The Dragon at the Zoo

Anyone who has ever visited the Auckland Zoo over the last 67 years (or so) will have fond memories of this iconic dragon. Animals and habitats have come, gone, and evolved, but this dragon is a constant joy to many children.

In this story, he is named Cedric, after his creator. As Tig lies on his tongue, other reptiles and creatures tell Cedric he’s not a real dragon…and should he even be in the zoo full of live animals? Cedric, with Tig hanging on, decides to fly away and find another home. The animals start to worry about themselves disappearing, and the visiting children miss Cedric. It takes a search party of birds and an apology to bring Cedric home.

Using rich vocabulary and language features, Melanie has written a heart-warming, magical story about rejection and belonging. Similes such as ‘hair like spaghetti’ and vocabulary such as ‘discombobulated’ and ‘murmuration’ make this a joy to read aloud.

Phillips uses a muted, colourful palette to create the drawings. The facial expressions and body language of the creatures and humans aptly tell the story, and even younger, not-yet-readers will enjoy them.

This book would be a great addition to any preschool or junior school library.