Dragonbreath is a graphic novel-text hybrid. While the majority of the book is written in text, every so often it will venture off into anywhere from a single page to several pages of graphic novel format which are interwoven right into the story. An interesting use of the graphic novel format which makes the book read quickly. Dragonbreath is the only dragon in his reptile and amphibian school and he has yet to learn how to breath fire but that's not his only problem. He hates doing schoolwork and after receiving an F on a made-up report about the ocean he goes to visit his cousin a sea serpent who takes him on a journey beneath the sea where he has many adventures along with his iguana friend Wendell. Armed with this information he is able to re-write a much better report.

A cute little story; the illustrations are very cute and will appeal immediately to readers. The faces are very expressive. I think kids will certainly relate to the characters and have fun with the adventures. Personally, I found the story cute but not anything special. I'm capable of enjoying a just plain fun story but this lacked the element of that something special for me. If your child is attracted to the book go ahead and buy it for them but I wouldn't go out of my way to choose it for a child to read. ( )

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

Danny Dragonbreath may dream of being a fearsome pirate on the high seas, but in reality, he's just a young dragon - the only mythical creature in an entire school of reptiles and amphibians - who can't even breathe fire yet and spends his days defending himself from bullies and vicious potato salad lunches, before the bullies steal them.

He doesn't really know anything about the ocean, either, so when his best friend, Wendell the iguana, refuses to help him pull together a last minute report on the ocean, Danny (who makes up something about "snorkelbats") receives a huge fat "F." Since going to the library and actually doing research is not something Danny would stoop to, he decides to follow his mom's advice and visit his cousin, Edward, a sea serpent who lives in the Sargasso Sea.

Poor Wendell gets dragged along for "the fun" of exploding sea cucumbers, sharks, and hostile mermen. The dragon and iguana do manage to learn some neat ocean facts before they come across a giant squid and have to fight for their lives. Will Danny manage to save Wendell from an untimely, tentacle death? More importantly, will he ever get his report finished?

Formatted in a tightly woven design that meshes graphic novel with traditional chapter text, this hilarious story is absolutely perfect for the younger male reader who refuses to pick up a book. This is one new series to definitely keep an eye on, with the next book expected in Spring of 2010, and one to be enjoyed by anyone who loves to laugh out loud. ( )

Boys will especially love this slimy tale of Danny the Dragon who visits his underwater cousin the sea serpent to do research for a paper about oceans. His cousin Edward takes Danny and his friend Wendall to a coral reef, a sunken ship, and the very deep part of the ocean where it is darker than dark. Wendall gets scared, Danny thinks it's all really cool, and they almost get eaten by a giant squid. Really fun book for younger readers. ( )

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon

Two pals play pirate and have unusual friends. Of course the fact that one of the pals is a fireless dragon and the other nerdy lizard does play a part in their unusual friends. This is a delightful story of homework avoidance and dealing with peers.

I enjoyed the repartee of Danny and Wendell. It could have been my grandson and his buddy bantering back and forth. Their adventure was cute and age appropriate for the target market. I gave the book to my 11 year old grandson and his first question after reading it was when could he get the next one.

I enjoyed the book and my 11 year old grandson enjoyed it, we both recommend it. ( )