A dinosaur princess visits today, from the magical land of Drainovia. She appears in Janyce Brawn’s middle grade fantasy, David and the Drainosaurs.
Princess Doris Drainosaurus gathers her sparkling purple gown as she treads lightly in her gold slippers across the threshold. Her lemon fragrance wafts through the air, alerting people to her presence. The lost crown of Drainovia has been found and she proudly wears it, recalling all the trouble her new friend, David Gonzales from the Above Lands, has gone through to find it. She blinks in the bright lights and smiles. Her long dinosaur-like tail smacks a servant as she turns and rescues a glass of champagne from his falling tray. Ah, let’s see what new allies I can make tonight. She sails into the gathering.
Character Questions
What is the rarest and most precious thing in your land? The most precious thing in my world is definitely our crown. Why, with its magical abilities, our land prospers. We know firsthand what happens when it is gone. After the Plumberian War, the crown was stolen and crops failed, businesses closed, and some people were starving. The Ferrets revolted and we had to give them Kitchen Privileges. If it weren’t for my friend David, I shudder to think that Drainovia would be bankrupt, everyone would be starving and who knows what else. The crown’s magic restored everything back into balance. David did us a great favor and we were very happy to help him in his time of need.
In your world, do people trust magic or think it is evil? Ah, magic is very important especially since it relates to our crown. The citizens of Drainovia- the drainosaurs, ferrets etc., all believe we must use our magic wisely and for the good of our country and to help our allies. There exists magic in the Fairy Kingdom of Faire Haven and in Rabbitosha where the magic crystals grow. I believe it is a crime to misuse magic. We’ve dealt with some nasty issues about the crown, the fairies, and oh yes, the unicorns and rabbits that my dear friend David has helped solve.
Author Questions
Do you write according to an outline, or just let the ideas flow? I am a pantser. I have a simple outline or idea of where the story starts and where it ends. The journey between those points is where I have fun and can let my imagination take over. My three critique groups help to rein me in or help me brainstorm when I feel stuck. Some people in the group are developmental editors and some are line editors. Others we offer good points and suggestions for each person’s work. We don’t have to change our stories, but it is often prudent to weigh their suggestions and put them in our own words.
What is your purpose in writing? My purpose in writing is to engage, excite and entertain young readers. I want them to broaden their world and imagine possibilities. I also want to teach principles like being kind, following the Golden Rule”, don’t bully etc. With this in mind, my next 2 projects are a rhyming coloring book about bullying by exclusion, and a MG fantasy novel that emphasizes working together to achieve results rather than by selfish means.
David and the Drainosaurs
During an argument with his younger brother, twelve-year-old David Gonzales accidentally drops his mother’s diamond ring down the kitchen sink drain. As he reaches for the ring, he sees a tiny dinosaur creature who calls herself Princess Doris Drainosaurus and claims the ring is her kingdom’s missing crown. In his tussle with Doris over the ring, David is pulled into the magical kingdom of Drainovia. There he must find the missing Drainovian crown in order to exchange it for his mother’s ring. David has just three days to accomplish his task, or he will be stuck forever where Drainosaurs rule, doors fly, hats teleport, and treachery abounds.
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Janyce Brawn
Janyce Brawn is an award-winning author of 5 middle grade books, poems, and stories. She is a retired K-12 English as a Second Language, and Spanish teacher. Janyce has used her Art degree to illustrate magazines and books for over 20 years. She enjoys reading, drawing, boating, and camping with her family and friends. Her Boston Terrier, Porter, likes to stick his nose in her work, thinking he is helping to create magical characters and lands.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Bluesky, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.
Dinosaur princess RULES!
A dinosaur in a pink sparkly gown just sounds like so much fun.
We loved this series!
I think it occurred to me as a child that a ring could look like a tiny crown. But I don’t believe I ever looked for a dinosaur princess down the drain!