I WISH I HAD A DRAGON WITH MARSHMALLOWS

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.