Leo and the Lightning Dragons written by Gill White and illustrated by Gilli B @FledglingPress @leolightdragons @LoveBooksGroup

Synopsis:

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).  

My Review

This is a wonderful children’s book with a strong message beautifully presented.

Leo is a knight but the dragons he battles are internal ones. The book has been written for Leo who has a rare form of epilepsy. Although, I feel it would be a great book for any child who is dealing with something medical or even mental health issues.

My son has Asperger’s and I can see this story being very helpful to him. Giving him a way of explaining how he feels when he’s in sensory overload for example.

The story is described as rhyming, however, I didn’t feel that it rhymed all that well. It’s a minor complaint and didn’t detract from our enjoyment of the story.

I loved the way the text is presented in the story. Lots of different fonts are used that match the words, which is fabulously engaging for non readers. The illustrations are colourful, almost child like in their presentation, which works with the message of the story.

My children and I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing Leo’s story. I loved the powerful message of believing in yourself and the way the whole book is presented. I can see this becoming a firm bedtime favourite in our house.

You can purchase Leo’s story here (not affiliated)

My thanks to Kelly for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publishers for a copy of the story in exchange for an honest review.