Publication Date: 7 January 2021

The Blurb

Tomas is a fully-fledged expert dragon grower and protector of the dragonfruit tree. He has eyes in the back of his head for watching over those sneaky dragons, awesomely fast reflexes for putting out sparks and dodging the diving antics of whirling newly hatched dragons. He’s got it all down pat – and managing his little lightning bolt dragon Zing, too.

But he’s not quite prepared for the adventure that awaits him when a huge secret is revealed about his new friend, Aura. A thrilling secret that will take Tomas and Aura on a journey of discovery that will finally unlock the last mysteries of the dragonfruit tree. A journey of discovery that all the dragons will be in on – and just what will happen when lightning bolt dragon Zing and storm dragon Flicker get together?

The Review

I can’t believe that this is the fifth and final book in this wonderful series for younger readers. From the very first time I met Tomas and Flicker, I was captivated. I loved Tomas’s family, the easy friendships, the rivalries we can all relate to from school, and the grumpy next door neighbour. I was jealous of the dragonfruit tree in Grandad’s garden – oh how I would love to discover baby dragons growing in my garden.

But what I have always loved most is the rich language and description that the adventurous plots have always been carried on. Andy has a wonderful way of exploring the dynamics of relationships and the emotional turmoil that can create in a way that is easy for younger readers to empathise with. Sara’s illustrations capture the warmth and humour of Andy’s words perfectly.

I do not love that this is the last book, but it did have the perfect ending for this truly wonderful series…

Here’s what some of the children in my school thought:

I really enjoyed the book because it was amazing as no one normally gets to grow dragons. Lolli is really cute and Thomas is cool because he is adventurous. It is a great read and the illustrations are beautiful! ZC

I really enjoyed reading this book, it is quite funny. It’s very exciting and there is lots of adventure as well. My favourite character is Lolli – she’s bonkers! MTD

The Boy Who Sang With Dragons is extremely good! I would say that it would be a brilliant class book for younger years, or a very long book you can ready yourself. It is a bit easy when you’re older, but still quite a challenge with it’s 260ish pages! The illustrations are really good too! JT

The Boy Who Sang With Dragons was very interesting. I liked that there was more than one adventurous, enticing plot. The book is more than it looks – the cover hides a more complex story that the illustration would suggest. Its humour and silliness made me smile. TDA

The Competition

Meet Andy Shepherd’s dragon, Glint!

       Glint’s a very special dragon because he helps me write.

Like Flicker he is full of ideas. And if I am feeling stuck I know I can count on him. His sparks are like little fireworks that light up my imagination. And when I sleep his warm breath carries ideas and pictures into my dreams so when I wake up I often have the answer to a problem all sorted.  He’s beautiful. All blues and turquoise and purple with deep amber eyes. 

If you could grow your own dragon what would they look like? What colour(s) would they be? What would their character be like? Would they have a special power? What do they like to eat? Are they scared of anything?

Draw your dragon and write a small paragraph just like Andy has above, and then ask your grown-up tweet it to @MissNCleveland using #TheBoyWhoSangWithDragons, or email them to MissClevelandsReading@gmail.com by Wednesday 27th January.

Winner of a copy of The Boy Who Sang With Dragons to be announced on Friday 29^th January 2021.

Huge thanks to Andy and Picadilly for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for The Boy Who Swam With Dragons. Do make sure you check out all of the other stops, and don’t forget to enter the competition to win your very own copy of the book!