THE DIFFERENT DRAGON

The elephant of purpose is definitely in the room, but this freewheeling tale, spun by a lad and one of his two same-sex parents, is playful enough to leave young readers unsquashed. As part of the bedtime ritual, Noah snuggles down with “Go-Ma” (unnecessarily introduced twice, along with Noah’s birth mother and other family members) to concoct a collaborative story involving a boat, a cat and a wise child dispensing advice to a dragon who is weary of being fierce all the time. Hosler gives all of her characters exaggerated expressions, but places them either in comfortably cluttered domestic surroundings or lush storyscapes. The big, green, ultimately benevolent dragon is transformed to a plush toy in the cozy final scene. Warm colors, vivid language and a pair of dozing cats on the bed add to the effectiveness of this nighttime read-aloud. (Picture book. 5-8)