Crispin the not-so-typical dragon is definitely going to be part of my next (dragon-themed) storytime. I love the story itself and the message about being yourself that it conveys, but I also think it'll be a really great book to read aloud. Lots of humor, and getting to reveal what happens each time Crispin tries to breathe fire will be a lot of fun (I just briefly considered having props during my reading of the story, but that might complicate it a bit). ( )

Genre
Canadian fiction
Picture books for children
Tone
Feel-good
Writing Style
Attention-grabbing
Subject
Dragons
Fire
Individuality
Knights and knighthood
Runaways
Self-acceptance

Everybody knows your typical dragon breathes fire. But when Crispin tries to breathe fire on his seventh birthday, fire doesn't come out—only whipped cream! Each time Crispin tries to breathe fire, he ends up with Band-Aids. Marshmallows. Teddy bears? Crispin wonders if he’ll ever find his inner fire. But when a family emergency breaks out, it takes a little dragon with not-so-typical abilities to save the day.

This story is about a little dragon damed Crispin Blaze who cannot breathe fire like his family and all the other dragons and meets a knight named Sir George who helps him figure out how to breath fire. ( )

Summary:
Not Your Typical Dragon is about a dragon that is supposed to start breathing fire on his 7th birthday. But, he doesn't breathe fire, he breathes everything but fire. He can breathe whipped cream, teddy bears, bubbles, beach balls, and water. He runs away from home because he doesn't want to disappoint his family, but after he comes home, his family realizes he is special when he helps put out a fire his dad started.
Personal Reaction:
I thought this book was cute, and it could also help with a child's self esteem. Not everybody is the same and there will always be something about you that makes you different, but it doesn't mean it is a bad thing. It just means you are special and I think it is important for children to know that.
Extension:
One extension we could do is have the kids think of what they would want to breathe if they could and have them draw it.
Another extension is have them name something that makes them special and different from everybody else.