Liza Jane & the Dragon

August 1, 2018
A young girl thinks that a dragon will be a better caregiver than her mom and dad.Liza Jane's parents tell her that she's very lucky. She has all the trappings of a happy-enough childhood: a canopy bed, a goldfish, and pizza on Fridays. "Yet: people didn't listen to her. People interrupted her. People didn't care about her feelings. And by 'people'--we mean her parents." The mixed-race child decides to fire her parental unit, and after putting up signs around the neighborhood ("Wanted: A MOM + A DAD"), she hires a dragon who claims "I can do both jobs." But the dragon can't cook, can't brush Liza Jane's hair, and "if anything made Liza Jane mad or frustrated, the dragon set it on fire." The illustrations are subdued watercolors; Liza Jane and the dragon are always rendered in bold colors, set against a retro sepia backdrop, with other splashes of color indicating the focal point of each spread. The text is awkward and clunky, using an overwhelmingly didactic tone for a story lacking any clear or compelling takeaways. "After two weeks, or maybe it was six months, or maybe it was four years," Liza Jane sends the dragon away and rehires her parents. "She tells them every day how lucky they are."Those seeking feminist-tinged picture books should look elsewhere. (Picture book. 5-9)

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September 3, 2018
In crime writer Lippman’s picture book debut, Liza Jane’s parents tell her every day that she’s a lucky girl. She does have a bed with a canopy, a fish, stars on her bedroom ceiling, and six princess dresses in her dress-up box. Even with plenty to be thankful for, though, Liza Jane is dissatisfied. Tired of being ignored and interrupted by her parents, she fires them and puts up an ad, then hires a green-scaled, yellow-haired dragon who applies for the job. After growing tired of eating pizza every day (the dragon can’t cook), having tangled hair (the dragon’s claws make it impossible to hold a brush), and always arriving late for school (dragons can’t tell time), Liza Jane realizes that a dragon—especially one who reacts to all adversity with fiery flames and a frequent, unapologetic refrain of “Hey, I’m a dragon”—isn’t a satisfying replacement for her parents. Unfortunately, the tone feels a tad prescriptive for a tale with no real message. Illustrations by Samworth (Aviary Wonders) feature an amusingly expressive dragon and colorful protagonist against intentionally drab background scenes. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Vicy Bijur Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt and Zacker Literary.

November 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Liza Jane is a young girl with a very nice life. She is told this every day by her parents and while she does like her canopy bed, and getting pizza delivered on Friday nights, she does not like it when her parents don't listen or interrupt her. She decides to fire them and advertises for new ones. As luck would have it, a dragon responds. He is everything she's ever wanted; he listens to what she says, never interrupts, and most importantly, gets mad when she gets mad. The first night they order a pizza, and it's delivered terribly late and cold, so the dragon sets the pizza delivery truck on fire. When Liza Jane is late for school and gets in trouble, the attendance officer's desk is engulfed in flames. Liza Jane admonishes the dragon that he really can't behave like this and his droll response is: "Hey, I'm a dragon." They live together for quite some time, ordering pizza every night and living in a slovenly fashion until the little girl realizes that not only is she heartily sick of pizza, but she's alienated everyone with this pyromaniac dragon in tow. She once again puts up a parents wanted sign, and her original ones return. This appealing debut picture book is enriched by the strategic use of color in Samworth's dreamy illustrations, and kids will roar at the dragon's outrageous antics. VERDICT This delightfully quirky read deserves a place in most collections.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2018
Grades K-2 Liza Jane is a lucky girl. Just ask her parents. After all, she has a bed with a canopy, a fish named Swimmer, and a dress-up box. But Liza Jane is dubious, since her parents interrupt her and don't care about her feelings. So she fires them and puts up signs around the neighborhood. Wanted: a Mom & Dad. No Experience Necessary. Rather surprisingly, the first applicant is a dragon, a novice parent whom Liza Jane hires. If that's the good news, the bad news is that the dragon is the sort who tends to set things that displease Liza Jane on fire. Soon her teachers and classmates are afraid of her and her parental unit. This is not so hot. So you can guess what Liza Jane does: she fires the dragon and welcomes her parents back. They are very lucky. Just ask Liza Jane. This is mystery novelist Lippman's first children's book and it's pleasant enough, though a little flat, as are the somewhat static illustrations. But don't tell the dragon that!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)