Me and My Dragon

July 22, 2013
In this companion to Me and My Dragon (2011), the boy from the first book tries to assuage his red dragon’s fears about Halloween and its attendant creatures. “Poor dragon,” the boy sighs. “I explained to him that mummies, zombies, and werewolves aren’t real.” The boy is sure that the perfect costume is just the cure that’s needed, and the book is largely a canvas for Biedrzycki to show off an array of Halloween costumes that don’t work for one reason or another (often fire-related). The author’s deadpan narration remains a highlight, though the resolution won’t come as a surprise to readers of the first book, which featured a similar Halloween scene. Ages 4–7.

May 9, 2011
It's a truism of children's literature that when dragons aren't serving as worthy adversaries of pretend play, they're the ultimate fantasy pets. Biedrzycki's young narrator, like those who have gone before him, imagines a host of improbably comic situations that owning a potbellied, google-eyed red dragon could ignite: teaching the hesitant creature to fly for the first time, employing tough love and a handy cliff; startling his peers, teacher, and classroom hamsters with an dramatic entrance into show-and-tell; and showing off with a gravity-defying stroll. Using deadpan, catalogue-like text to set up the jokes ("We could clear neighbors' driveways in the winter" is a typical passage), Biedrzycki (the Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective series) creates page after page of scenarios with the kind of bright colors, dimensionality, and freewheeling goofiness that will remind readers of their favorite CGI cartoons. The jokes aren't particularly fresh ("Nice costume!" says a clueless homeowner to the dragon at Halloween), but that's beside the point: Biedrzycki is after the same kind of giggly pleasure that makes one feel like dancing at the sound of an oldie but goodie. Ages 4â7.

August 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-In Me and My Dragon (Charlesbridge, 2011), a boy discusses the ins and outs of having a dragon for a pet. In this follow-up story, the boy and his dragon are having a great time. The two have everything in common-except a love for Halloween. While the boy is excited to trick-or-treat, the fire-breathing beast is petrified of the werewolves, zombies, and mummies they will encounter. After a comical montage of dressing the dragon in a series of costumes that simply will not work, the boy gets a great idea: he can be a knight and the dragon can trick-or-treat as himself. And because no one will know he is a real dragon, he can even pick out his own candy. The charm of this book is in the details. While the text is straightforward, the facial expressions and information delivered by the rich and bold Adobe Photoshop images demand a second and third reading.-Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA

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