Micah & the Magic Helmet

Micah and the Magic Helmet: The Helmet and the Dragon

By Kat Parrish Illustrated by CJ Milam Color by M. Parrish copyright ©2012 Kat Parrish All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books, Inc. Headline Kids P. O. Box 52 Terra Alta, WV 26764 www.headlinekids.com Tel: 800-570-5951 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com www.headlinebooks.com www.headlinekids.com Published by Headline Books Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books ISBN 978-0938467-29-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2011939440

P R I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S O F A M E R I C A

To Derek H.— Without you, there would be no Magic in Micah’s helmet!

To Makenna H.— Hoping your imagination soars as high as Micah’s!

My name is Micah and I have something special to show you, my magic helmet! Mom and Dad call it a cake pan, but it’s so much more than that. Every time I put it on, I have wonderful, fantastic adventures... here’s what happens!

One night before bed, I was playing in my room. I looked at my closet and I saw a dragon staring at me through the open door! I was very scared. I put on my magic helmet because I was scared and I always felt safe when I wore it.

Suddenly, I was inside a castle— looking out. I watched as a dragon flew towards me. His huge wings made him move very fast and before I knew it, he was at the door of the castle.

Smoke came out of the dragon’s nose as he blew fire across the sky.

I crept towards the door, hoping the dragon wouldn’t hurt me. When I opened the door a bit and peeped out, I heard a strange sound. I looked up at the dragon and to my surprise, he had huge tears in his eyes. Oh! I was startled to see this. I wondered what in the world could make a dragon cry?

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Suddenly, he reared up and I thought I was a goner! Smoke started rolling and I could feel the fire coming. And then...

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The dragon sneezed.

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Poor dragon. Apparently, he had a cold.

I looked up at the huge dragon and said, “Bless you! Do you need a tissue?” He looked down at me and nodded. I gingerly handed him a tissue.

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The dragon blew and blew his nose. He told me his mom had forgotten to get more tissues and he was coming to see if I had any. Thank goodness, Mommy had gone to the store! I thought.

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I had expected the dragon to be very, very, scary...but he was surprisingly quite nice. He just had a cold. I didn’t need to be afraid anymore.

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As I put my magic helmet away, I said goodnight to the dragon and made my way to bed.

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I wonder where the helmet will take me tomorrow?

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Help Micah find her way to the castle!

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Can you find 8 of

Micah’s Magic Helmets hidden in this picture?

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Make a Green Dragon Cake!

Ingredients Cake 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 2-1/4 cups sugar 3 large eggs (at room temperature) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 Tbsp fresh key lime juice* 2 tsp key lime zest 2-2/3 cups sifted all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1-1/4 cups buttermilk Green and yellow liquid food coloring Glaze 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter 1/4 cup softened cream cheese 1 Tbsp fresh key lime juice 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar dash salt yellow and green sugar crystals Lime zest 30

DIRECTIONS – cake Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat the inside, bottom, and center tube of a 10” Angel Food Cake pan**.

In a large bowl, cream the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until light in color and fluffy (about 6 minutes). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Zest the limes and chop the zest into small pieces (the easiest way is to put the zest into a measuring cup and snip it with the tips of kitchen scissors). Add the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, re-sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture in thirds, alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just long enough to incorporate the ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add 3 drops green food coloring and 1 drop yellow food coloring, mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Cake is done when tester inserted in the middle (between outer edge and center tube) comes out clean. The cake will be a golden brown and slightly loosened from the sides. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then remove the outer ring. Cool completely then remove the center tube and transfer to a serving plate. Top with glaze.

DIRECTIONS - glaze Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add lime juice. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Thin slightly with water or milk, if needed, to the consistency of pudding . Spoon glaze over cooled cake. Sprinkle green and yellow sugar lightly over top. Sprinkle with lime zest. *In the small town where I live, we can only find very small key limes (no larger than ping pong balls). They are sold in a bag of over a dozen limes for less than $2. It takes about 7 or 8 limes total for this recipe. To juice the limes, roll them with the palm of your hand on a hard surface before cutting. You could substitute regular limes or bottled lime juice (but not the sweetened lime juice used for mixed drinks). **This cake can also be baked in a 9 x 13 rectangular pan or 2 - 8” or 9” round pans, for about 35-45 minutes, testing for doneness as described above.

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About the Author

Kat Parrish is the proud mom of Micah and Elijah. She has a Master’s Degree in Preschool Special Education and spent seven years working in the preschool setting.

Her experience with young children encouraged her to share the joy of a child’s imagination with others. Micah is older now, but her imagination is still boundless. Kat’s husband, Michael, is the colorist for this book and they live in Ripley, WV.

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Mom's Choice Award Silver (Ages 5– 8) Fantasy, Myths & Legends The phrase, “put on your thinking cap” takes on a completely new meaning in this entertaining and fun adventure story. Micah’s imagination soars when she puts on her ‘magic helmet’ and takes a mythical journey to a land of dragons (they are funny so don’t be scared). Micah learns that fear can be conquered - and sometimes with just a simple gesture of friendship.

This beautifully illustrated book includes games and even a special cake recipe to make in your own ‘Magic Helmet’ so you can have fun along with Micah!

About the Author Kat Parrish is the proud mom of Micah and Elijah. She has a Master’s Degree in Preschool Special Education and spent seven years working in the preschool setting. Her experience with young children encouraged her to share the joy of a child’s imagination with others.

Micah is older now, but her imagination is still boundless. Kat’s husband, Michael, is the colorist for this book and they live in Ripley, WV.