Introducing: Calcifer the Library Dragon

We are having a big celebration at the Shovan house this weekend, Poetry Friday friends. After a year of planning, hard-work, painting, and poetry-writing, our Little Free Library is finally open for visitors!I don't know why dragons have proliferated in our front yard. We have a dragon whirligig. His name is Clyde and he's riding a bicycle. We have a napping dragon. That's Kip -- he's asleep in an orange hammock. And there's a blue dragon on a flag who needs a name.So it only made sense to go with a dragon theme for our Little Free Library. (If you'd like to learn more about Little Free Libraries, stop by the website. )Our library dragon is named for a fire demon from the book Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones. Both the book and the Miyazaki movie are family favorites. Here's the movie trailer, which makes me want to watch the movie right now. I love, love, love this film. So much so that my teen and I watched it in Japanese, just to see if the experience was different.The library was a group project. Mr. S did all of the carpentry. The resident teen, Miss Jay, designed and painted the panels. And I wrote the poem and organized the books.Poem? Of course! A library dragon must have a poem -- and a cup of hot cocoa to enjoy with his books.A Message from CalciferBy Laura Shovan (with help from the dragon)I am a library dragon.Don't be afraid of my looks.My tail's long and stunning,My eyes green and cunning,But I am a lover of books.I am a library dragon.My treasure, I'm happy to share.My hoard has no gold,But if you are bold,You may borrow a book from my lair.***Our library will stock children's and young adult books, picture books through YA. We have a lot of children and dog walkers in our neighborhood -- Brampton Hills in Ellicott City, MD, so we're hoping people will make use of it.Calcifer's Little Free Library has its own Facebook page. (Check it out or join here.) And we plan to add an Instagram account soon. If you live in Central Maryland, come see us this Sunday. We're having a grand opening read-along and picnic from 11-1, right in the front yard.Here is a gallery of library photos, so you can see the full design. One of the coolest features, which you can't see here, is that the library is painted GOLD on the inside. Why? Because books are a treasure.