The Last Dragon

Yolen, J. (2011). The Last Dragon. Dark Horse Books.

The Last Dragon is a fantasy graphic novel. It is a tale of an island village near the birthplace of dragons hundreds of years after a dragon has been seen. The village healer is an herbalist with three daughters who all have a special talent. Tansy is a healer like her father. When her father disappears she must find a way to find him, yet they later discover he was killed. When a village fisherman sights a dragon, the villagers send three young men to find the Dragon slayer named Lancot. Together Tansy and Lancot create a plan to attack the dragon using a fake dragon kite to lure him close and defeat the last dragon giving justice to Tansy’s father and the communities who endured its fatal acts. The Last Dragon will definitely appeal to students who love graphics, drawings and are comfortable with reading through illustrations. Fans of fairytales and dragons will also enjoy this book and it is appropriate for grades 5 and higher. The author’s inclusions of illustrations are a great way to engage reluctant readers. So many times I observe students who judge a book by its illustrations or titles and this book will certainly pass the test and land in someone’s backpack.