Thud & Blunder: The Not-So-Deadly Dragon

Thud & Blunder: The Not-So-Deadly Dragon is part of a series of fantasy early chapter books featuring two young knights. The brainy, brawny Thud is accompanied by her aptly named fearless, foolish friend, Blunder. When a dragon sets fire to part of the town, they valiantly mount their hornless unicorn and ride to the dragon’s mountain lair.

Once they get to know the dragon Thermy, they realize the fires are not completely his fault. The true culprit is revealed to be a lava giant. Thud and Blunder demonstrate kindness and creative problem solving, although resolution of the lava giant challenge feels like it comes out of nowhere (deus ex machina), as does the twist at the end of the story.

The colorful, simple art effectively conveys humor and action in a style reminiscent of a graph novel, although the book is not formatted as a graphic novel.

Beyond a fun, comical story with positive themes, the book features a glossary of terms and lists of questions and exercises to enhance the learning experience for young readers.