Three Tasks for a Dragon

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

“Sonorous and suspenseful, always with the feeling of a twinkle in its eye, and every page is splendidly illustrated. . . . A wonderfully classic fairy tale that still surprises and delights.” —Booklist (starred review)

Studious Prince Lir is next in line to become the Wolfhound King, but he can’t ride a horse, lift a sword, or summon the fabled wolfhounds. So his stepmother decrees that her own son will inherit the crown instead, sending Lir away on a seemingly impossible—and assuredly fatal—quest: to rescue the maiden Cethlenn from the once-fearsome dragon Lasvarg. Rather than wage battle, Lir insists that Lasvarg, now decidedly past his prime, honor tradition by setting him three tasks to perform—starting with tackling the mold encrusting the dragon’s cave. As Lir improves Lasvarg’s life, he grows closer to Cethlenn . . . as well as the wolfhound puppy strangely devoted to her. In time, they learn more of the dark magic that may be making pawns of them all—and how Cethlenn could be the key to breaking a spell that clouds the entire kingdom. With transporting language, New York Times best-selling author Eoin Colfer and award-winning illustrator P.J. Lynch make their own magic in this classic fantasy with a light feminist twist.

About the Author

Eoin Colfer is the New York Times best-selling author of the children’s fantasy series Artemis Fowl. His other notable works include Half Moon Investigations, Airman, and The Supernaturalist as well as his previous collaboration with P.J. Lynch, The Dog Who Lost his Bark. The recipient of many awards, he lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

P.J. Lynch has won many awards, including the Mother Goose Award, the Christopher Medal three times, and the Kate Greenaway Medal twice, first for The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski and again for When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest. He is the author-illustrator of The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower and The Haunted Lake. P.J. Lynch lives in Dublin.