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Kids have great imaginations, so let's get them off those electronic devices!
Lola is the smartest eight-year-old she herself has ever met. With her sharp mind, she approaches every situation logically and analyses the facts before making any decisions. Sometimes, she gets upset because some of the other kids make fun of her for being smart. Obviously, they’re just jealous. But it still hurts. Because Lola is so smart, she often finds it difficult to bond with children her own age as she struggles to engage in creative play.
When Nana asks Lola and her siblings to tidy up the barn, they soon find themselves cornered by three ferocious dragons. While Lola´s siblings quickly slip into this imaginary world and attempt to outsmart the dragons, Lola struggles to immerse herself in the game. Will she find a way to overcome her reluctance and join this amazing make-believe world? After all, there are dragons to tame!
This book bursts with fun ideas for imaginative play while encouraging a responsible approach to screen time. A great read to encourage children to strive for a growth mindset!
When I was a kid, I could be frequently found at the arcade or in front of my gaming console. Kids nowadays have their phones which house a lot more games and content than I could ever dream of when I was a youngster. It's not just kids either; adults are glued to their phones. There are countless apps to watch videos, play games, or even watch others playing games. Okay, I don't understand that one but my kids tell me I'm missing out. I'll take their word on it.
In Dragons in the Barn by Ennes Higgins, Nana has become frustrated her grandkids' attention seems fixated primarily on electronics, so she orders them to have a no-electronics day. You can probably guess their reaction. In all fairness, most adults can't go a day with electronics either. Me included. We've become too invested and reliant on them.
However, when Nana sends the children to tidy up the barn, they realize how much fun life can be without technology. Toby, the youngest, finds a pail and broomstick and imagines they are a helmet and sword. Then, a mysterious sound is heard, and, of course, it has to belong to a dragon. Yup, when electronics are not around, imagination takes over. Adventures ensure. This one centered around not ONE, not TWO, But THREE DRAGONS!
The kids of various ages work together to scare away the red dragon, but he returns with backup (blue and green). I loved the illustrations for the red dragon before he ran off, but the images of all three of them together were quite unusual—in a good way. Trust me, I don't believe you've seen dragons looking this way before.
I won't disclose how the children scared off the scary red dragon or how they bested the three mythical beasts, but it was inventive and showed me the author has quite the imagination.
Amazon's recommended reading age is reading age 5 - 10 years. I think a ten-year-old might only stumble on one particular word—mezzanine. It's not a common word, a word already stored in their mental vocabulary. So, it's the perfect time to add it.
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Synopsis
Lola is the smartest eight-year-old she herself has ever met. With her sharp mind, she approaches every situation logically and analyses the facts before making any decisions. Sometimes, she gets upset because some of the other kids make fun of her for being smart. Obviously, they’re just jealous. But it still hurts. Because Lola is so smart, she often finds it difficult to bond with children her own age as she struggles to engage in creative play.
When Nana asks Lola and her siblings to tidy up the barn, they soon find themselves cornered by three ferocious dragons. While Lola´s siblings quickly slip into this imaginary world and attempt to outsmart the dragons, Lola struggles to immerse herself in the game. Will she find a way to overcome her reluctance and join this amazing make-believe world? After all, there are dragons to tame!
This book bursts with fun ideas for imaginative play while encouraging a responsible approach to screen time. A great read to encourage children to strive for a growth mindset!
About the author
Ennes Higgins loves to read books with her own children – and since there are four of them, they are getting through many, many, MANY books! She enjoys sparking children’s´ imagination and encourages spending time with creative play and make-believe worlds - because there, anything is possible! view profile
Published on April 10, 2022
3000 words
Genre: Children's
Reviewed by
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