“Kitty lives in a barn.”

From Meika Hashimoto’s Kitty and Dragon.

Tired of the unending noise at the farm where she lives, Kitty decides to leave in search of someplace quieter. Along her journey, she is greeted by the locals loudly warning her to not go any farther because she’s heading towards the dreaded silent dragon, but the cat continues in search of peace and quiet. When she climbs a mountain and enters a cave, she finds a cozy little home filled by the gentle and quiet Dragon. The two quickly hit it off and become unexpected friends. Life is pretty fun for Kitty and Dragon, though when Kitty gets a cold, her friend must find a way to care for her. As Dragon works on helping Kitty feel better, he learns all kinds of new things that he never expected to learn. While Dragon is a great friend, he’s not the best housekeeper, which is a growing struggle for Kitty, though a cleaning potion turns out to be more trouble than its worth for both of them. As Kitty and Dragon figure out how to be good friends that help each other be the best animals they can be, they learn that being a good friend often means putting your friends first.

Billed as a graphic novel, this collection of stories definitely comes off more as a beautifully illustrated easy reader. The book is the perfect introduction to the world of graphic novels for young readers, but it still manages to give a full story. Kitty and Dragon is a short, easy read that will captivate young readers from start to finish.