Fire-breathing fun for dragon enthusiasts.
A youngster’s spontaneous wish comes true.
While playing in the yard one day, a child finds a lizard that resembles a dragon. The two begin playing, and when the young narrator’s stomach rumbles, a wish bursts forth…for “a DRAGON with MARSHMALLOWS!” Plop. Suddenly, the lizard runs off, and there in the middle of the grass is a large, dumpy, blue-green dragon (the same coloring as the lizard), clutching a bag of marshmallows. There’s only one problem: The dragon is sad. And as the youngster correctly surmises, a sad dragon can’t produce fire—and that means no toasted marshmallows. What would make the dragon smile? The child comes up with a string of ideas, but after trying all of them, the two fall to the ground, exhausted, to take a nap. Upon awakening, the child can’t find the dragon—but the lizard is back! Was the whole thing a dream? A plate of toasted treats suggests otherwise. Rendered in black and white, Alber’s round-headed youngster (with skin the white of the page and rosy cheeks and red shorts and sneakers for a spot of warmth) stands out against the geometrically splashed colored backdrops. The plot feels a bit clunky, awkwardly meandering from one event to the next, but young dragon lovers will relate to the wish and will happily make their own scaled friend using the appended sock puppet instructions.
Fire-breathing fun for dragon enthusiasts. (discussion questions) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781546109921
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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