The dragon with a chocolate heart by Stephanie Burgis
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408880319
(Age: 9-12) Highly recommended. The dragon with a chocolate
heart is a wonderfully woven fantasy adventure that should
come with a warning - needs to be read while drinking hot chocolate
and sampling a large box of delicious chocolates! Stephanie Burgis
combines the world of dragons, the forces of magic and brings a
feisty hero to life. She sets her novel in traditional old world
town - Drachenburg - where chocolate houses vie for royal favour.
Aventurine is a young dragon desperate to escape her boring family
life. When she leaves her family caverns filled with golden treasure
to search for her own dinner, the young dragon is tempted by a cup
of sweet smelling hot cocoa from a mysterious food mage. In an
instant, she changes from a colourful scaly dragon into a wingless
human girl. Aventurine learns to adapt to her human body and sets
off down the mountain into town. She meets scoundrels and townsfolk
out for their own good and runs away from the first couple who just
want an unpaid servant.
After some twists and turns, she meets young Silke who help her with
suitable clothing and she finds a job as apprentice chocolatier at
the Chocolate Heart. Her passion for chocolate and her love of
finding the perfect flavours is beneficial for the business.
Burgis writes a rich and engaging fantasy narrative, filled with
delicious sweet descriptions and cups of special hot chocolate to
delight the royal family. Her setting amongst the delights and
dramas of life in Drachenburg with all the behind-the-scenes details
of the chocolate shop, the secret recipes, spicy touches, and the
well-rounded characters add to the warmth of the story. How can the
feisty young girl save the town from the attacking dragons who
happen to be her own family?
The dragon with a chocolate heart explores the themes of
acceptance, courage, resilience and making the right choices, a
wonderful story for fantasy fans and just right for Middle Primary
students.
Rhyllis Bignell