The Clockwork Dragon by Jonathan Emmett and Elys Dolan (Oxford University Press)

Max is always getting into trouble, his crazy clockwork inventions aren't well received and soon poor Max finds himself out of a job, wondering what to do next.

Max's village lives under constant threat from a huge fire breathing nasty dragon. The dragon rules the roost and in conjunction with Lizzie - the blacksmith's daughter, Max comes up with a stunning plan to rid the village of the menace once and for all. He will build a gigantic clockwork dragon!

Max's plan is dizzyingly fiendish, and with Lizzie's help they clamber into the tin belly of their clanking beast ready to face off against the real Dragon. But what's the one problem clockwork things suffer from? What happens when your marvellous invention starts to run down mid-battle!!

Can Max's ingenuity and Lizzie's mechanical expertise save the day?

This is a rollicking and thoroughly entertaining story with pint-sized heroes at its heart, taking on a big bully by using their brains. We love the inventiveness of this, coupling Jonathan's pacey and exciting story with Elys Dolan's wonderful creative illustrations.

Charlotte's best bit: Reading out the mechanical dragon's lines in a big booming voice

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fab and original story putting a brilliant brainy pair of kids front and centre in the midst of the excitement. Brilliantly entertaining!



(Kindly sent to us for review by Jonathan Emmett / Oxford University Press)