DREKI

A Minneapolis boy must help his grandfather return a dragon to Iceland.

When his parents win a vacation for two, 12-year-old Johan gets to visit small-town Wisconsin, where he’ll stay with his immigrant grandfather, a delightfully good-natured troublemaker. Grandpa Siggy’s always telling him sagas, wild stories about mythological creatures from “the old country.” He has one important rule: Don’t go in the basement. But when Grandpa suffers a fall, he needs Johan’s help with his secret. Grandpa has hidden Dreki, a tiny dragon (whose name means dragon in Icelandic), in the basement ever since he hatched from an egg he’d brought to America. Dreki roams and hunts for food at night, but Grandpa knows it’s time to smuggle the dragon back to Iceland. Dreki’s and Grandpa’s lives and mortality are intertwined, making it critical that the dragon is quickly returned to safety where he belongs. Practical elements (like the logistics of international travel) keep the fantastical whimsy grounded in the matter-of-fact narration. While Johan loves getting to connect with Grandpa in exploring Icelandic culture, too soon Grandpa’s health takes a bad turn, leaving Johan to complete the mission on his own. In this fast-paced book with no conventional antagonists or ill-intentioned characters, the narrative tension comes from the need for secrecy and the time-sensitive mission. The firm but gentle prose culminates in satisfying and wistful closure. Final art not seen.

A tender story of connection.