The Last Dragon

The Last Dragon isn't written like the traditional graphic novel. There are several pages of text at the beginning providing background on the dragon wars and the rest of the story relies heavily on description and dialogue. Luckily, most of the words can be ignored in favor of the gorgeous pictures. The images are amazing. They seem to be colored in pastel and watercolor, and the hues are beautifully muted. On my first pass through, I just gazed at the pictures. It took some effort to buckle down and concentrate on the words. I liked the story of Tansy the healer's daughter, but the focus quickly shifts to other people in the village. I wish there had been more on Tansy since she's a great character: feisty, intelligent, and willing to leverage other people's strengths to make up for her weaknesses. But really, the story is secondary to the fabulous images. Final thoughts: The amazing pictures in this novel more than make up for the weaknesses in the story. Grade: 4.5 out of 5

The Last Dragon could have been drawn from the pages of Grimm's Fairy Tales. To focus first on the illustrations, Rebecca Guay has earned her rightful place in my hall of amazing fantasy artists. Her illustrations are delicate, intricate, and flowing. It is impossible not to notice them as you read. I loved how they seemed to move and writhe on the page, and I can't deny that I fell in love from the very first panel. If I had to choose my favorite part of this graphic novel, it would absolutely be the illustrations. As far as the story goes, it is simplistic in the best way possible. Paired with illustrations that bring it to life, Jane Yolen shares the story of a witty young girl and a deceptive hero. I adored Tansy and her story! A dragon hatches and begins to torment her home. Of course the men believe they need a hero, and set off to find one in another city. What they get, well....he isn't quite a hero. However Tansy brings out the best in him, and they save the day. Sound like your typical fairy tale? You are correct. It's absolute perfection. For me, the one thing that was missing was just length. I really wanted to know more. I think the humor in this book is well placed, albeit a little bit more geared toward young readers. I giggled at the anachronistic way a young boy yelled "Cool!" in one the panels. I think this is a perfect graphic novel for middle grade students who are trying to branch out. There is very mild fantasy violence, and it is such a positive story.