This little book tells the tale of a young boy whose older sister is moving off to college, and in his sadness of her leaving, she gives him a small box of little things she kept, telling her brother the story of meeting a dragon who kept her company in her times of need as a child. The little brother soon meets the dragon and befriends him in his time of missing his sister.

As an older sister myself, reading this book warmed my heart in so many ways and oh how I wished I had a small dragon scale I could have passed to my own little brother in his time of need growing up.

I adored the artwork throughout the book, putting big smiles on my face each time they popped up. The arts are masterpieces and so beautifully done.

Havenwood was so beautiful written and had tears in my eyes as I continued on with this story. This book spoke to my inner child and I am so grateful to have come across this magnificent book.

4.5 stars

I loved reading L.L.H Harms 'Havenwood', if you have young children, this is a lovely story that is beautifully illustrated, aimed at young children, but is sweet enough for adults to find the charm of the story.

This is a story with a lot of charm, but there is also a message, more or less that will most likely to be read by parents to their children..


Pub Date: 02 Apr 2026


Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review L.L.H. Harms 'Havenwood'

“It’s okay to grow up and move on,” the dragon whispered back. “Just because you don’t need me anymore doesn’t mean you stop loving me. I know you will always love me, and I will always love you.”

This was adorable and I feel like a good book for young children scared of the unknown. The illustrations were fantastic and I loved the little details! Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC!

Havenwood is a delightful and quick read for young children. The prose was easy to read but still descriptive and whimsical. Perfect for young readers with a sweet message about love.

This is a children’s book dealing with the fear of the unknown. The little boys sister is going away to college and he doesn’t understand why she has to leave him behind. To get him to understand she gives him a box of treasures that she enjoyed when she was younger. In the box it includes a dragon scale, that drawls the friendly dragon to him.
In Havenwood, fern people, acorn children and a comfortable old beech tree at the center of Havenwood Forest offer sanctuary from a chaotic waking world. Dragons rest in a cave when children outgrow them-until another generation of children seeks the help of a friendly dragon.
Overall this was cute, story to read with your child or classroom. The illustrations are cute. My favorite was of the dragons, the rabbit looked a little creepy to me, and I didn’t love the artwork for humans, but landscape and dragons loved. I would recommend this story.
Rating 4 ⭐️
Favorite quote/ take away:
“It’s okay to grow up and move on,” the dragon whispered back. “Just because you don’t need me anymore doesn’t mean you stop loving me. I know you will always love me, and I will always love you.”

Thank you to the author, Brandylane Publishers, Inc and NetGalley for the free eARC.

The illustrations in this book are lovely and fit the whimsical story of growth, change and finding comfort thru those things. Change is hard for everyone but it is also so necessary.

An amazing book! The story explores the concept of older siblings moving away but with fantastical elements. It is a story about change. It was very charming and I loved the message. The colourful illustrations were very eye-catching and engaging. They added a brilliant touch to the story. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher - I'm super grateful for the early review copy.

This is a really sweet story about change and the anxiety that can surround it for small children. The illustrations were very pretty too. Would recommend to any young reader!