A vanilla yarn best suited for bedtime.
Two brothers, their dog, and their dragon conclude their adventures in this final installment of a trilogy.
Orange-haired, pale-skinned brothers Paddy and Flynn live on a remote island that boasts both alluringly titled locales and fearsome fire-breathing dragons. Falling in step with their previous escapades (The Dragon Hunters and The Dragon Tamers, both 2017), the boys, their dog, Coco, and their dragon, Elton John, go for a wild ride up to Mount Astonishing, where the dragons annually congregate. However, the surprise presence of two human boys doesn’t go over well, and Elton John must find a way to save the brothers and get them home before bedtime. As in the two earlier books, Russell maintains a narrative style of lilting quatrains in iambic pentameter, creating a lyrical read-aloud with a rhythmic flow. However, his worldbuilding—with its fantastic island containing such wondrous places as the Ridge of Rising Flame and Magic Terraces—never really breathes any life into the enticingly titled places and only briefly touches upon them in the boys’ expeditions. The overall effect is resigned and docile; those seeking a dramatic dragon offering will be disappointed by the gentle cadence and muted adventures. Choi’s illustrations range from small black-and-white sketches to large, soft-focus, full-color renderings that help reinforce this tale’s quiet nature. Readers drawn by the augmented-reality feature will be disappointed to find it’s just the same map as in the previous two books.
A vanilla yarn best suited for bedtime. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4867-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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