There's a Dragon in Your Book

July 1, 2018
A freshly-hatched dragon causes pyrotechnic trouble in this equally interactive follow-up to There's a Monster in Your Book (2017).A purple egg is about to hatch. "Whatever you do, don't turn the page...," you're warned. But of course you do, and a baby dragon hatches. She's quite cute, but when you tickle her nose she sneezes, lighting a tiny fire that you're exhorted to put out. The tiny fire leads to more, and the narrator tells you to "use your imagination to put out the fire," leading to a water balloon, a flood, a treat for the hungry baby dragon, and a book-flapping goodbye--before the book ends with a gently ominous clutch of more purple eggs. While clearly similar to the earlier title, this storyline is a bit more contrived and less emotional than the original--telling readers to imagine a specific solution seems forced, and the "yummy" ice cream interlude feels like an unnecessary departure from the plot, pandering to children's appetites. Still, the cute dragon is sure to appeal, and the various points of fourth-wall breakage (blowing on fires, flapping the pages like wings) will make for an energetic and laugh-filled read-aloud, either with a group or one-on-one.A fun story with plenty of little-kid appeal. (Picture book. 3-7)

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August 1, 2018
Preschool-G When a baby dragon hatches inside your book, there's no cause for alarm . . . at first. But when you tickle its nose and the baby dragon sneezes, watch out! The book just caught on fire! And the more you blow on it or pat the page to put it out, the bigger and more out of control the flames spread, until, eventually, the only way to put out the barely contained blaze is through your?the reader's?imagination. The author/illustrator team behind There's a Monster in Your Book (2017) has joined up again for another successful, interactive, between-the-pages romp, begging to be read aloud. Abbott's dragon is adorable, and the clever sparkles on the flames keep the concept from venturing into scary or dangerous. The text encourages a wide variety of familiar and new physical interactions with the page?including, most innovatively, flapping the book like dragon wings to help the baby fly home?and is sure to please kiddos clamoring for the next interactive picture book. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)