Once Upon A Time: Leo and the Lightning Dragons by @leolightdragons ‏@FledglingPress #Lovebooksgrouptours

This Friday is special to me. Today, I jump into the world of children books. Today, I share my thoughts, gingerly, carefully, and with hope, about a book that opened my eyes, moved me, and made me fall for the bravest knight of them all.

Thank you to Love Books Group, the lovely Kelly, for letting me be part of this journey, and this blog tour. 

Title: Leo and the Lightning Dragons
Written by: Gill White
Illustrated by: Gilli B
Publisher: Fledgling Press
Date of hardback publication: OUT NOW
Format: PDF

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).  

I am new to the world of children books. I don’t have children, cousins, neighbours. Crime fiction offers me the gateways I need. Yet, I have started branching out. Other genres, non-fiction, indie authors… The power of books is limitless. And once in a while, you find a little gem. Something you thought you would never read. Sometimes important. A life lesson. It doesn’t have to be told through an intricate plot or academic and unpronounceable words. Sometimes a family share their story, and it makes all the difference.

Leo and The Lightning Dragons was written by a mother for her son. It is inspiring, it is sweet and full of hope and strength. It is beautiful. It is a cry for life and joy. It is a wonderfully-crafted weapon carved in love. Informative, clever, and brilliant, this children book is a testimony of resilience.

Thank you to Leo’s super-hero parents for fighting, thank you to Fledgling Press for their involvement in such an important project, and thank you to Leo for being the bravest knight we have ever seen.

The last part of the book, with its sensory help, is a wonderful tool to help others deal with their own dragons or even only get a real understanding of what Leo’s life is like. It’s simple, it’s cute, it feels so easy, and it talks to everyone, giving a face to all the good and bad things in Leo’s life.

The best strength is within ourselves. Let’s let our light shine and illuminate the bravest knight’s path.

This is the story of Meggy, a bookish lady from a foreign land.

What do bookish ladies do? They read!

What do they read? Books!

One day, in this foreign land, came the bravest knight the bookish lady had ever seen.

Accompanied with colourful illustrations, striking dragons, and an army of faithful weapons,

The bravest knight taught the bookish lady a lesson.

Life is a battle and the monsters can come from anywhere.

What do brave knights do when monsters attack them?

Brave knights like Leo stay strong and face the dragons.

Drawings and feelings… The bookish lady learned a lot about the life of the bravest knight.

Life is unfair, and you can’t fight it. Instead, the bravest knight takes all his courage to face the dragons, helped by beating hearts ready to give their best support.

The bravest knight in the kingdom shows his power, his resilience. He takes his fear and strikes the dragons until the monsters realise they are not strong enough to destroy the kingdom and the knight.

Love is the most magical weapon and, filled with it, the bravest knight rises above, fuelled with an outstanding will to live.

The bookish lady smiles at the pictures of the knight, she feels her heart ache, break, jump with joy.

The bookish ladies tells the pencil holder and the story teller that they save lives and minds by sharing the story of the bravest knight she has ever seen.

The bookish lady wishes she could draw a million cuddles to send to the bravest knight she has ever seen.

Leo’s kingdom, a beautiful place with nice minstrels, clever wizards, resourceful witches, and loving parents, is no place for dragons. It takes a world to be ready to chase away the monsters. The world is not so much a dark place when it is lit with the kindness of people.

Meggy the bookish lady sends her love to the bravest knight she has ever seen.

Here is the link where you can find this amazing and uplifting book: BUY LINK