Nickerbacher, the Funniest Dragon Children's #Book #Review #Promotion

     I am all for my kids chasing their dreams.  I don't have the means like other parents do to help them financially and I know this.  But I have all the time in the world, the patience of a saint (in all the areas that count) and undying dedication to helping my kids.  I want them to do anything that they want and I never want my kids to see me as an obstacle in the way of what they want in life.  I think the biggest obstacle that anyone should have to face is just solely confidence, to believe in themselves and know that they are good and that they have what it takes.  They need to have the confidence to get out there and put their best foot forward.  I want my kids to truly believe that anything is possible.

     That's why stories for kids that encourage things like that are so important.  In the book, Nickerbacher, The Funniest Dragon by Terry John Barto, a young dragon faces the choice of pleasing his father or chasing his dream.  He wants to be a stand-up comedian, but his father tells him that every dragon has a duty to protect a princess.  He's not overly happy about the job that he's given.

     But the princess he is in charge of looking after happens to think he is very funny and encourages him to stand up for himself and tell his father that he wants to be a comedian.  His father doesn't take it well, as you can imagine and it seems that poor Nickerbacher's dreams will forever be on hold.

     Until one day, a prince comes storming in, real bossy like.  He's in the mood to duel, and despite his kind face, he comes across as a meanie pants.  But Nickerbacher decides that FancyPants is a more suitable name for Prince Happenstance, because he carries a certain air about him.  However, his intentions seem honorable, as he is trying to slay the dragon to save the princess.

     Nickerbacher tries to do his best scare act, but he's really just not good at it.  The prince is annoyed at his fooling around and just wants to get the duel done and over with.  But Nickerbacher is determined to win him over with laughter.  Eventually, they come to a mutual understanding and Nickerbacher decided that he needs to finally go after that dream of his.

     I think the story is a really cute one.  Some honest critique here... I did think that the bully prince came around a little too suddenly, it was a bit strange to see them go from fight to friends in a few short sentences.  I also thought it was missing a piece between running away and stage time, I wish there had been a bit more.  But no story is going to be perfect for each person that reads it, so you might feel differently.  I do love the illustrations by Kim Sponaugle.  She did a wonderful job, very lovable characters with great expression.  The story reads well for a child, so they shouldn't get caught up on long words or tricky wording.

     Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who loves a child and wants them to believe in themselves.  It's a cute book.  What did you want to be when you were young?  Did you achieve it?  I wanted to be a Paleontologist.  But I also wanted to be a secret shopper... and I'm kinda like that :)
     To learn more, check out Terry John Barto on Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon.
     Also check out illustrator Kim Sponaugle on her site, Twitter, and her blog.

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.