Not Your Typical Dragon

Author: Dan Bar- el
Illustrator: Tim Bowers
Grade Level: Preschool- 3rd

Summary:

Not Your Typical Dragon is about a little dragon named Crispin. We know that all dragons breathe fire… or do we? Crispin just can’t seem to breathe fire even though he tries his best. Instead, Crispin breathes whipped cream, bandaids, marshmallows, and teddy bears! Crispin is disappointed, and decides to go into a cave all by himself where no one will bother him. There, he meets Sir George. Sir George was afraid of fire breathing dragons, but soon became Crispin’s friend. Together they tried to solve the mystery of why Crispin couldn’t breathe fire. Sir George said maybe Crispin needed to change his attitude and make an angry face. When that did not work, Sir George thought maybe it was Crispin’s stress and he needed to calm down. That did not work either. After multiple failed attempts, Crispin decided to go back home to his parents. When Crispin and Sir George arrived at Crispin’s house, Sir George’s father came and said Crispin was silly because all dragons are supposed to breathe fire. Crispin’s dad got very angry at Sir George’s dad and breathed a big, hot, flame. Everything caught on fire very quickly, but the flame was out of control. The dragon’s knew how to breathe fire, however, they did not know how to stop the fire. Then, Crispin shot water out of his mouth to put out the fires. Crispin saved the day! Then, instead of fire, Crispin breathed music out of his mouth, and everyone celebrated. 

Element 1: Self- love and Knowledge

This book explores issues of diversity and embracing differences. Crispin could not breathe fire like the other dragons. He was told to change his attitude, or to calm down to fix his problems. As an educator, I hear those kinds of comments often in school settings, especially to students who have learning, emotional, and/ or behavioral disabilities. Students do not need to be fixed to fit in, but accepted, just like Crispin despite his differences. As students meet Crispin, our brave little dragon, I hope they understand that everyone is different, whether it be their heritage, ethnicity/ race, religion, disability, or gender. We are all different and should be proud of our differences! That is what makes each one of us unique and special!

Activity: 

Not Your Typical Dragon is a good book to introduce inclusions to students. After reading the book, I would lead a whole group discussion about inclusivity, and acceptance. This book can raise some essential questions such as, “How should I treat someone if they are different from me?”, or “How am I different from others?”. Then, I would ask the students to do a think pair, share with a partner, and share what makes the partner special like Crispin! What makes you unique? I would also like to do a special skills show and tell, where each student will bring something that can represent their special skill. For example, if a student is very good at cooking, the student can bring in a picture of cookies he/she baked. If a student is good at baseball, that student can bring a baseball glove. Each student will get a chance to share their item and their skill. Guide the students to start their presentation with, “I am not your typical 3rd grader, I can ___”, or "I am not your typical 3rd grader, I am ___".

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