You Don't Want a Dragon!

March 15, 2020
If you thought having a unicorn as a pet was hard, you haven't seen anything until you've tried owning a dragon. The young protagonist of You Don't Want a Unicorn! (2017) is back, and they clearly haven't learned their lesson. Now they've wished for a pet dragon. As the intrusive narrator is quick to point out, everything about it seems fun at the beginning. However, it's not long before the doglike dragon starts chasing squirrels, drooling, pooping (ever wondered where charcoal comes from?), scooting its butt across the floor (leaving fire and flames behind), and more. By now, the dragon has grown too huge to keep, so the child (who appears white and also to live alone) wishes it away and settles for a cute little hamster instead. A perfect pet...until it finds a stray magical cupcake. Simple cartoon art and a surfeit of jokes about defecation suggest this book will find an appreciative audience. The dragon/dog equivalences are cute on an initial read, but they may not be strong enough to convince anyone to return. Moreover, a surprising amount of the plot hinges on having read the previous book in this series (it's the only way readers will know that cupcakes are unicorn poop). Feels like a retread--it may be time to put this series to bed. (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2020

K-Gr 2-Trust the narrator who warns the boy pictured with the small dragon that he does not, not, not want it for a pet. Dragons drool, grow, and burn things (not to mention another bodily function). With a coin in the wishing well, the boy makes another wish and magically resolves his dragon problem. Right around the corner is the perfect pet for the boy: a guinea pig. But while the boy is cleaning up for his small friend, the rodent eats a unicorn dropping-a cupcake-that gives him a unicorn horn. Similar to You Don't Want a Unicorn (2017) by this same duo, the digitally created art is silly and bright with slapstick humor. VERDICT While not an essential purchase for school or public libraries, this book's subject matter has perennial-and enaging-interest.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia P.L.

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