THERE ARE NO DRAGONS IN THIS BOOK

Can you spot the friendly dragon?

“There are no dragons in this book,” an unseen narrator tells us repeatedly as kids frolic throughout a rambling house. But sharp-eyed readers will realize that in fact there is a dragon to be found here. The lurking dragon’s claws are visible beneath a coat hanging in the mudroom, there’s a gaping maw in the fireplace, and what’s that peering out of the toilet?! Kids will shout out with glee upon catching the creature that’s hidden in plain sight. When the sheepish, bespectacled dragon is finally revealed, it informs readers that there are no dragons here—“There’s only one. ME!” The beast tells us that its friends are hidden in a crack in the wall (the book’s gutter) and notes that the book must be jiggled to release them. This tried-and-true trick for engagement will delight. The art has a colored pencil–esque look, and the house has a messy, cozy feeling that matches the pacing and tone. Grown-ups appear throughout, though they don’t intervene in the mayhem even when the kids climb steep ladders, which may tickle some while arousing concern in others. Characters are racially diverse.

A sweetly offbeat adventure that will have readers peering into their toilets for a dragon of their own.