IF I HAD A DRAGON

The Ellerys, both of whom have Disney connections, debut with a sketchy but animated take on a familiar whine: “I don’t want to play with my brother! He’s too little,” responds Morton to a parental command. Morton’s unhappiness turns to glee, at least temporarily, when he imagines his toddler sibling transformed into a huge dragon—but then, on second thought, how much fun would it be to play basketball, go the swimming pool or watch a movie with such a gigantic companion? “Eesh.” Simply drawn, but with expressive faces and postures, the small carrot-topped lad and his towering green playmate stand out against minimal monochrome backgrounds in a series of nearly wordless setup-and-punch line scenes. Coming around to acceptance at last, Morton runs home to fetch a bucket and is last seen happily playing with his normal-sized brother in the sandbox. Parts of the spread portraying Morton’s dash disappear into the gutter, but that’s really the only bobble in this brief, cheery episode. (Picture book. 5-7)