My 7 year old is on a major fantasy book kick lately. This summer he had a chance to meet Marti Dumas, author of Jupiter Storm. Ever since they talked about her story of a girl who finds a mysterious egg, he’s especially loved reading books about dragons.
For many years, it was hard to find fantasy books with racially diverse and inclusive characters. Thankfully, that is starting to change. Read on to discover 13 picture and chapter books about dragons that also star kids of color, LGBTQ characters, and characters with disabilities.
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Diverse and inclusive picture books about dragons
Ta-Da! by Kathy Ellen Davis and Kaylani Juanita
A young girl and boy have very different ideas about how to play pretend. The girl is living happily in her crystal castle, playing with her animal friends. The boy (whose favorite phrase is “dun dun duh!”) sends a dragon into the scene to destroy everything with his fire.
But the girl also has a signature phrase: “ta-da!” It lets her turn the dragon into a kind dragon. The girl uses the phrase to turn each of the boy’s disastrous plot twists into something happy for her and her dragon. Eventually, the boy gives up on trying to play pretend. But when he turns to a new kind of play, she shows him just how wonderful the phrase “ta da!” can be. He also shows her that sometimes “dun dun duh!” can be fun. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)
Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library by Julie Gassman and Andy Elkerton
This romping, rhyming book reminds kids of all the wonderful things that happen at the library – and how a dragon could ruin them for everyone. As dragons cause all kind of mayhem, they’re surrounded by a diverse cast of characters of many races, as well as a child in a wheelchair.
Even though he sees what could go wrong, one little boy is determined to get permission to bring his dragon to the library. Instead, the librarian provides a solution that keeps the library from being destroyed. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)
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Prince and Knight by Daniel Haack and Stevie Lewis
This rhyming fairy tale tells the familiar story of a prince who must marry since it will soon be time to take the throne. On this quest, “the prince met many ladies (and he made them all swoon!), but it was soon clear that he was singing a different tune.”
The attempt to find a bride is soon forgotten when a dragon attacks the village. When the prince sets out to face the dragon alone, a brave knight (whose armor is indeed shining) shows up to join the battle. Both prince and knight soon realize that they are not just partners in battle, but should be partners in life as well. (Recommended for ages 4 – 7, #ownvoices)
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Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen and Elise Primavera
Though her Ma and Pa don’t have time for make believe, the curious little girl who stars in Raising Dragons knows that dragons are real. She wants to mind her Pa when he tells her to stay away from a large, strange looking egg, but she just can’t help herself. When he hatches, she knows right away that Hank is her dragon.
This brightly illustrated, fanciful tale is funny and delightful, and I love its touch of country twang. (Recommended for ages 4 – 7, #ownvoices).
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“The Living Kuan Yin” in The Barefoot Book of Buddhist Tales
This child-friendly collection of stories from the Buddhist tradition includes a tale of a young man named Chin Po-wan. Po-wan’s family has more gold coins that they can count, so he begins to give the money away. Eventually, he becomes poor himself, and is distressed that he can’t help others anymore.
He hears that the goddess of mercy and kindness, the living Kuan Yin, can help him and answer his question. On his journey to see her, a strange voice asks if Po-wan will also ask a question on his behalf. That voice belongs to a huge snake who wants to know why he hasn’t become a dragon yet, even though he’s practiced kindness and self-control for a thousand years.
Po-wan promises to ask the question, and the huge snake even helps him on his journey. But as he continues, Po-wan is asked by others to take their questions to the living Kuan Yin. He knows he’s only allowed to ask three questions, and Po-wan must decide whether to use his own question as one of the three, or keep the promises he made to others. (Recommended for ages 6 – 10, #ownvoices)
Diverse and inclusive graphic novels about dragons
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill
This charming graphic novel stars Greta, a child who’s half goblin, half human. Greta wonders why her Mama is still a blacksmith since she practices a dying art. It isn’t long before Greta decides to learn another art that is disappearing: care of tea dragons. These dragons get their names for the leaves on their horns, which can be gently harvested to make tea.
I love the diversity of the characters, which includes people of many skin tones, several LBGTQ characters and other folks who bust gender stereotypes, and a strapping character who uses a wheelchair. (Recommended for ages 7 – 11)
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Princeless: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin
From the first time fairy tales are told to her, Princess Adrienne knows that they’re “hogwash.” When she becomes a teenager, her own father locks her into a tower, telling all the brave princes and knights to try to rescue her from a fierce dragon who guards the gates. Adrienne has no patience for the princes and the sexist, racist ideas they have about what a princess should be like.
When she finds a sword under her bed, she realizes that she and Sparks (her dragon) can be the ones to rescue princesses just like her who’ve been locked away. From the sarcasm to the feminism to the adventure, there’s so much to love in this story! (Recommended for ages 9 – 12)
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Diverse chapter books about dragons
Jupiter Storm and The Dragon Keep by Marti Dumas
Jupiter Storm is the book that got my kiddo’s dragon phase started. These are the longest chapter books we’ve read so far, but both books held his attention all the way through.
In Jupiter Storm, we meet Jackie, a science-loving 10 year old who often spends time outdoors to avoid all the noise her five brothers make. Jackie has no idea how much her life is going to change when she plants snapdragon seeds that her Great Aunt Mamie Seal sent her in the mail.
When a mysterious egg appears on a snapdragon leaf, Jackie decides to take it inside where she can observe it. When a dragon eventually hatches from the egg, all of Jackie’s attention is focused on keeping little Jupiter Storm alive – and keeping him a secret from her family. As you can imagine, this gets her into some trouble.
In the sequel The Dragon Keep, Jackie and her youngest brother Sam are summoned out to Oregon so that Great Aunt Mamie Seal can teach Jackie how to properly care for Jupiter. The older woman is so strict and secretive that Jackie is not sure she can trust her. As Jackie must do everything within her power to protect Jupiter and Sam, she discovers powers within herself that she did not know she had. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12, #ownvoices)
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Dragons in a Bag and The Dragon Thief by Zetta Elliott
At the start of Dragons in a Bag, Jaxon really, really doesn’t want to spend the day with his grandma that’s he never met before. But his mother has no choice; they’re about to be evicted from their Brooklyn apartment and she has to go to court.
Jax’s worries only increase when the woman he calls Ma tells him that she’s not his grandma. After watching all the strange things that happen in her apartment, including talking animals, he realizes that she’s a witch!
Ma doesn’t really want Jax’s help, but she has her hands full with three baby dragons who she needs to return to the realm of magic. Ma says that all he has to do is keep the dragons in the bag and make sure not to feed them. But a cast of gritty characters with magical abilities, and his best friend’s curious little sister Kavita, make that task harder than it sounds.
In the sequel The Dragon Thief, Kavita has to figure out how to care for the dragon she took from Jax while keeping the creature a secret. That’s a tough job when the dragon grows every time she feeds it! Kavita is surprised when Aunty, the older and somewhat grumpy woman who lives with them, is ready to help her.
Meanwhile, Jaxon has to deal with the ripple effects of what Kavita has done, which reach all the way to the realm of magic.
The oddball characters and fast paced action made both of these books huge favorites in our house. My kiddo would have loved for me to reach each of the books aloud in one sitting, if only my voice could have lasted that long. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12, #ownvoices)
Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro and Marion Lindsay
Zoey loves studying bugs in her backyard, but she also has to make sure her cat Sassafras doesn’t eat them! When Zoey notices a strange photo of a glowing purple frog in her mom’s photos, she’s curious. Her mom is shocked that Zoey can also see the frog; she thought she was the only human who could see and communicate with the talking animals who ask for her help.
Zoey’s mom explains that Pip the frog has added a special doorbell to their barn so that animals who need their help can alert them. Since mom is going out of town, it’s up to Zoey to take care of the animals. Her first patient is a dragon who’s so weak he can’t tell her what he needs. Zoey realizes that testing scientific hypotheses could help her cure this magical creature. (Recommended for ages 6 – 9)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
I love discovering that one of my favorite picture book authors and artists also writes chapter books! In this novel, Grace Lin skillfully weaves the story of a young Chinese girl who wants to change her family’s poor fortune with many short stories about characters like the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon.
Minli’s family ekes out a rough existence on Fruitless Mountain, and the only money in their home is two old copper coins given to Minli when she was a baby. Minli’s father brings her joy with the fantastic folktales he tells her, but her mother believes he’s filling their daughter’s head with nonsense.
When Minli spends her copper coins on a goldfish because a man promises it will change her fortune, her parents are understandably upset. But when she disappears to go on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon, they become distraught. Little do they know that Grace is not alone, but has a talking dragon to help her on her journey. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12, #ownvoices)