Johnny's Dragon

Sustained stories for six-to-nines need to be sought out and it's good to have writers from other countries to enrich our stock. This one, beautifully translated, is about Johnny, teased and taunted at school, and not too good at Maths. His luck and his self-image change when he meets a strange little dragon whom Johnny teaches to read and write. By the end of the story Johnny has learned to stand up for himself. It's well told, with wit and immediate characterisation. Mary Rahn's pictures are unusual and effective: black and white, near-photographs, but catching the imaginative quality of the story.