The Water Dragons

Patricia Wrightson (author)

David Cox (Illustrations)

Puffin Books, Australia: 1999; 60pp

ISBN: 0141305363

Genres: realistic fiction

Issues: environment, friendship

An Aussie Bites book.

Sam, Lin and Jerry go to the same school. They are not friends, as such. It's just that their houses are all near a concrete drain where a special kind of lizard, called water dragons, made their home.

 Then the Council decides that it's time to clean up the drain. What will happen to the water dragons? Will the children be able to protect their lizard friends? And will they ever be able to agree about how best to care for them?

Patricia Wrightson has a gift for writing stories with very believable characters, and making ordinary, every-day events into something interesting. Readers will find it easy to relate to the children and the way they feel about their lizard friends. The unexpected conclusion also reinforces Wrightson's subtle theme of tolerance and friendship.

Good reading.