A review by 100pagesaday
A Little Spark by Chris Parsons

3.0

The magical town of Lake Zuron is surrounded by icy mountains. The town is warmed by the fires of its resident dragon, Daniel. The town is inhabited by all kinds of animals. However, some animals have deemed themselves better than others and decided that they should be in charge while other animals work in menial tasks. However, all of this changes when Daniel the Dragon's fire goes out. A chill sweeps over the town. Spark, a mouse who is considered a 'Streeter' speaks up and thinks of a way to relight Daniel's fire. This fix is only temporary though, so Spark volunteers to cross the icy lands and face the beasts that terrorize the land in order to save their dragon and their home. It is determined that Spark's supervisor, a weasel named Veen will make the trip with Spark. Veen has always looked down on Spark, but Spark's courage throughout the trip might just change his mind.

A Little Spark is a fun adventure featuring animals of all kinds. There are many great messages in this book, the biggest being to believe in yourself no matter how others perceive you. There are also great messages about courage and being able to change. The writing is aimed at middle grade readers and crams a lot into a relatively short book. I would have loved more back story into how the world became icy, the animals were saved and the towns developed. Spark's character showed how your size, station, or how the world perceives you does not determine your worth or capabilities. Veen's character shows that it is possible to change your outlook and feelings about yourself and other. The pictures were colorful and lively and did help me imagine the story; however, they could have been better. The book was enhanced with QR codes that led to songs that the characters sang. This was really cool interactive, especially for kids who are new to reading on their own.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.