Lena & the Dragon

A Book on Childhood Trauma & Recovery

WINNER OF THE 2023 SCBWI SPARK HONOR AWARD

Lena lives a happy life until one day a terrible thing happens. The next morning, Lena wakes up to find a dragon asleep on her chest-- a dragon no one else can see.

Everywhere she goes the dragon follows, wreaking havoc and getting Lena into trouble. The more Lena tries to ignore the terrible thing and the dragon, the more he grows. Will Lena get the courage to speak up about the terrible thing and learn to tame her dragon?

Lena & the Dragon tackles childhood trauma in a way that children will find relatable and adults can use as a stepping stone to deeper conversation. With evidence based approaches for managing anxiety and trauma triggers, Lena & the Dragon can also be utilized in a therapeutic setting. Most of all, Lena shows us that we can be resilient in the face of terrible things.

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Additional Resources

Educator Guide

The Educator Guide includes pre- and post-reading questions, guided activties, and printable worksheets for grades K-5th. Click the image to download.

Therapist Guide

The Therapist Guide contains questions to engage children when reading, in session activities, take home coping skills, and more. Click the image to download.

“An important picture book that addresses children’s trauma and resilience ."

Mutually Inclusive

"One of - if not THE - best book I've ever read for children and trauma. It's brilliant...Highly recommend this for all the littles in your life, for doctor's offices, library collections, and Free Little Libraries. Basically, all kiddos need this book because all of them are vulnerable and may have dragons to contend with."

Heather Demetrios

Author & Writing Coach

"This beautifully illustrated story handles the difficult subject of childhood trauma in a way that parents can break down for young children. A touching and heartwarming story of hope and recovery."

Namita Merha

Author