Ultimon, once a king, is now the last of his kind left on earth. A tired, worn-looking dragon, he lives deep underground beneath sewers and subways. But then one day he rises to the surface, swearing he hears his name called from the stars...

This little fantasy tale is sort of an origin story for the constellation Draco, although the logic doesn't follow -- Ultimon is clearly living in today's world of cities with skyscrapers and subways, yet the constellation has been around for centuries. The story is a little hard to follow, and I'm inferring that Ultimon dies to become a constellation, which isn't exactly a cheery story to share with the kiddos.

On the plus side, the verses are beautifully lyrical, even if the story is choppy. And, the illustrations, especially those of the stars in the night sky, are rich and lovely to look at and admire the details. The length of the book and the vocabulary used call out for a slightly older audience of elementary school-age children. All in all though, this isn't a picture book I'd be quick to recommend. ( )

Ultimon, once king of the dragons and now the last of his kind comes out of hiding and makes his final flight. Readers captivated by dragon lore will be enchanted. ( )

This epic poem, written in verse, is a myth about how the dragon constellation, Draco, came to be. The last dragon to exist, flew into the air, and turned into stars. The story is not very exciting and a tad hard to follow.

Teaching Extension:
Have kids point out the rhyming words and rhyme scheme on each page. Use this story as a starting point for kids to write their own legends or epic poems. ( )