This is a charming and funny little story. Tomas' narration has a conversational voice that reminds me of a boy I know, even down to how he copies phrases and expressions he's heard adults use and acts a bit dramatic. Tomas has a lot of personality but is sweet and caring, too, and I loved his relationships with his grandfather and his little sister -- they were all adorable. It's especially always nice to see positive sibling relationships.

As for Liam, eh. That guy just needs a new hobby in his life. Snooping, stalking, and bullying is just not the way to go. And then there is that thing at the end. Urgh. That is the worst thing that could happen.This was just a terrific, wonderful, amazing, magical book about a boy who, while gardening with his grandpa, stumbles upon a dragon-fruit tree. But oh, not that kind of dragon fruit, this one actually contains dragons! Oh my! A hilarious rip-roaring adventure. Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Cressida Cowell - South Wales Evening Post In a Nutshell: Even dragons couldn’t save this for me. It has a few merits but becomes boring after a few chapters. A proper children's book... the humour and Sara Ogilvie's illustrations are just right - New Statesman Andy Shepherd's dragon-debut is an absolute delight and is just the very start to a series that I'm sure is going to be a roaring success. It's a series that - pardon the pun - I just want to drag-on and on and on! - The Reader Teacher

Their grandad isn’t to be left out though. His love of gardening and desire to share it with his grandson is the reason Tomas is able to grow dragons. I loved how it was shown sometimes kids disappoint the adults in their life and that’s okay. His grandad is pretty fly and supports his grandson in a most loving and subtle way that I really appreciated. He stared up at me, his twinkling eyes looking right into me. It was like gazing into one of those crystal prisms, where the light is scattered into a rainbow. Fragments of color sparkled and danced around the dragon’s almond-shaped irises. I could have looked into those eyes forever. Then, just for a second, his sharp little claws tightened on my arm again.”I was definitely rooting for him to just tell his friends, and I am glad with his decision in the end. So, who wants to grow dragons ? Dumb question, right? I mean seriously, who in their right mind would say no? Not me, that’s for sure. And not you by the looks of it. But if you want to grow dragons, you need to know what you’re getting into. Sure, they’re fiery, fantastical, and dazzling, but dragons are not all fun and games. Not by a long shot. And it’s not just the fire and the flammable poo I’m talking about. Oh no! Which is why, my dragon-seeking desperados, I’m writing this all down, so at least you can go into it with your eyes open. Because, believe me, you’ll need them to stay wide, wide open.” As I briefly mentioned earlier, the relationship-building between characters such as Tomas and his grandfather is one to savour and this will resonate among many younger (and older!) readers reminding them of the positive relationships, for some whilst growing up, between themselves and their own grandparents or close relatives.

A wonderful, beautiful story that is filled with wonderful cast, the relationships between Tomas, his grandparents and his baby sister is adorable. They are a wonderful family and Tomas, even though things are happening around the house that he can't explain and has to keep a dragon secret from his family, it was just adorable to read about their relationship.Tomas enlists the help from his friends, The Superhero Squad, who are currently scattered all over the world to both help write pieces for the guide, but also to help with ideas for the current problem Tomas has. I also liked Tomas' little sister: Lolli, or Charlotte. Sometimes little siblings are annoying, but Lolli was a cute little sister and I loved how she and Tomas worked together. :P Well... mostly Tomas trying to bribe his little sister and turning her words into something different before people found out what she was actually babbling about. But they certainly made a fun pair. Seeing more dragons was just such a delight, they all looked adorable, and I would have loved to see them for real. To see them shimmer and glow, to see their colours change. But only that, I don't want to handle those poo bombs. Ewww. *shivers* Oh and not to mention having to keep them away from my precious book babies. Sure to fire up the imagination and a love of reading, this is a series that’s going to be a roaring success. A debut of dragon delight… guaranteed to make children (and adults!) everywhere wish for their own dragon after reading this.’ My thanks to Piccadilly Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Boy Who Grew Dragons”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A kind of Pete's Dragon with extra giggles, The Boy Who Grew Dragons takes on the rather hair-singeing challenges of finding that your grandad's garden has suddenly started sprouting fire-breathing mischief-makers and the illustrations by Sara Ogilvie really make it come alive - Waterstones Blog This is a sumptuous start to a new series, bursting with energy and humour, yet tinged with the darker side of life too. There's a grumpy neighbour, aware but preoccupied parents, an eclectic group of friends, a strange gardening guide, nomenclature of dragon pets - so many facets all covered and explored. A perfect example of domesticity interrupted with a touch of magic. Dragon fruit will never look the same again! - Minerva ReadsFantastic fire-breathing fun with wonderful illustrations by Sara Ogilvie, this is a lovely new series for anyone who ever wanted a pet dragon - WRD Magazine Imaginative and charming, The Boy Who Grew Dragons is a wonderfully whimsical story that kept me smiling the whole way through - Books for Topics