Do Not Disturb the Dragons

Do Not Disturb the Dragons by Michelle Robinson is a high energy, fast paced read for upper KS1 readers – ages 6+. The main characters - Princess Grace and Princess Portia - are not content with sitting in the palace looking pretty; they want to have the same options as the knights. However, King Wonder has other ideas. There are so many rules in the Kingdom of Wondermere that the Princesses are incredibly restricted as to what they can and can't do - but rules were made to be broken!

Their adventure takes the reader on a very funny journey, where each chapter always has Princess Grace being pooed on by the dragons that sit atop their castle (apparently dragon poo is lucky!). My class absolutely adored this daily read aloud novel - who wouldn’t love a humorous tale which involved dragon poo and spells that often go wrong for their friends the trolls? They loved learning about the princesses wanting to take part in the Troll-o-Tournament and for them to be seen in everyone's eyes as being capable as any male knight.

The suspense in the novel fits in with the title - Do not disturb the Dragons - as we discover just what happens when the Princesses don't follow the rules; why are the Dragons unhappy? This suspense kept the children on the edge of their seat right until the novel finished.

There are some good teaching links in the story – particularly conversations that can be had about equality between males and females. This is the first in the series of books and it will be a brilliant addition to the class library.

224 pages / Reviewed by Emma Nelson, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+

Do Not Disturb The Dragons is a fantastic, funny story about two sisters who are bored of following the rules. The magical kingdom of Wondermere is home to two princess sisters, Grace and Portia. There are many rules that everyone in Wondermere must follow to ensure the dragons are not disturbed. However, Grace and Portia are tired of being told what they cannot do, especially as it is Grace's dream to join the knights and play troll-o. One day Grace and Portia aim to prove the rules are old fashioned and girls can be knights too.

Do Not Disturb The Dragons is a fast-paced magical book. The book is filled with dragons, unicorns, knights and other magical creatures. The characters are brilliant and make you want to find out what they are going to get up to next. Do Not Disturb The Dragons has a great message showing how girls can be or do anything they want to do. The book would be especially well suited to girls who would like to see a reflection of themselves in a chaotic protagonist role in which boys are so often portrayed.

224 pages / Reviewed by Megan Webb, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+

Princess Grace knows how lucky she is to be living in Wondermere Castle, but that doesn't stop her resenting the rules - all 947 of them - especially the ones that say she can't play troll-o, be a knight or have ice-cream for breakfast. The rules are there to keep the dragons nesting in the castle turrets who bring the Kingdom luck, but surely bending them a little won't do any harm, will it?

Laugh out loud funny, Do Not Disturb The Dragons is a raucous, rule-breaking romp showing that if you are blocked from following your dreams, you have to be the change you want, and that just because something, like not eating ice-cream for breakfast, has always been the rule, it doesn't mean it should stay that way.

Vivid descriptions bring the kingdom, and the inhabitants, of Wondermere to life. Whether it's the king's daughters, knights-in-training, ball trolls, imps or wild unicorns, every character has a unique voice. I particularly loved Princess Grace's unicorn!

Sharon Davey's playful illustrations bring the fun and joy at the heart of this delightful story to life, and capture the cheeky, charming girls and their friends' personalities perfectly. Perfect for younger readers striking out on their own reading adventure, this would also make a fun class read for KS1 with lots to talk about along the way. And even better, it's the first in a series, too! Great for fans of: Beatrix The Bold by Simon Mockler, The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd, and The Legend Of Kevin by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre.

224 pages / Ages 6+ / Reviewed by Nicki Cleveland, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 7+