There's a Dragon in My Sleeping Bag

May 4, 1998
In this sequel to There's a Monster Under My Bed, one brother invents a dragon to play with, the other invents a camel. "A clever variation on the imaginary friend theme," said PW. Ages 4-7.

March 1, 1995
PreS-Gr 2-"There's a dragon in my sleeping bag. I can't see him, but my brother says he's there." When the dragon appears at the breakfast table and on the swing set as well, it becomes clear that big brother Simon is deliberately shutting out his younger sibling. But two can play at that game, and before long...there's a camel in Simon's sleeping bag. By book's end, both boys have asserted their solo identities and reaffirmed their brotherly bond. Rose's dark palette and solid, heavily outlined forms lend a surreal quality to this almost-fantasy, with the comic antics of a dragon and camel sounding an appropriately lighter note. Text and drawings achieve a neat balance, the end result being a satisfying and psychologically sound excursion into the realm of sibling dynamics.-Marcia Hupp, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

December 15, 1994
Ages 4-7. This sequel to "There's a Monster under My Bed" (1986) pairs brothers Simon and Alex in another encounter with imaginary creatures. Little brother Alex is distressed to discover that Dexter the Dragon has moved into his sleeping bag, is sitting in his chair at breakfast, and is occupying his swing and his side of the seesaw. But Alex doesn't feel left out for long. Calvin the Camel comes along, and it just so happens he likes the same games Alex does--and unlike Simon, he always lets Alex win. Now it's Simon's turn to feel left out, but in the end, both brothers learn a valuable lesson from the experience: imaginary friends come and go, but brothers are forever. The story is humorous and heartwarming without being overly cute, and Rose's acrylic illustrations are colorful and imaginative. Pair this tale with Kevin Henkes' "Jessica" (1989), which looks at imaginary friends from the female perspective. ((Reviewed December 15, 1994))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1994, American Library Association.)