Dragon Solstice

By: Nance Crawford

Narrated by: Nance Crawford

The Remarkable History of the Legendary Christmas Dragon: How an Innocent Young Dragon Found a Forever Friend, a Name, and became Santa's Pocket Alarm. ("No more Clement Moores!") This imaginative American fable for the Holidays confronts the mysteries of dragons, vampire bats, sea serpents, time travel and the North Pole with wry, heartwarming humor as the pleasant, ordinary lives of the citizens of a tiny Medieval kingdom are interrupted by an angry witch "vanishing" their beloved royal twins. However, before the prince and princess can be rescued, reports of a newly arrived dragon must be addressed. Since the King's Champion has not returned from a very long quest, his son, William of Linke, in training by serving as the Royal Whipping Boy, finds himself promoted. Enchanted armor and sword are dug up and unpacked. The sword, broken in half during an ancient battle, now has a double-pointed blade, and the armor is too big, but during a year of intensive training, Bill grows into it. Setting out to find the dragon so that he can then rescue his royal friends, he joins forces with Jheri, the Royal Huntsman's son, whose sister, Sarai, has disappeared in the royal forest. Finding tracks and realizing Sarai has obviously been kidnapped by the Dragon, they set out to rescue her and slay the Dragon. Unaware that the Sarai and the Dragon have made friends and are fleeing a very wicked witch, the knight and his companion follow their trail. It is an unexpectedly challenging route. For readers of all ages, this charming secular tale is the perfect read-aloud adventure. A chapter each evening, starting on November 17th (the birthday of the author's middle daughter!) will find the reader at a very happy North Pole ending on the night before the Holiday's Eve.©2010 Nance Crawford (P)2014 Nance Crawford

A delightful new icon for Christmas!

If you could sum up Dragon Solstice in three words, what would they be?

Charming innocent fable

Who was your favorite character and why?

This one is filled with very colorful characters. I gotta say my favorite was the sea serpent with the Scottish burr!

What about Nance Crawford’s performance did you like?

She is very versatile and adept at vocal characterization. Her narration is easy to follow and can appeal to both adults and younger listeners. This is an ideal story to listen to as a family.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but reality intervened and it took a couple of sittings to finish.

Any additional comments?

What a delight to find a holiday themed piece of writing that has something new to say. And it is refreshing in the year 2015 to find writing that has a warm heart - not a trace of cynicism. Ashley Noel has usurped Rudolph, Clement Moore and Santa's singing reindeer as my go-to Christmas images.

Adorable

Adorable read, perfect for the winter holidays. Narrated wonderfully, with so much inflection and character.

Enchanting Christmas Story

Any additional comments?

In this charmingly whimsical tale, Nance Crawford has woven the perfect blend of knights, sorcerers, dragons, humor, and suspense. The young heroine, Sarai, and her Dragon friend will steal the hearts of young and old alike as they follow this pair's remarkable journey. Although this story is great for any time of the year it lends itself to being a wonderful holiday tradition.