Jane and the Dragon facts for kids
Jane and the Dragon is a fun series of children's books created by Martin Baynton. He wrote and drew all the pictures for them! The first three books came out between 1988 and 2000. Later, two more books joined the series in 2008.
These stories are about a brave girl named Jane and her amazing adventures with a friendly dragon. Instead of fighting, they become the best of friends!
Contents
Discovering Jane and the Dragon
This book series tells the exciting tales of Jane, a young girl who dreams of becoming a knight. This is a bit unusual because her mother works for the queen as a lady-in-waiting. A lady-in-waiting helps the queen with many tasks. Everyone expects Jane to follow in her mother's footsteps.
Jane's Big Adventure
In the very first book, something big happens! The prince of the kingdom gets kidnapped by a dragon. This dragon lives quite close to the castle. Jane, being brave and determined, decides to go rescue the prince herself.
She succeeds in her mission! But here's the cool part: Jane doesn't defeat the dragon. Instead, she makes friends with him! This friendship is super important because it changes her path. She becomes a squire, which is like an apprentice knight.
A Special Friendship
Jane and the dragon become the best of friends. Their adventures don't stop there! They continue to have many more exciting experiences together in the next four books. These stories show how important friendship and following your dreams can be.
The Idea Behind the Books
Martin Baynton, the author, had some interesting reasons for writing Jane and the Dragon. He wanted to create a story about a girl who had big dreams. Even if her family and friends expected her to do something else, she wanted to follow her own path.
Another inspiration came from a young girl he met. She told him that she didn't like traditional fairy tales. Why? Because she felt the girls in those stories were "wimps," meaning they weren't strong or brave. Baynton wanted to show that girls could be heroes too!
From Books to TV
The popular Jane and the Dragon book series also inspired an animated television show. This means you can watch Jane and her dragon friend on screen too!