MEASLE AND THE DRAGODON
by Ian Ogilvy
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060586885
Ages 8-13
352 pages

Measle Stubbs is at last living the good life with his parents. He is a spunky, very smart little kid who has had the experience of being kidnapped by an evil Wrathmonk named Basil Tramplebone (in MEASLE AND THE WRATHMONK). Measle has become a kind of hero since he managed to save many of his friends and destroy the Wrathmonk. Now he is happy to leave these adventures behind him. However, his father is a miner wizard and his mother is a Manafount (a generator of "mana," a life-energy force for wizards), so leading a "normal" life might not be all that easy.

Not long after spending a delightful day at the Isle of Smiles, an amusement park for families, Measle's mother is kidnapped and his father is left without a memory. He just knows that his mother has been taken by Wrathmonks. Measle and his dog Tinker make their way back to the Isle of Smiles. After an absolutely wild adventure with wooden horses, stuffed toys and a Tyrannosaurus Rex chasing him, the Wrathmonks turn him over to their leader.

Measle is a very brave boy along with a very brave little dog, yet he has no notion of what real fear is until he is thrust into the dark underworld beneath the Isle of Smiles. It is there that he meets up with the hideous creature known as Dragodon. Dragodon wants the mana from his mother to revive his strength and reenergize his companion, a sleeping dragon known as Arcturion. But who is Arcturion and where is he?

Measle looked wildly around the great cave, searching for some sign of scales, or teeth, or vast bat wings. There was nothing --- only the undulating walls and floor, glowing a luminous pale green. Measle felt a little of his courage returning. If the Dragodon thought that a silly, obvious lie was going to frighten him.
"Where?" said Measle loudly. "I can't see any dragon!
"Use your eyes, Measlestubbs."
Measle stared again, searching the walls and floor and ceiling. Perhaps there's a tunnel somewhere, leading to another cave --- no, nothing ---
"I don't see anything!" shouted Measle. "You're lying --- there's no dragon here!"
"But there is, Measlestubbs."
"Where?"
"Why, Measlestubbs," said the Dragodon, his reedy voice almost a whisper, "you're standing on him."

This dragon is REALLY big! The action in this book has been breathtaking up to this point, and here it just flies. Measle, his mother, and Tinker are able --- through a series of unbelievably exciting incidents --- to destroy Arcturion and Dragodon, and finally escape.

This second book is just as fast-moving and fun as ever! With the popularity of the Harry Potter books and other such fantasies, the Measle stories are totally entertaining for middle-schoolers. The action doesn't stop and readers will certainly be looking forward to yet another adventure.

Note: The cover art for both Measle books is outstanding. The colors are vivid and the paintings are very eye-catching. This artwork really conveys the excitement between the book covers and is sure to appeal to its young readers.

   --- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

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