By befriending the baby dragon Zantor, Darek, anxious to win his father's respect, has discovered that people have nothing to fear from dragons; unfortunately, many villagers are not eager to give up fighting their traditional enemies. While Koller's fantasy world is not always convincing and the dragonling is almost too endearing, readers may still become involved in this second book about Darek and Zantor.

Gr 2-4-In this sequel to The Dragonling (Little, 1990), also set in the Middle Ages, Darek, a young boy, takes the dragon he has befriended to his village, where the people have always fought the creatures. Zantor's presence results in mistrust and the eventual arrest of the boy's father, who has allowed his son to keep the dragon. There's plenty of action as Darek and his friend save the man. The characters are believable, and their adventures, fears, and suspicions make for exciting reading for children moving into chapter books.-Tina Morrow Peak, Lake Wales Public Library, FL