Dr. Cate's Baby Dragons

"I've always had a soft spot for juvenile delinquents, especially for those who were labeled "beyond help."

But I was never that great with young children. It just didn't seem to be my gift.

So, imagine my surprise, when a charming parade of youngsters came to me for help with school behavior.

"His teacher says he needs medication. Her school counselor says she has Bipolar Disorder.

The nurse says he has ADHD."

Hmm."

Read more about Dr. Cate's experiences that inspired her to write Dragon Camp.

Dragon Camp story © 2014 Cate Shepherd

Art © 2014 by O. Douglas Jennings

Sketch Leads to Inspiration

In the Spring of 1980, Doug drew this
portrait of Cate, who was busy drawing her
own portrait of a small flower in
the Indiana woods.

Sammie's Story

Sammie: a wild, impulsive little dragon who was sent to camp after she ripped off her clothes, ran around the school yard naked, and tried to jump off the roof! (Shown here during a food fight).

To see the entire illustration for this post, go to www.dragoncamp.info Dragon Camp Story (c) 2014 by Cate Shepherd Illustrations (c) 2014 by O. Douglas Jennings All rights reserved.

Expanding The Story with More Characters

Early in the development of the Dragon Camp project, Author Cate Shepherd and Illustrator Doug Jennings discussed ways to depict a variety of characters besides Max who would be attending Dragon Camp. In a fun collaboration, Doug made drawings of four unique baby dragons. "I just wanted to show each little dragon had its own distinct personality."

To see the entire text and illustration for this post, go to www.dragoncamp.info Dragon Camp Story (c) 2014 by Cate Shepherd Illustrations (c) 2014 by O. Douglas Jennings All rights reserved.

Max's Bubble, part 2: Practical Steps

Dr. Sear went to visit Max's parents and teachers. She explained how Max needed some help with making a bubble around him to shield his sensitive scales from stress. And how he needed challenging projects to work on when he was all done with his regular work.

To see Max the entire illustration for this post, go to www.dragoncamp.info Dragon Camp Story (c) 2014 by Cate Shepherd Illustrations (c) 2014 by O. Douglas Jennings All rights reserved.