Sasha and the Dragon

Item No. 9781944967277

by Laura E. Wolfe, illustrated by Nicholas Malara

Walking the lonely streets of a new, unfamiliar town, Sasha feels displaced and alone. His grandmother is dying; the children in the neighborhood laugh when he walks by. And there is a dragon under his bed—he is sure! When Sasha cries for help, God and His saints hear him, and he has an experience that both changes his life and sweetens his soul.

Sasha and the Dragon is a modern fairy tale to be treasured by children and adults alike.

Praise for Sasha and the Dragon from parents and readers:

I could not have received Sasha and the Dragon at a better time in our children's life. Our little 'Sasha' had been having his own fears and this book was instrumental in helping him face these dragons through the intersessions of Archangel Michael. -MamaBirdEmma, Charming the Birds from the Trees blog

The powerful image of St. Michael coming to Sasha's aid is one that will stick in children's minds and make its way to their hearts. -Lisa A., Through the Mind to the Heart blog

This book EMPOWERS our children to face their fears. It is beautifully written, and captures the heart of something we all face as we grow up. At first, I thought the dragon in the book might be scary to my girls, but the story had the opposite effect. They were captivated… -Erin Lynn

I sit with tears of gratitude tonight after reading this beautiful story twice to my 5-year-old who struggles with many worries. He was white and tense during the first pages, but as soon as St. Michael's sword showed up, he was awestruck… The joy and excitement in his eyes said it all. -GS

From KIRKUS REVIEWS | VOL. LXXXVII | I JUNE 2019:

An immigrant boy calls on St. Michael to chase away his dragon-shaped fears in this picture book by debut author Wolfe and illustrator Malara (A Child’s Guide to Confession, 2019). In what appears to be the early 20th century, Sasha moves to a big city from a small village in Russia. It’s a frightening place; his Baba (grandmother) is apparently sick, American boys make fun of him, and too-tall buildings hide the sky. At night, Sasha sees shadows of monsters, and one night, a shadowy dragon crawls out from under his bed. Sasha begs for help from St. Michael, the archangel, through the icon on his bedroom wall. At this point, Malara mimics the authentic style of Russian Orthodox icons, contrasting with the rest of the illustrations. The angel defeats the dragon—and Sasha’s fears. When the boy awakens to a world filled with light, revealed dramatically in the hues of Malara’s paintings, he confronts his fears of the mean kids, and his grandmother’s sickness, with gestures of peace. Adults may wish to read this book together with youngsters due to its challenging vocabulary and sometimes-frightening images. However, Sasha’s spiritual journey is sure to have strong appeal. A beautifully poetic book about the immigrant experience, facing fears, and faith.

Complimentary coloring pages!

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About the Author: Laura E. Wolfe is a summa cum laude graduate of Kutztown University who lives and works in rural Pennsylvania.  She won literary recognition in the “Almost an Inkling” Creative Writing Contest sponsored by Signum University in the fall of 2015, and her short stories and poetry have been published in The Soul of Wit, an anthology of sub-creative fiction from Oloris Publishing. She and her family are members of St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

About the Illustrator: Nicholas Malara grew up in the Denver, Colorado USA where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration. He has been blessed with a career in professional art for over sixteen years. Since his conversion ten years ago, he has also been a student of Orthodox Iconography. He currently resides in Spokane, Washington with his wife and two children.

Author: Laura E. Wolfe

Illustrator: Nicholas Malara

Hardcover: 32 pages

Dimensions: 8 X 10 inches

Publisher: Ancient Faith Publishing

Additional Formats:

eBook
$8.99 at Orthodox Christian Ebooks
$9.99 at Amazon and Apple

Related Media:
Blog - Humans of Ancient Faith - Illustrator Interview
Blog - Humans of Ancient Faith - Author Interview
Podcast - Ex Libris - Author and Illustrator Interview
Podcast - Faith Encouraged Live - Author and Illustrator Interview
Podcast - Under the Grapevine - Reading of Sasha and the Dragon by Dr. Chrissi Hart

LOOK INSIDE... Sasha and the Dragon