Reviews:

"This mid-grade novel is badly needed by the families and children of soldiers who have lost their lives. Danny’s dad is shot down in the Iraq war. With no money coming in, Danny’s mom is about to lose their ranch. Danny finds solace on his horse, which he imagines is a dragon. He submerges his anger of losing his father and his guilt feelings that he was the one that forced his dad to go back on active duty to get enough money to buy Danny’s horse. Held in emotions can cause problems and do so in Danny’s case. Meanwhile, Danny’s mom has her own issues which come forth in her hobby of painting. There is conflict galore and many parallels to other young peoples’ plights, which are addressed in this book, which is nicely illustrated with pen and ink drawings. We rated it five hearts."
Reviewed by Bob Spear, Publisher and Chief Reviewer: Heartland Reviews

"A sorrowful duration for Danny, a 10-year-old, who has to cope with loss, when his dad is sent abroad to war in Iraq.

But once Danny realizes he has lost his father to an ugly war, he closes his understanding to everybody around him. His mother takes him to various doctors. However to no avail. Instead of releasing his hurt feelings, Danny does the only thing he knows to do. He holds his emotions within and blames himself for his father's fate, on account of he thinks he is being selfish by wanting a horse.

To add more pain to Danny's sorrow, his sister wants to stay behind while he and his mother leave their Montana ranch and move to Denver to stay with his grandparents. While there, Danny's grief deepens. He begins to think no one loves him, not even his grandparents; because his grandfather yells all the time. He doesn't want to go to school. Once he does though, he befriends a boy from Iraq by the name of Jameel, whom the other classmates ridicule.

Will separation of the family cause more conflict? Will Danny have to fight his grief alone? Or will he, his mom, and sister be brought to a closer union because of conflict? Read Danny's Dragon and discover how this melancholy story ends. If someone has lost a father or good friend to war, we need to understand that person is in mourning, has such heartache and bereavement that will not be denied.

A well-written plot and wonderful illustrations that were very important in keeping the story moving along smoothly. Janet Muirhead Hill's unique story-telling skill not only has a way of letting the reader sympathize with Danny's dilemma, it also takes the reader more deeply into the story." Reviewed by Wanda Maynard, Sime~Gen Reviews (http://www.simegen.com/reviews/list/30456.html)

"Danny, who is ten-years-old, found out that his dad, who was a pilot, had died in the war in Iraq. At first, he cannot believe it, but after awhile he knows that it is true. This book shows how Danny overcomes his dad’s death. He pretends that his horse, Dragon, really turns into a real dragon. In his dreams Danny and Dragon try to save his father. Danny has to learn to deal with new people including a boy who used to live in Iraq.

***** I liked this book very much. Everyone should read this great book. Danny’s Dragon is a real page-turner, and you will not want to put the book down. This book is good for anyone who has had to deal with death. It is the real reality of losing someone you love. *****"
HUNTRESS REVIEWS (Reviewed by Brandon Stabler, age 13)

"Dear Ms. Hill,
I really liked your book, Danny’s Dragon. It was action-packed and creative. I loved how this book had lots of detail about how Danny felt. It was like I could feel how Danny felt. I learned a lot from this book, especially about the war in Iraq. It was really interesting. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading Danny’s Dragon. I think it is a really great book!"
Danielle Rheaume age 10, Grade 4

"I finished reading Danny's Dragon, and I loved it. I felt like I knew Danny's feelings very well, and from my own experiences, this book made me feel like another person had been through the exact same hard time as me. Reading Danny's Dragon helped me a lot. I recommend this book for anyone, but especially someone who has lost someone very close to them. Danny acted exactly like I did when I lost my father. I didn't believe that he was actually gone. I felt like the only thing I could go to was Dash, my horse. I told him everything because I knew that he could keep my secrets."
Katie Wade, age 13

"What a privilege to preview your book. Danny's Dragon is so well written, it engages the reader from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed it and see it as a great tool for anyone in the grieving process, not just the kids, but also the moms and dads and grandmas and other extended family. I also see this book as a gift to those families who have given so dearly of a loved one in wartime. Some of us may never have to lose a dear one in war, but we certainly need to understand the pain of the families who do and find a way to show our gratitude for the freedom they buy for us with their lives. I think this story helps do just that, too."
Patty Morrison "Motivating with Hats and Humor" Humorous Animated Talented Speaker

"Janet Muirhead Hill has written a strong, beautiful, heart-touching story. Danny’s Dragon is about a child, a ten-year-old little boy who lost his father in the war in Iraq. Danny cannot accept that his father won’t be coming home anymore. When reading Danny’s Dragon you can almost feel the pain and the grief Danny is going through. Janet Muirhead Hill teaches us a few very important life lessons about children and the grief they feel when they lose someone the love. After reading this story I started thinking, I really hope and pray that my child never has to feel this sort of pain during her childhood. Every parent should read Danny’s Dragon; it makes you understand children better. And every child that’s been hurt and is sad should also read Danny’s Dragon, for comfort and also because Janet Muirhead Hill can show those kids with this book that they are not alone in their grief."
Annick for Euroreviews, http://euroreviews.eu.funpic.de/bookdetails.php?book_id=38

"Danny’s father won’t be coming home as promised. He was killed in action in Iraq while flying his fighter aircraft. Danny is having a hard time adjusting despite the best efforts of his mother and several grief counselors. Danny’s mother and sister are also having problems adjusting. Danny’s sister feels Danny is not doing his chores and that she has to do his work as well as her own. Danny’s mother fears losing the ranch as she cannot make the mortgage payments. I was pleased when Danny found a way to make new friends and to reconnect with his family and friends. While DANNY’S DRAGON is a fairly short book, it is a great read and one for all audiences. This book belongs on your bookshelf."
Reviewed By Robert H. Goss, Round Table Reviews, www.roundtablereviews.com

"I really liked this story. It took me a while to relate to Danny, because I have not had to deal with a loss such as his. Fortunately, my younger daughter, who served as a HAZMAT cargo loader in both the First Gulf War and in Qatar in the current Gulf War, returned, as she tells us, changed but unscathed. Even though my husband had 35 years in the National Guard, I never faced what many in her generation are facing now.

I got into the story when Danny and his Mother moved to Denver, and Danny encountered Jameel. Having friendships with many people of different nationalities and religions, made me very aware of what Danny and Jameel were experiencing. I felt, on a visceral level, the confusion that Danny experienced in his beginning friendship with Jameel. The antagonism of the other boys I understood, having always been “different” and knowing that “difference” is not always acceptable. I was intrigued by the instructor having the boys build a bridge, not just a physical bridge but a bridge that showed them how to relate and cope with difference. I was also very touched by Jameel revealing that his family had been killed by a bomb and Danny’s growing understanding that nobody escapes war undamaged or unhurt.

I admired the mother greatly. I am reminded in her courage to move to Denver to better her chances of supporting Danny and his sister, of Eleanor Roosevelt saying, “We gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face. We must do that which we think we cannot.” The mother’s determination and the grandmother’s encouragement also reminded me of my own mother who worked very hard to make sure we had a roof over our heads, food on our table and clothing on our bodies. I found it pleasing that the mother’s art enabled her to keep the ranch and her family intact. How many times have I heard someone say disparagingly, “oh, that’s very nice, dear. What a nice hobby!”

I got very involved with the characters and the story. I enjoyed Danny and his Dragon and the whole story very much. I recommend it highly."
Ruth Kanaris, Poet, Cheyenne, WY.