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The Dragonfly Door | 
 enlarge | Author: John Adams
Creator: Barbara Leonard Gibson
Publisher: Feather Rock Books, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $12.21
You Save: $5.74 (32%)
New (5) Used (2) from $12.21
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 250748
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Revised 1st
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 40
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 11 x 8.6 x 0.5
ISBN: 1934066125
EAN: 9781934066126
ASIN: 1934066125
Publication Date: January 24, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Help children identify the beauty and hope in all cycles of life as they follow two insects, Lea and Nym, and the struggles Nym endures when her friend disappears. This is a tender story about loss and change, written to help parents express their views about life and death. The Dragonfly Door may serve many purposes, such as comforting a grieving child or providing facts about dragonflies. Beautifully illustrated by Barbara L. Gibson, the book is cherished by parents, grandparents and teachers. It has been adapted into a mini-play in various communities to help children cope with the loss of their classmates. Also see The Dragonfly Secret: A Story of Boundless Love, a companion book for ages eight to adult (ISBN 9781934066133).
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review December 6, 2008
REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker
Lea and Nym are two water nymph friends who enjoy playing together in the marsh where they live. After a slight falling out, Lea, a year older, decides to swim to the edge of the marsh to find Nym's favorite flowers which grow in the tall reeds with the hope that she and Nym can make up. However, when Nym, also wanting to reconcile, returns to the home that they share after playing tag with tadpoles, Lea is not there and does not return that night. The next day, Nym goes in search of Lea but finally discovers that her friend has passed from the life that they knew together and become a dragonfly. Exactly where has Lea gone, and what does Nym see?
John Adams and his wife Clea co-founded Feather Rock Books with the goal of publishing thoughtful and inspiring stories for children. This book was written specifically to help parents express their views about life and death. The publishers say, "Because young minds are impressionable, we recommend that a parent or other responsible adult read this book first to determine its suitability for individual children." I appreciate that. However, I believe that the book deals with the subject in a very sensitive way that should be quite helpful in providing support for a child who has experienced a loss similar to that of Nym. It is a somewhat sad but truly hopeful story that I rate as excellent.
 Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too November 14, 2008
For those trying to describe the sense of loss to young ones, THE DRAGONFLY DOOR is a perfect book to aid in the discussion.
Nym and Lea are two water nymphs that have grown up together. When a the mother lays her eggs, the parents leave the eggs to fend for themselves. So without parents, Nym and Lea have had to rely on each other. Lea is older than Nym and watches out for her.
One day, Nym gets upset at Lea for her constant reminders, such as cleaning the mud from her legs before getting into their bed of leaves. So Nym goes off in a huff, leaving Lea behind.
Wanting to apologize to Nym, Lea goes in search of Nym's favorite water flowers. But on her journey, she becomes short of breath, and doesn't return home.
When night falls, Nym becomes worried, and spends the night alone. The next day, while searching for Lea, Nym becomes increasingly concerned. Still unable to find Lea, at night, while asleep, Nym hears Lea's voice. It calms Nym and tells her to follow her so that she can see where Lea has gone.
Though the book can explain death to small children, the story can also be more than that. At the back of the book is an explanation of the dragonfly lifecycle. It helps explain how things do not stay the same, that things are always changing. Though it seems like Lea has died, she has really gone on to better things; in this example, she has changed into a dragonfly.
Reviewed by: Jaglvr
An excellent and understandable metaphor for the religious belief of rebirth in another form after death October 31, 2008
This tale, one of "death" that is sanitized in just the right way for children, is about anger, loss and recovery. Nym and Lea are nymphs that live together in the same underwater nest. Lea is the eldest at three years of age and Nym is two. They are not related, yet they became friends and have been sharing the same nest for some time. As always happens in such relationships, the younger Nym sometimes considers the more experienced Lea bossy. After Nym yells at Lea, Lea goes off to the edge of the marsh by herself. However, as Lea gets there, she finds it increasingly difficult to breath.
After playing with others for a time, Nym returns to the nest and is surprised to see that Lea has not returned. All through the night, Nym waits for Lea and weeps throughout the night. The next day, she sets off in a search for Lea and follows her trail to the edge of the marsh. There, Nym encounters a dragonfly and hears a tale of how Lea has left her nymph body and is no longer in the water. Lea (the dragonfly) tells Nym that she will not see her again until she too sheds her nymph body.
The last two pages of the book are a brief, pictorial description of the lifecycle of the dragonfly, from the eggs being laid by the mother, through their years as a water-dwelling nymph to their exit from the water and emergence as a dragonfly. It is an excellent and understandable metaphor for the religious belief of rebirth in another form after death.
The front cover is one of the most colorful and eye-catching images I have ever seen and the internal images are certain to keep the visual attention of children. This is an excellent book that I strongly recommend.
A touching, relational book for any age May 21, 2008
I bought this book to give to a friend whose little girl had passed away. The illustrations are brillliant and the storyline opened up many venues of dialogue that would be discussed at such a tragic time as this. The book brings hope and a "connection" to that little one's spirit that has passed on. I recommend this book to give to others. It will remain a treasure in their collection just like the memory of the little one who once was part of their earthly family.
Don't miss this book even if you have not lost a loved one April 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'd like to share some thoughts that other reviewers have touched on briefly or not at all.
I almost didn't purchase The Dragonfly Door because I thought it might be too overtly religious for the people I wanted to share it with. Fortunately, I did order it. The book can be interpreted on many different levels; the reader will bring to it what he or she likes or needs. The story will appeal to members of all denominations as well as to people who belong to no organized religion. Lea's "special place" can be just that, or the reader may choose to call it "heaven." The factual section on dragonflies at the end of the book adds yet another dimension. You or your child will enjoy The Dragonfly Door even if you have not lost a friend or relative. For me, the story brought back vivid memories of my own "lost" childhood.
The art is bright, simple, and will appeal to children. It enhances the text, sets the mood, clarifies emotions, and provides clues to the meaning of words. But it's the language I love most. It is natural, alive, playful, concrete, colorful. The words speak to the imagination. The dragonfly nymphs don't just run while playing tag: they "zigzag between the rocks" as the beetles and minnows "dart through the reeds." Nym "pokes" Lea with one of her legs as she squeals "You're it!" You can see the colors on the water, hear the laughter in Lea's voice, and feel the cold of the night or the softness of a leaf. You can hear Nym's voice "crack" with anger, see her mouth "quiver" when she realizes Lea is gone, and experience the silence and sadness of the empty nest.
Sometimes the art goes where words cannot go. Every character has a personality and a voice--even the sea creatures who don't speak (what they're thinking and feeling shows clearly on their faces). The artist's use of color, light and shadow, her rendition of Nym's dream and Lea's "special place" are nothing short of brilliant.
The characters are real. Leah's love for Nym is a shining presence throughout the book. Nym's playfulness, short-lived temper tantrum, sadness, anxiety, and hope all ring true. After Lea disappears, the questions Nym asks her in a dream are the same questions children are most likely to ask.
There are big life lessons in The Dragonfly Door about "loss and change," if the reader wishes to interpret the book on this level. But there are little life lessons as well. Nym is always polite with the other sea creatures, and she doesn't hesitate to say she's sorry when she realizes she has behaved inappropriately. Lea doesn't deny Nym's rebellious feelings or respond to anger with anger. At a critical moment, she knows just what to say to her friend to comfort her and lessen her feelings of guilt.
Don't pass up reading this book! If it is not available at your public library or your child's school library, talk to the librarians. The Dragonfly Door is a valuable resource for all families and communities.
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