A Flag for the Flying Dragon: A Captain No Beard Story, by Carole P. Roman | Dedicated Review

Gi Hallmark | The Children’s Book Review | April 7, 2014

By: Carole P. Roman, Illustrated by Bonnie Lemaire

Age Range: 3-7

Paperback: 23 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2015)

ISBN: 978-1507826928

What to Expect: Conflict Resolution, Inclusion, Teamwork, Friendships, Pirates, Ships, Animals, Sibling Relationships, Imagination

The loveable crew of the Flying Dragon is back! In A Flag for the Flying Dragon: A Captain No Beard Story, Captain No Beard and his friends work together to resolve conflicts as they look for the perfect job for their youngest crewmember, Zachary.

Captain No Beard and his younger sister Cayla have a new crewmember on board, baby Zachary. As Captain No Beard proudly surveys all the good work happening aboard his ship, he hears a ruckus and discovers Mongo and Zachary arguing on the crow’s nest. It’s Mongo’s job to be the lookout and he’s upset that young Zachary, who is too young to talk, is interfering. The crew agrees that a lookout needs to be able to warn the crew and furthermore, Zachary could fall off the tall lookout point and get hurt. In response, Captain No Beard gives Zachary a turn at other jobs on the ship, all with disastrous results. Frustration overtakes the crew and Captain No Beard realizes he must take the helm and come up with a creative solution to appease and unify the crew.

The crew’s experience with mixed age play is relevant and relatable for the targeted age range, when capabilities and skills can vary widely. The tale also addresses the oft-recurring resistance to including younger siblings. Carole P. Roman effortlessly depicts the importance of inclusion and unity and takes the realistic approach that it may take many attempts before a solution is found. There’s also a beneficial lesson regarding the quest for perfection and finding blessings in disguise—Captain No Beard is intent on finding a perfect flag for his ship and because of this the Flying Dragon has been sailing flagless. Serendipitously, Cayla has outgrown her burp cloths, Zachary needs a job, and the ship needs a flag. Though a torn up burp cloth is not exactly what Captain No Beard had in mind for a flag, after much compromise and creative problem solving, he comes to the realization that it is indeed the perfect solution.

Carol P. Roman tells the reader about the importance of teamwork and inclusion through an imaginative story with characters that are interesting and authentic. Bonnie Lemaire’s illustrations seamlessly accompany the story. Her use of bright colors spark imaginations and her cheerful, doe-eyed characters perfectly capture the innocence and wonder of childhood.

The author’s message, “when you’re a team, every job is important,” is a valuable lesson for young children as they learn to navigate relationships at school, at home, and with friends. A Flag for the Flying Dragon: A Captain No Beard Story will make a wonderful, entertaining addition to any library.

Add this book to your collection: A Flag for the Flying Dragon: A Captain No Beard Story

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Carole P. Roman

Named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012 for her first book, award winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born. She lives on Long Island with her husband and very near her children and grandchildren- the inspiration for her books.

CarolePRoman.com | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The author of “A Flag for the Flying Dragon: A Captain No Beard Story” paid for this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …

Tags: Captain No Beard, Carole P. Roman, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Inclusion, Pirates, Problem Solving, Ships, Sibiling Relationships, Teamwork

Category: Ages 0-3, Ages 4-8, Author Showcase, Picture Books, Social Graces

Gi Hallmark, founder of The Children's Blog, is a freelance writer and mother of two lovely girls. She currently resides in Charlotte, NC, where she enjoys reading and reporting about a variety of children’s topics. For more information, visit: http://www.thechildrensblog.com/ or follow @thechildrnsblog on Twitter.

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The Fears: Story 1- The TreeHouse

I grabbed my friend and ran outside into the woods. We were heading to the log cabin that was in a bunch of trees. It was the perfect tree house! It was noon so it would be light outside! We were going to see what we could do with it. When we got there the ladder hanged and was broken in some parts. Me and my friend went around to find something to get the ladder lower. When I found a stick I smiled and we went back. But when we did the ladder was gone. I was confused but still tried climbing up. When we got up the place seemed darker. Way darker. Hardly any light hit the tree house. I shrugged and walked inside. The floor creaked but I knew it was old so I never cared. My friend was shaking and I just laughed. She didn’t think it was funny but I did. I found a light and turned it on. When I looked around I found this old doll. It was pretty and neatly dressed. I held it in my arms and smiled as my friend screamed. “What’s your problem Hannah?” She couldn’t speak as she was pointing behind me. I turned around but nothing was there. “What’s your-” I turned around and dropped the doll screaming. Hannah was dead! She was on the ground a knife in her back. “HANNAH!!!” I ran to where we came in but the entrance wasn’t there anymore. I looked around spotting an ax. I picked it up and slammed it into the wall. I kept slamming the wall until I could fit through the whole. I got out and there was no way down but to jump. I held onto the ledge tight as I didn’t want to jump. Nothing was there as the normal sounds of the forest was there so I started to relax. Maybe it wasn’t Hannah. Maybe it was just… Oh, I didn’t know. It was Hannah and I knew it. I just sat on the edge and took out my phone. I was shaking as I typed up 911. I called them telling them what happened and they said they would be right there. I started to close my phone as something covered my mouth and threw my phone out of my hands. I was starting to sweat with fear as it picked me up by the head and next thing I know i’m falling down, down, down. I hit the bottom with a giant crack realizing I broke bones. Everything was going hazy as something sparked in my view as pain shot through me as I knew I only had seconds. A knife was stabbed into my stomach and I was grabbing the ground for my life. As the demon was gone and everything came to a big STOP.

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Story Competition January 2015

We are starting a story writing competition for supporters, including those who have signed up with us via Joyride.

It’s early days, and we plan to make this more sophisticated, but in the meantime we are asking you to write or copy and paste your story into the comments on this page.

First theme – Year of the Goat

2015 will be the year of the goat or sheep. According to Chinese tradition people who are born in the year of the goat are mild, shy, and perhaps a bit pessimistic. They are also artistic.

Can you write a story about a person (or an animal) who is a bit shy? Or just mild mannered. Maybe this character overcomes their shyness? Or maybe this person discovers that their mild nature is a strength? Perhaps they get bullied and somehow get their own back on a bully?

Or if that does not take your fancy, you can also write about New Year or about a goat or a sheep. Perhaps your character would be a clever goat.

We will try and make this more sophisticated in future, but for now, please use the comments below to submit your story.

Anyone can send us a story, but in order to qualify for the competition, you have to be a supporter of Storynory. Anyone who has donated to Storynory qualifies for the first competition.

We will choose one story every month to be read out by Natasha.

Story Books for Kids