When Jill notices that not everyone in her storybook looks happy, even though the narrator insists that "everyone lived happily ever after," she ends up bringing the book's dragon into her own world, hoping to cheer him up. Her attempts to teach him how to be less destructive prove futile however, and he is poised to sink deeper into despair. Then inspiration strikes, and Jill discovers his special talent, a talent that will make him the storybook's most popular character, rather than the villain...

An engaging fantasy is paired with magical illustrations in Jill & Dragon, a meta-fictional picture-book which marks British author/illustrator Lesley Barnes' debut. Although the story is entertaining, I found the chief appeal here the gorgeous artwork, which is colorful and immensely charming. I'm not sure what medium Barnes used - block print? mixed media? - but the result is captivating! The sense of motion and of fun to be found throughout, the droll expressions Jill's dog, who is clearly not a fan of the dragon, exhibits - all add to the appeal. I understand that Barnes is working on a sequel to Jill & Dragon, which is good news indeed. Recommended to anyone looking for magical stories for younger children. ( )