OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dashingly Deceitful Dragon" by Brandon Tullos.]

A huge and hungry dragon arrives in a small and peaceful town. After starting eating the crops, he disguises himself in the farmer’s clothes, mingles with the population, and starts spreading lies about who is to blame for the sudden shortage of food. The once peaceful town is now in great moral distress. Innocent people are blamed and imprisoned, and the guilty criminal is on the loose unchecked. Will the citizens find out about the lies and re-establish order and peace? What will happen to the deceitful dragon?

The Dashingly Deceitful Dragon is a tale that came forth from the idea of teaching children some important moral lessons about lies and propaganda. The author, Brandon Tullos, realized that the target audience needed to understand that things are not always what they look like. Moreover, he also wanted to educate children into thinking critically, which, according to Tullos, is the only way of being truly free.

The content is very interesting. The simple text appears in the context of colorful illustrations by Vladimir Arabadzhi. The images are also loaded with implicit messages. For example, the citizens include medieval Europeans, native Americans, Vikings, Latin Americans, among others. The author’s intention, as he explains in the Dedication, is to portray a society of immigrants in order to tackle the preconceived ideas and propaganda (i.e. fake news) concerning such people. Tullos finds it important to let readers know that he is married to an immigrant woman and that their American Dream is in jeopardy because of "some papers".

As for the structure, the book is very simple and very rich at the same time. Each of the 26 pages that make up the story has but a couple of sentences. The style resembles poetry: the words flow melodically and culminate in rhyme. This was my favorite element, as the aesthetical element will greatly impact the children’s interest in the story and, ultimately, will help them engage with literature. There are also other linguistic devices such as assonance and onomatopoeia. There were no typos or grammar mistakes to be found. As expected, there are no erotic elements or profanity. Also, there are no religious references.

All in all, The Dashingly Deceitful Dragon is an excellent bedtime story for children. There was nothing I disliked about this book. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars because of the excellent content and the fantastic way it was structured. This book seems to be more appealing to children aged 3 to 8 and would definitely fit nicely in a kid’s personal library.

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The Dashingly Deceitful Dragon
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The book has a lot to teach to children, I commend it for that. I would like to read this to my little cousins. Thanks.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Everyone says, “It won’t happen to me,” but can you be sure?This story touches on complex social issues, it is designed to get you thinking, not steaming.

This is one crazy dragon! I can imagine how moral-rich this book is. I can also imagine the beautiful illustration. I'd definitely love to read this book.
Nice review.

Wow! What a sneaky dragon. This seems to an interesting, f nnu book that I would love to read. Great review!

Things, really, are not always as they seem. I hope the lesson becomes glaring to our young one, so they get to understand the hurts that come with lies.

Your review made this such an engaging story, that I was tempted to get the book just for myself. It is nice to know that today's writers are addressing the need for selective information, and the need for critical thinking starting with the very young. Instilling a sense of personal honor in a child is not easy, but is a solid foundation for character building.

I think this book should be recommended to adults as well. We should be more accepting of people regardless of where they come from.

I admire the author on the advocacy of immigrants. And I appreciate you sharing it with us thru the insightful review. Nice!

Eutoc wrote: ↑02 Oct 2020, 11:29 The book has a lot to teach to children, I commend it for that. I would like to read this to my little cousins. Thanks.

Hi
Thank you for your comment. It is indeed a good story. Your little cousins will remember listening to you reading stories for the rest of their lives. It seems to me that parents underestimate the value of reading to their young children...

Lucas11 wrote: ↑02 Oct 2020, 11:31 Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Everyone says, “It won’t happen to me,” but can you be sure?This story touches on complex social issues, it is designed to get you thinking, not steaming.

I couldn't have said it better: "it is designed to get you thinking, not steaming". You nailed it.
Thank you for your comment.

AnnOgochukwu wrote: ↑02 Oct 2020, 14:13 This is one crazy dragon! I can imagine how moral-rich this book is. I can also imagine the beautiful illustration. I'd definitely love to read this book.
Nice review.

Hi
I'm glad you enjoyed my review. I'm also glad that it was useful. I'm sure you'll love the story.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.

Chigo Nwagboso wrote: ↑02 Oct 2020, 14:55 Wow! What a sneaky dragon. This seems to an interesting, f nnu book that I would love to read. Great review!

Hi. Thanks for your comment. The book is very interesting. I'm sure that you'll love to read it.
Cheers!

Cynthia Olyy wrote: ↑03 Oct 2020, 03:36 Things, really, are not always as they seem. I hope the lesson becomes glaring to our young one, so they get to understand the hurts that come with lies.

Young ones ought to learn the lesson that lies hurt a lot very fast. It is indeed a sensitive issue that few people worry about.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.

djr6090 wrote: ↑03 Oct 2020, 07:13 Your review made this such an engaging story, that I was tempted to get the book just for myself. It is nice to know that today's writers are addressing the need for selective information, and the need for critical thinking starting with the very young. Instilling a sense of personal honor in a child is not easy, but is a solid foundation for character building.

I could not have put it in a better way. And you made me think even more about this story with your comment: "sense of personal honor in a child is not easy, but is a solid foundation for character building".

Thank you very much for your comment.