Kindred Dragons (2025) by Sarah Mensinga is a graphic novel inspired by L.M. Montgomery's book Anne of Green Gables. Fully illustrated in color, the 208-page story is the first in a series and was published by Abrams Fanfare in October 2025.
Set in rural Canada, Mensinga's cozy fantasy is about a young girl named Alice whose parents have sent her to Prince Edward Island to live with her grandmother. Alice wants to be a "Kindred," a person who is magically linked to a dragon. This ability runs in families, but Alice's grandmother adopted her children, so the gift won't pass down to Alice. When fairies begin delivering dragon eggs to Alice's friends, she feels left out.
While exploring the woods, Alice meets an elderly dragon named Brim. When Brim falls ill, Alice tries to help him, and she discovers her own magical powers.
Here is the description of the book from Abrams Books:
Anne of Green Gables meets How to Train Your Dragon in Kindred Dragons, a cozy and heartfelt middle-grade graphic novel about a brave young girl and the dragon whose life depends on her.
Alice has been unhappy ever since her parents sent her to Prince Edward Island to live with her strict grandmother. Alice is fanciful, prone to telling tall tales, and absolutely OBSESSED with dragons! Fairies deliver dragon eggs to a select few, known as Kindreds, but no egg has ever arrived for Alice.
While wandering the woods alone, she finds and secretly befriends a mysterious old dragon named Brim. Alice is excited to finally have a dragon friend of her own, but when Brim suddenly falls ill, Alice must set out on a desperate quest to save him.
As Alice searches for a cure, she discovers that her connection to dragons is unlike that of any Kindred—but will her new power be enough to save her friend?
Let your imagination take flight in this heartfelt story of friendship, family, and learning to love who you are!
"Dynamic paneling imparts a cinematic atmosphere; soft line art and sprightly color palettes render evocative landscapes; and detailed character design subtly complements the graphic novel’s emotionally resonant themes of identity, family, and courage. The story’s relationships, particularly between Alice and her grandmother, are layered and, combined with grounded fantasy elements, result in a relatable, human story of loss, maturity, and self-discovery—a solid first entry to a promising new series."
—Publishers Weekly (full review)
"Her illustrations are a joy; muted pastel drawings invoke both the quiet beauty of rural life and the lyrical elegance of dragons at rest and in flight. Middle-grade readers seeking meaning and adventure will appreciate Alice’s steadfast commitment to defending and caring for these majestic beasts...At once tender and bold, a thoughtful, lovely fantasy."
―Kirkus Reviews (full review)
"This cozy tale sports a spunky heroine, a quaint town in Prince Edward Island, and talk of kindreds and bosom friends, much like its inspiration Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables...All the joy and beauty of Montgomery’s books are captured in Mensinga’s homage to the Canadian classic."
―School Library Review (full review)
ISBN-13: 978-1419771156
Website:
Sarah Mensinga's Webpage
Image credit:
Book cover of Kindred Dragons.
Purchase and read Kindred Dragons:
Created October 17, 2026.
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