In the hot, dry summer of Australia, there is always the danger of a bush fire, the "dragon" of February. There's no softening of the blow [in February Dragon], as the Pine family and their neighbors lose their farm crops, their home, and most of their pets after a fire due to one careless picnicker who never realizes her role…. Hester's attitude toward animals and rural life is one thread, the threat of fire another, and the courtship between two teachers a third, in a story that is episodic rather than sequential…. This is not as cohesive as Thiele's earlier books, but it gives a good picture of family and community life in the Australian countryside, it has variety and action in the episodes, a vigorous style of writing, and good dialogue, with enough idiom to flavor but not burden the conversations.