Author Description

This book was created as a series of stories for children aged 2-8 years. It uses the animal characters to describe everyday issues, explore the challenges and problems of growing up and take the reader through a series of adventures involving the very existence of dragons and wizards in the face of the troubles in the Far Lands. Jasper is the main character who grows in courage and wisdom throughout the book - learning to fly, coping with a new sister, braving the dangers of the Far Lands. His mentor is Magnus the Magnificent - a bumbling magician who gets his spells wrong sometimes but has the moral strength and skill to overcome the scariest dangers. Cyril the owl also keeps a friendly eye on Jasper, taking him to task when he doesn't live up to his potential. And each animal adds a dimension to the stories - Little Long Legs (the giraffe) is gentle and unassuming; Bing and Bong (the hedgehogs) are anxious parents, struggling to restrain their unruly son, Little Doodle; Tick and Tock (the mice) are hard-working and resourceful; Phyllis (the cow) is motherly; Sid the frog is a bit of a dare-devil; Wayne and Warren (the rabbits) are happy-go-lucky; Andrew Tortoise is a worrier; Granville the dog is an innate performer, and Moley is a good sort who is always ready to help. Children will enjoy the characters and the story lines. They will identify with Jasper's difficulties - like the time he has a bad day and everything he does makes it worse! And they'll enjoy the humour of the animals making a circus - the mice doing bare-back riding on Little Long Legs' back, Sid doing a Great Plunge from the top of the tent into a bowl of water and Granville and Little Doodle being clowns (so that they can throw water over everyone!). The story of the Music Festival is even more surreal - Magnus shows he has a softer side and Jasper's Uncle Desmond looks out his old bagpipes! So there are laughs and anxious moments, things to make a child smile and issues for them to ponder over