ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Leo and the Lightning Dragons by Gill White, Illustrated by Gilli B @leolightdragons @FledglingPress #Lovebooksgrouptours #BlogTour
I’m so pleased to be taking part in the blog tour for Leo and the Lightning Dragons by Gill White and illustrated by Gilli B. My thanks to Kelly Lacey from Love Books Group Tours for the place on the tour and to Fledgling Press for the copy of the book. As I received a free copy and royalties from the sale of this book are going to CHAS, I made a donation to the charity.
Everybody in the kingdom is supporting the brave knight Leo in his battle against his fearsome dragons. They try lots of different things to help him defeat them but eventually Leo realises that the most important thing to do is to believe in himself. This beautifully illustrated book with a poignant and uplifting rhyming story encourages children to persevere and find strength in the face of adversity, even when it seems that nothing is working. Written by Gill White for her son Leo who suffers from Ohtahara Syndrome, an extremely rare form of epilepsy, and beautifully illustrated by Fife artist Gilli B, this story has been positively received by parents of children with complex needs, by care workers and medical staff and by parents of healthy young children who love the book simply as an adventure story. All royalties from the sale of this book will go to CHAS (Children’s Hospices across Scotland).
Leo and the Lightning Dragons is a lovely book. It was written about and for a real little boy named Leo who has a rare form of epilepsy. The story emphasises Leo’s bravery in dealing with the dragons, i.e. lightning strikes in his head, and as an analogy it works very well. As an adult, it was easy for me to understand the message in the book but I would say that for my five year old it was a bit beyond his comprehension really, although he enjoyed the story on a surface level.
The illustrations are beautiful and vibrant and match the story perfectly. It really is the most visually attractive book.
You’ll be pleased to know that Leo defeats the dragons at the end and so a child’s desire for a happy ending is realised. And there are then some ideas for bringing Leo and the Lightning Dragons to life and making a sensory story, such as using plasma balls to show how the lightning dragons attack Leo or tapping your hands on a desk or your legs to depict the dragons fleeing.
I’m not sure what age group the book is aimed at but I think as my son gets older he will understand the nature of the analogy a lot better and in the meantime it’s a great tale of the goody defeating the baddy! Delightful!
Gill White lives in Fife with her husband Andrew, son Leo and their daft ginger cat, Ollie. After graduating from university, Gill worked in financial services alongside her husband for a number of years before giving up work to care full time for their son Leo, who was born with Ohtahara Syndrome, an extremely rare form of epilepsy. When she is not looking after her son, Gill can most often be found at the beach enjoying the peace and quiet! As well as writing, she enjoys hiking and extremely amateur photography. Leo and the Lightning Dragons is her first book.
