The world had succumbed to darkness, floods, and wickedness. Elves had vanished, except for a newborn, sent to safety before the deluge inundated his village. There was a prophecy, however, that foretold a better future: “When the last dragon and the last elf / break the circle . . . the sun of a new summer / will shine in the sky” (51). Locating the last dragon becomes the quest of a ragtag band: a hunter, a woman, a dog, and the last elf—Yorshk runsquarkljolnerstrink, Yorsh to his friends. The Last Dragon is a magical tale that will mesmerize readers with its innocence and imagery. 2007 Batchelder Honor, ALA Notable Children’s Book, A Kirkus Reviews Best Childrens Book of 2006, A Book Sense Autumn 2006 Children’s Pick, 2011 Nutmeg Teen Book Award Nominee. lmp

Originally pub lished as L’Ultimo Elfo in Italian by Adriano Salani Italy, in 2004. Translated by Shaun Whiteside.

When the last dragon and the last elf break the circle, the past and the future will meet, and the sun of a new summer will shine in the sky.

In a world shrouded in darkness and continually lashed by rain, a young elf named Yorsh struggles to survive. His village has been destroyed by the torrential waters, leaving Yorsh suddenly orphaned and alone—the earth’s last elf. But soon Yorsh discovers he is part of a powerful prophecy to save the world from the Dark Age that has begun. First, however, the young elf will have to find another orphaned creature—the world’s last dragon.

Full of great tenderness and humor, this magical journey tells the story of a world plagued by intolerance and wickedness, and the elf and the dragon who will fight for its redemption and bring it back into the light.