderful children's book, with superb, amazing and professional illustrations. They are simply breathtaking and a lot of work has gone into them. The text in the book is really nice to read as the words rhyme and flow. The story is cute; it is about a bird called Simon who is on a quest to find a scary dragon, but will he find it? The theme of the story is that we should not always listen to stories that we are told about people, as they might not always be true. People we meet may turn out to be different from what we have been told about them. This is a great book for children, which I highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Simon the robin returns with yet another quest. This time, he is off to seek a scary dragon whom he has heard of. But none of his friends seem to be aware of this dragon until Simon finally meets the Wise Owl who points him in the right direction.

This story is even cuter than the first book. Once again, it was nice to see a variety of animals in the narration. Simon’s exuberance is contagious and you will be as curious as he is to know the whereabouts of the dragon. Of course, I was a bit surprised to see him, a robin, approaching an eagle and an owl to seek answers. Wouldn’t he be instinctively scared of birds of prey? I was also confused about how Simon heard the stories of the scary dragon while none of his friends had even heard of a dragon being around. But that’s just me, over-applying logic as always. From a child’s perspective, the book should work just fine.

I loved the message that this book puts across: never to judge someone/something based only on hearsay. People are different from the descriptions we hear of them so it is important to have the right perspective, a first-hand perspective.

The rhymes are as wonderful and smooth as in the first book. I’m sure children will enjoy listening to Simon’s quest aloud. The illustrations are fabulous: colourful and cute in the best possible way.

If I had to change one thing about the book, I would change the cover. Though I do love that dragon face camouflaged in the tree—simply brilliant illustration, that!—the cover reveals a lot about the results of Simon’s quest. Also the tree dragon isn’t a part of the story so it will become a little disappointing for children who picked up the book by its cover.

Overall, this is a sweet story with a wonderful end and a great message. Much recommended. 4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to author Stephen G. Bowling for the widget, and to Valley of Mexico, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.