Official Review: Evan and friends meet a New Friend

[Guda Lydia]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Evan and friends meet a New Friend" by Chris Williams.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Evan, Violet, and Grayson are good friends who enjoy doing everything together. They are on holiday in Wales with their respective parents and Evan’s grandparents. They have had an eventful time in Wales, where they fought pirates, interacted with a king, rode on a dragon, and fought a powerful and evil witch. Amid everything, they came across a large and shiny egg. They took it to a nearby cave and checked on it frequently, eager to see the outcome. However, a few days later, nothing happened, and the children became impatient and disappointed. One day, after spending time with Evan’s grandfather and dog Taffy, Evan makes a final appeal to his friends, and they head off to the cave for one last checkup.

Upon arriving at the cave, they notice unusual darkness and tiny sounds emanating from it, a sign of a significant occurrence. They bravely move in and discover the egg has hatched, and before them is a tiny winged red dragon the size of a cat. It has scales, clawed feet, and a tail with small spikes running down its spine. They soon become friends with the dragon and name him Draig. Draig grows at an accelerated rate, and within days, he is the size of a pony, leaving the friends feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility. As they ponder what to do with their new dragon friend, trouble finds them. A former foe, Wrach the witch, is out for revenge. Things quickly turn fatal, and they will need their wit, resolve, and friendship to come out victorious.

Evan and friends meet a New Friend by Chris Williams is a fun and engaging children’s book. The book has expressive, brilliant, and vivid drawings. It is easy to identify the children’s emotions when they get anxious, impatient, or delighted. Evan, Violet, and Grayson are distinguishable, and it is easy to perceive their physical attributes from the drawings. Violet’s outfit throughout the entire book matches her name. Chris also employs realistic comparisons, like equating the length of a mature dragon to three cars or the size of their growing dragon to a cat, dog, or pony. There are also elements of suspense, like when they meet an ominous-looking crow that attacks them or when they walk into a dark cave, unsure of what they will discover.

My favorite aspect of the storybook is the numerous lessons that come with it. The children quickly learn the need for obedience when their unsupervised trip to the lake almost ends in tragedy. Evan acknowledges that parents only create rules for the good of their children because they care. Additionally, grandpa informs the kids to always ask a dog owner before stroking their dog since not every dog is as friendly as Taffy. The book also calls for animal care and compassion; the kids constantly state that animals should not be abandoned and be handled with love. There is nothing to dislike about the read; it engages a child’s imagination positively, enriches vocabulary through learning new words, and even learning about our planet and the animal kingdom, like the African Savannah.

The book’s editing is excellent; I did not find any errors. The language is intelligible and free of any profanities or sensitivities. Evan and friends meet a New Friend is a descriptive book that allows one to visualize and feel the story. For instance, the dragon as the children stroke it or the wrath of the rain as it pours on them and their boat. It also includes an entertaining and rhythmic poem within the story and concludes with several pages of pictures from the story for children to color. I recommend it to children between the ages of four and twelve and guardians looking for an interactive, adventurous, and whimsical story for their young ones. I give it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

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Evan and friends meet a New Friend
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[Wildflowertheorist]

It's sounds like the book my 10 year self would have enjoyed!
But I like when my characters achieve great things along with a dragon instead of figuring that they need adult supervision

[Becca Olsson]

I love the idea behind this book and it teaches children and that rules are there for a reason. Thanks for the great review!

[Oishee]

Amazing book for children! Loved your review!

[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your interesting review. I'm envious of Evan, Violet, and Grayson; it's would be nice to befriend a baby dragon. Still, even without a mystical creature, this book seems to inspire children's love for animals. Along with the numerous meaningful lessons, this will be a good book for kids.

[Medhansh Bhardwaj]

Thanks for the in-depth review! This seems like a really awesome book not only for children, but also for young adults.