What would happen if a dragon came to town? This story makes a fun chance to find out. The kids loved the story and the pictures.

Hailey misses her grandpa and their weekly visits to Edmonton's China Gate. When she takes her friend Kyle to make a wish at the lions, the dragon from the top of the gate comes to life! Hailey and Kyle have to figure out how to get the dragon, Zhu, back to the middle kingdom before Animal Control takes her away. This is a delightful combination of adventure and folk lore.

I enjoyed this story about two children making a wish and setting loose a real-life dragon.

The illustrations were good and the story was well-written but I wished that it was a little more detailed with plenty more adventure. Sure, there was adventure present but if you have a dragon on the loose, there’d be a lot more to deal with. There were a couple of hiccups along the way for the children to face and there was always a plan to get around them, even if some were a little too convenient. I understand it’s a children’s book but it would’ve been better for a little more drama.

The dragon was my favourite character, with her interesting abilities and curious nature.

Dragon on the Loose is a fun, lighthearted adventure where a young girl accidentally awakens the statue of a Chinese Dragon and must find a way to help it get back home.

This was a very enjoyable read, and I especially liked learning about Hailey’s relationship with her late grandfather throughout the book. The representation and exploration of dragons in Chinese culture helped me learn something new and adds a great learning opportunity for young readers! I can see this being a great book for young kids making their first forays into chapter books.

Kyle and Hailey were both sweet and fun characters, with distinct characterization. I especially liked the exploration of Hailey’s grief for her grandfather throughout the book. My main complaint is that at the start of the book, it is revealed that both characters are in sixth grade, and in my opinion they felt quite a bit younger than this as characters. I also think this age makes them less relatable to potential readers for this book, as I suspect they would be in first through third grade.

Over all, though, this was an enjoyable read that I would certainly recommend to young readers!

When eleven-year-old Hailey and her friend Kyle make a wish on a Chinese lion statue, they accidentally bring a dragon to life.

Very cute and well-written. I enjoyed it a lot.

This was such a fun read! I think it would be a good book for intermediate child readers. It is a chapter book, but it easy to read and has some illustrations throughout. I loved the illustrations. They really brought the story to life. I particularly loved the drawings of Zhu, the dragon. I am very fond of her character. This book teaches good lessons. Such as in the first chapter, where there is a moment where the main character learns to not call someone else’s food gross. “Dragon on the Loose” is a delightful read!

Review to come in April 2024 on blog/other places.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

This was just oodles of fun! Full of family, heart, warmth, magic, and adventure! I am very happy that I decided to request this one when I saw it up on Netgalley!

In this gorgeous book we meet friends Hailey and Kyle! On one day, before the Chinese Lion Statues (and dragons) are removed they make a wish. And what happens? Well, check the cover! The dragon lives! The dragon is alive! And so begins a fun adventure filled with chewy worms (the dragon loves the yellow/lemon ones) and a trip through the city. But the adventure goes south when some overreactive woman sees Zhu as a dog/coyote and immediate goes in panic mode and calls animal control. I felt for Zhu, she just wants to have fun, she is scared and is just looking to see what the world has become and then wants to go home. Instead there is panic and a flight through town to find safety.

The characters, Kyle and Hailey are both lovely characters. Brave. Fun. Sweet. I loved that next to the dragon we also see Hailey and her late grandfather's relationship. The things he learned her. The fun things they did. We see that Hailey is still mourning the loss of her grandfather.

And Zhu the dragon was such a sweetie and I loved learning more about her powers (water/weather control), about where she came from, about other dragons, and see her totally get hyped over yummy snacks, haha.

I was proud of the kids and what plans they made when things went south. How Hailey thought of something awesome and how both kids were fully going for it. Hoping to help out Zhu!

The illustrations by Grace Chen were a lot of fun. I love the designs for the kids and Zhu~

I was mostly just pissed at everyone who went so panicky over the fact that two kids and a coyote were walking around. I was surprised that most people even knew it was a coyote. Haha. I get it is a coyote, but come on people. It just felt way over the top. Maybe it had worked if it was another animal, something bigger, more hungry.

All in all, a book full of heart and one I would recommend.

This is such a fun, magical, adventurous read for young readers and beginners!

I love the cover and it has all of our main characters.

The story is short, adventurous, engaging with fabulous illustrations and lively characters. I wish the grandpa’s part was more and we would have more background stories of Chinese mythology! But I would say for the reading age group the plot, the length and the characters are just a perfect blend!

Bailey and her friend visits a Chinese lion statue to make wishes and somehow brings a dragon to life!

The dragon is friendly and gets homesick after a while. Things got worse when people came to know about it and the kids have to find a way to get the dragon back to its world.

Well, what can I say?

It is done perfectly!

Thank you, Orca Book Publishers, for the advance reading copy.

Great middle ages book about being brave enough to try new things and about the fact that it's okay to miss someone who has passed away because they will always be in your memories. I really liked the few illustrations that were in the book as well.

Thank you NetGalley, for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a partially illustrated early chapter book.

11-year-old Hailey and her friend Kyle accidentally make a dragon on the China Gate come to life, by making a wish at one of the China Gate’s lions. The dragon turns out to be incredibly nice and super interesting. It saves them from bullies but it’s not always brave, it gets scared or anxious sometimes too. Hailey and Kyle are there for it when that happens and they do everything they can to try to get it back home. They have a fun and heartwarming adventure interspersed with beautiful memories Hailey has of her grandfather, who taught her some great life lessons, and we learn a lot about Chinese culture and traditions along the way too.

I loved it!

Dragon on the Loose is a story for young readers that works on many levels. I liked it very much.

Ostensibly about what happens when 11-year-old Hailey and her friend Kyle accidentally bring a dragon to life after Hailey makes a wish on a lion statue (at a China Town Gate that is being removed to make way for some public works), the story has deeper things to say about always trying to see new possibilities in life and practicing openness to new experiences. Like eating chicken feet at dim sum - which my first boyfriend introduced a very sceptical young me to.

Hailey is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her grandfather, and in her unexpected friendship with Zhu the Dragon, she is able to learn how to let go while understanding that certain people and experiences will always remain a part of you.

This is an enjoyable adventure story with important messages tucked below the surface. I loved the rendering of the Dragon as well as the creative elements of the storytelling, which explains to us what the Dragon stands for in Chinese mythology, and also gives us a dragon who can turn itself into a puddle when it needs a disguise...!

What a magical adventure with a dragon. I am not sure what I would do it if I wished a dragon alive. It is amazing to see diverse books to make it in the wild. For kids who can see themselves and also for kids to learn about another culture. Aka chicken feet at dim sum!