Sirgen and Katheren

Children's Bookwatch, April, 2008

Sirgen and Katheren

J. Michael Swinden

Pleasant Word

c/o WinePress Publishing

PO Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022

9781414110387, $10.99 www.pleasantwordbooks.com

Sirgen and Katheren is a short Christian storybook for young people, about the father-daughter bond that develops between Sirgen, a formerly destructive dragon who learns the importance of compassion from Katheren, a nine-year-old orphan who insists that Sirgen provide for her because she has no place else to go (Sirgen had just recently destroyed her village). Together they make a perilous journey to an orphanage run by nuns; there, both Sirgen and Katheren learn about the noble teachings of Jesus Christ and the bounty of God's love. The adventures continue as Katheren grows up and falls in love with a handsome prince; when she is kidnapped by agents of a rival nation, Sirgen must confront another dragon to rescue her! A brief and simplistic story, illustrated by a handful of childlike black-and-white illustrations, nonetheless profound for its depictions of true love and caring. Especially recommended for young dragon fans.