When Your Dragon Is Too Big for a Bath,
written by C.E. White and illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe, offers a simple yet deep lesson on prayer. It’s perfect for preschoolers to second graders, but even adults can find pearls of wisdom in this tale.
The story is a first-person narrative of a young boy, who receives an egg with a baby dragon inside for his birthday. I like how the first illustration highlights the egg as if a spotlight is shining down on it. The egg hatches, and again light beams down on the baby dragon. His coloring is distinctive with a blue body and a purple tail. His name—Wilfred—is unique and gentlemanly as well.
As Wilfred grows up, we see his adorable toddler face and his playfulness. One cute picture shows the boy pulling him in a wagon, and another has the little dragon wrapped up in a kite string. One trouble with having him as a pet, though, is bathing him, as he hates baths. When he’s small, it’s a challenge to bathe him although doable, but as he gets larger, he’s more willful and too strong to be forced into the tub.
When things get too out of control, the boy and his parents pray. Even Wilfred joins them. I appreciate that the story shows the boy’s honesty about his doubts yet still has him persevere. “I didn’t think God was going to come give my dragon a bath, but I prayed anyway.” Stakes are raised as Wilfred grows smellier and dirtier, and the only alternative is to keep him outside.
Bhagya Madanasinghe does a wonderful job making Wilfred’s personality stand out. When stubborn, he crosses his forelegs and rolls his eyes. When embarrassed, he blushes and turns his head away. He even acts like a dog when playing fetch, holding the ball in his mouth with his tongue hanging out.
Wilfred gets his bath, and it was God who provided the way. Before anyone thinks this is a deus ex machina, let me say that this scenario leads to a valuable lesson on prayer. The boy had the idea of how to bathe Wilfred, but his parents helped him understand that it was God who gave him the idea and the method of bathing his dragon. The book makes it clear that God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want Him to, and it does that by having the boy remember the times he prayed for something but ended up with something better.
If your children love dragons or are intrigued by the idea of owning an exotic pet, read this book. They’ll be fascinated by the boy’s adventures with his dragon as well as see how God connects with us through prayer and gives good gifts to His children.
