Where the Dragons Live

PreS-Gr 2–In the second Rosie and Rasmus story, Rasmus leaves Rosie and the tree to explore the island where other dragons live. Rasmus is enamored of the dragons and their abilities, but they are not as welcoming to him because of his differences: he is small, does not breathe fire, and his roar is not as strong. Rasmus begins to feel lonely and frustrated and writes to Rosie in anger. Ever a good friend, Rosie comes to his aid and reminds him to be confident in who he is. A story of friendship, self-confidence, and acceptance, this book shares a message of being happy with oneself and not changing to fit in with others. The cheerful watercolors help readers fall in love with the adorable Rasmus and empathize with him as he experiences the wide range of emotions highlighted in the story. Each spread is clean and inviting with the illustrations as the focus and text as enriching support. Speech bubbles are used to present the characters’ dialog, making the story that much more engaging.