Danger in the Dragons’ Den (Llama Quest #1)

To prove he’s mature enough to visit the mainland like his older brother, eight-year-old Dak doubles his chore load, which includes the stinkiest job on his family’s farm: scooping llama poop for fertilizer and fire fuel. He’s soon approached by Fenn, the mysterious, purple-haired girl who lives with the monks next door, and her talking purple llama, Lucy, who request Dak’s help in tracking down magic stones scattered across the kingdom. The first, a fire stone, is guarded by a family of dragons who will only talk to children because they “make the best humans.” To get it back, the self-dubbed Team Llama Quest must fetch frost flowers to cure the dragons of fire sickness. But the trio aren’t the only ones to have made this deal, and time isn’t on their side. Reyes (the Heroes of Havensong series) employs fast-paced storytelling to highlight Fenn and Dak’s adventurousness and bravery while gradually revealing world details via fluid and flexible third-person text. Animated spot illustrations by Davault (Misfit Mansion) emphasize the characters’ emotions and body language, elevating the suspense and stakes. Dak and his family have brown skin; Fenn reads as white. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Jenniea Carter, New Leaf Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Britt Siess, Britt Siess Creative. (Jan.)