The Adventures of Samba Rat and Friends in Sherman the Last Dragon is an epic fantasy novel for children and preteens written by Steven Munsie and Mary Munsie and illustrated by Mary Munsie. The first picnic of spring was indeed a time for celebration as the four good friends set out to enjoy their acorn tarts, mint leaf pie and other delicacies amidst the early blooms and flowers of the season. As the sun still set early at this time of year, they ended their picnic early and set off for their homes once more. Samba who was rather short-sighted soon had them lost in the woods and a quickly approaching thunderstorm made them hasten to the nearest sheltering root system of a large tree. Peter the porcupine soon realized something was in there with them. He could hear and feel a pulsing, almost like a heart beating. Squirrely, who had the endless energy and curiosity of his kind, soon found the source of that sound -- it was an egg, the largest egg any of them could ever have imagined. Cindy the ladybug flew up to more carefully inspect their find and discovered a tiny crack at its top. Something was happening and quickly, and before they knew it, the four friends were setting out on a quest of heroic proportions.

In Steven Munsie and Mary Munsie’s epic fantasy novel for children and preteens, a happy group of forest friends is suddenly transformed into adventurers of the first order as they risk all to ensure the safety of the last dragonling. And, as with all epic and quest adventures, the participants are faced with all manner of challenges, dangers and outright terrifying situations. I loved watching as these four epic heroes worked together to reach their goal, each exploiting their own particular gifts to make the team’s efforts succeed. The addition of Kitty Joy, “the youngest knight scout in the entire history of scouting,” to the quest adds marvelous human dimension to the story. The Munsies’ characters are credible and infinitely fun to read about, and their plot is both sound and exciting. Mary Munsie’s watercolor and ink and wash illustrations bring the quest participants and their quest to life in magnificent fashion. Epic fantasy fans of all ages should consider giving this imaginative tale a chance. The Adventures of Samba Rat and Friends in Sherman the Last Dragon is most highly recommended.

The Adventures of Samba Rat and Friends in Sherman the Last Dragon is a work of adventure and fairy tale fiction written for children, and penned by co-authors Steven Munsie and Mary Munsie. The plot follows the title character Samba Rat and his woodland friends, a porcupine, a squirrel and a ladybird, as they come across a mysterious egg much larger than themselves. When the egg hatches, they meet Sherman the baby dragon, and it becomes clear that the friends must band together to find out where Sherman really belongs and return him home. They are also joined by master scout Kitty in their quest for the mysterious sanctuary.

This is a charming piece of fiction which touches on many important themes for the characters involved. Co-authors Steven Munsie and Mary Munsie write in a highly descriptive and wordy style, so I’d say this read is more suitable for advanced readers aged eight and above, or as a read-along by an adult for younger children to fully get the best from the tale. The characters’ dialogue is lively and fun, and important issues like the value of teamwork come through as strong morals, but taught through exciting action sequences. I liked that each character of the core group had their own moment to shine where their individual skills were appreciated to solve the problems on the quest. The book really celebrates diversity and making new friends who are very different to oneself. Overall, The Adventures of Samba Rat and Friends in Sherman the Last Dragon is a delightful moral fable which I would recommend to young readers.

The Adventures of Samba Rat and Friends in Sherman the Last Dragon is an endearing fairy tale that whisks you away to a mythical world where animals talk to each other, and join forces to help a newfound creature (Sherman the dragon) find his place in this world. Though each animal is small, and seemingly inefficient compared to what could be accomplished by mankind, they each use the gifts they have to achieve an insurmountable trek into the perils of the unknown. Sherman doesn't speak, at first, but that doesn't stop this adorable band of small animals to help him. And later when Kitty, a human, joins their quest, they cannot understand each other's language either, but yet the sheer determination of the heart brings the victory to the tenacious team of warriors. I was sad when the story ended, because I grew to love Squirrely, Samba, Peter, Sherman, Cindy and Kitty, but there was a hint of hope at the end, with the joyous … wait. Spoiler alert. My lips are sealed.