A resource for environmental education
The Smoke-Breathing Dragon
The Smoke-Breathing Dragon is a children's book written and illustrated by Ella Nguyen. The book's central figure is a metaphorical red dragon, a representation of a power plant, who breathes smoke on a small village. When the dragon threatens the very air that they breathe, a group of young animals discover the impending danger looming over their cherished home. As the dragon’s billowy smoke engulfs the sky, the friends remain unwavering, determined to unite everyone to take a stand against the dragon’s environmental harm. The young animals' pursuit of protecting their village serves as a rallying cry for collective action. The book seeks to inspire children to be catalysts for change in the face of environmental adversity.
The Process
Ella developed the idea to create The Smoke-Breathing Dragon as a way to broadly reach younger generations to educate them about the environment. Tuning into her interest in creative writing, she explored ways to make environmentalism more digestible for young readers. After creating the final draft of the story, Ella dedicated her time to navigating online illustrating applications and learning how to utilize the tools to create the drawings. After continuous trial and error and endless edits, the story and its illustrations came to life. Ella hopes for The Smoke-Breathing Dragon to pique the interest of young minds and ignite a passion for environmental stewardship. Through storytelling and imagery, she aims to provoke curiosity, inspire action and encourage a sense of responsibility among children to protect our natural world. Ella wishes The Smoke-Breathing Dragon will contribute to a collective effort in shaping a more sustainable and harmonious future for generations.
Feedback
Guest Readings
Ella is so grateful to have traveled to elementary schools across Massachusetts to read The Smoke-Breathing Dragon thus far to over 400 kids. Ella hopes to continue to share her book and inspire young readers to change the world. To inquire about Ella reading at your school, please reach out to her at ellanguyen2007@gmail.com.