I’m very sorry about the can opener. Have you looked in the silverware drawer?
With love from your affectionate uncle,
Morton
From: Edward Smith-Pickle
To: Morton Pickle
Date: Monday, February 20
Subject: Speedboat
Attachments: Mom and Emily
Dear Uncle Morton,
We found the key!
And we were very careful with the statue.
Mom says you definitely didn’t mention it last week. She would have remembered if you had.
You don’t have to worry about the can opener. It wasn’t in the silverware drawer or anywhere else, but Mr. McDougall’s nephew Gordon jetted across this morning in his speedboat and delivered another. He also brought a box of crackers and some nice cheese.
After he had gone, I found Mom and Emily whispering in the kitchen.
When I asked what was going on, Emily said they were talking about Gordon. Mom thinks he’s very handsome.
I don’t know if he’s handsome, but I like his boat. He said he’ll take me for a ride around the island to see the puffins.
Love,
Eddie
From: Edward Smith-Pickle
To: Morton Pickle
Subject: More sheep
Dear Uncle Morton,
Gordon has been here again. He took us to Lower Bisket in his speedboat to buy food and supplies.
Emily thinks it was a date.
Mom told her not to be ridiculous, but she did turn bright pink.
Apparently, Mr. McDougall is on a rampage. Another sheep went missing last night.
I asked Gordon to tell him that the dragons spent the whole night in my bedroom, with the door shut and the windows locked.
Gordon said I should do the same tonight because Mr. McDougall is planning to stay up from dusk until dawn with a thermos of hot tea and a rifle.
Otherwise everything is fine. We bought lots of food in the Lower Bisket General Store. The dragons are happy. Even Mom is in a good mood. We went for a walk on the beach this afternoon, and she said it’s so peaceful and beautiful she can almost understand why you want to live here.
Eddie
From: Morton Pickle
To: Edward Smith-Pickle
Date: Tuesday, February 21
Subject: Re: More sheep
Dear Eddie,
I have to admit that I am worried by your last message. I know from personal experience that Mr. McDougall is an excellent shot.
On that particular occasion, he wasn’t aiming at me, but I should not like to find myself in his sights.
Please make sure that you keep the dragons under observation at all times. I cannot believe that they could be responsible for attacking his livestock, but I wouldn’t want to expose them to any unnecessary risks.
I hope your mother enjoyed her date with Gordon. Isn’t he a little young for her?
COLLECT THEM ALL!
About the Author and Illustrator
JOSH LACEY is the author of many books for children, including The Island of Thieves, Bearkeeper, and the Grk series. He worked as a journalist, a teacher, and a screenwriter before writing his first book, A Dog Called Grk. Josh lives in London with his wife and daughters.
GARRY PARSONS has illustrated several books for children and is the author and illustrator of Krong!, winner of the Perth and Kinross Picture Book Award. Garry lives in London.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Begin Reading
A Sneak Peek of The Dragonsitter’s Island
The Dragonsitter Series
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About the Author and Illustrator
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Text copyright © 2013 by Josh Lacey
Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Garry Parsons
Text in excerpt from The Dragonsitter’s Island copyright © 2014 by Josh Lacey
Cover art © 2013 by Garry Parsons
Hand-lettering © 2016 by David Coulson
Cover design by Marcie Lawrence
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First U.S. ebook edition: April 2016
ISBN 978-0-316-29905-3
E3