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A great read for young children who enjoy stories about animals, magical worlds and adventure!
Prince Lazaro and the Magic Scales is a tale of adventure and timeless friendship. Journey with lonely Prince Lazaro as he rescues and becomes friends with Deluthian the dragon. The duo manage to keep one-step ahead of Deluthian's captors as they adventure together. The dragon enlightens Lazaro about the importance of gratitude, love, selflessness, and how precious our time together really is. A bit less lonely now, the prince and Deluthian race against time as they plan to lure the villains into their trap.
Preschool to grade 6.
Prince Lazaro and the Magic Scales by Heidi Dehncke is a wonderful tale of adventure for young children. Lonely Prince Lazaro wanders around looking for a playmate. While out and about, he stumbles into a different world where he finds Deluthian - a chained up dragon. Prince Lazaro frees him but his captors return. Deluthian befriends the Prince and takes him on a series of adventures as the two try to stay one step ahead of the dragon’s captors who are in pursuit.
Prince Lazaro is a typical child yearning for fun, companionship and adventure. He is relatable to young children who want the same things in their lives. It is interesting to note that even though both parents are mentioned in the story as being absent, it’s the King’s lack of attention that seems to really bother Prince Lazaro. This hints at the importance of a father’s role in the development of children and how prevalent the absence of that role is seen in society; another relatable concept, sadly, for too many children.
The illustrations are effective in helping tell the story as they move from the greyness of a bleak life to the colourful world of adventure and fun. The writer uses bold, divided black boxes around each page which are great for focusing young eyes on either the text area or the illustrated section. For new or struggling readers though, the font may be difficult to follow easily. The letters are more lean and angular in style rather than rounded and open. On some pages the font is too small for young children.
Dehncke’s language is vivid and gives clear pictures about what is happening. From bold actions like, “zoomed into the air” and “romped through the fields” to descriptions like “shimmering grass surrounded by mountains”, the words are rich and should capture children’s attention and imaginations easily.
The writer not only invokes the imagination but she also probes the intellect. There are statements made like, '“Sometimes people forget about what is really important in their lives,...”' which are wonderful points of discussion for children within their families or at school. They elevate the book from just being about a fun time to thought-provoking, teachable moments for children to explore.
For those children who enjoy stories about families, animals, magical worlds and lots of adventure, Prince Lazaro and the Magic Scales should be a joy to read.
Reviewed by
I love how a good idiom or saying captures the heart of a message beautifully. I love words... To read them. To write them... Short stories, screenplays and songs. I enjoy the journey of world building... Whether I create it for others or take it for myself.
Synopsis
Prince Lazaro and the Magic Scales is a tale of adventure and timeless friendship. Journey with lonely Prince Lazaro as he rescues and becomes friends with Deluthian the dragon. The duo manage to keep one-step ahead of Deluthian's captors as they adventure together. The dragon enlightens Lazaro about the importance of gratitude, love, selflessness, and how precious our time together really is. A bit less lonely now, the prince and Deluthian race against time as they plan to lure the villains into their trap.
Preschool to grade 6.
About the author
I originally attended Pratt Institute for illustration. Then I became a self taught editor and multimedia producer. I received my MS in journalism from Columbia University in 2000 and made the film Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11, (Sundance Channel, 2006). I also pursue fine art painting. view profile
Published on March 08, 2022
2000 words
Genre: Children's
Reviewed by
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