The Wrong-coloured Dragon (Lynne Reid-Banks 2012) is a book for 8-11 year olds. It tells the story of a world where dragons have gained dominance over humans (uprights) and, in particular, a red dragon called Ferocity. There are no red dragons and Ferocity is singled out for attention. However, dragons lack hands and, as such, must contact the uprights as they cannot build or mine for their essential need, coal. Ferocity and his parents are sent to make contact with their mortal enemies and it is the young of each species who ignore differences and act as the conduit for interaction. Unfortunately, despite the bonding of the children’s families, the remaining upright adults are not so welcoming and a hostile committee awaits the party.
This is an excellent book to read to younger children in order to examine the reconciliation of difference and to demonstrate that future efforts in cooperation lie with the younger generation. I see lots of books directed at helping kids with various socio-emotional needs, but Reid-Banks has elevated this book above the normal preachy lesson into an enlightening and heart-warming story which I liked immensely.