Kenny & the Book of Beasts
by Tony DiTerlizzi 

4 out of 5 stars

Kenny is enjoying his life with his family and his best friend, a dragon named Grahame. But their friendship is put to the test when Grahame meets up with his old friend, a manticore named Dante. Kenny is very jealous of their time together and he feels left out as they reminisce about the old days. An evil witch comes on the scene, and Kenny has to decide whether he will stand by his friends, new and old, no matter what his personal feelings may be.

I loved this book so much! The whole story is so charming and whimsical! I loved the adorable characters, and the writing is utterly enchanting in every chapter. All of the writing was simple and concise, but imaginative and vivid and powerful.

I adored Kenny’s character. He has twelve little sisters, and his family is a little frazzled trying to take care of them all. It’s so cute! His parents are a central part of the story, and I loved how they offer him wisdom and caring, but then let him make some of his own decisions. The whole family relationship is brilliant!

Kenny’s father is especially a complex character. At first, he just seems like a comic relief character, but later in the story, we see these touching scenes of the father passing down generational wisdom to his son. I loved how Kenny has learned to trust in his father’s wisdom, and he really listens to his dad.

I completely fell in love with the delightful dragon, Grahame! He is intelligent and gracious and full of humor and friendliness. I thought it was fun to see another side of Grahame through his friendship with Dante. They have both been hunted as monsters in the past, but now they are hopeful for a new peaceful relationship with the community. It was really interesting seeing this different perspective in the story!

This book has been screened on the Screen It First website. https://screenitfirst.com/book/kenny-and-the-book-of-beasts-1076767