A fun, goofy bedtime—or anytime—story.
The king is having dreadful dragon nightmares.
He orders his three knights to go out into the dark night to save his realm—and, more importantly, to save him. The knights with their armor, their huge noses protruding from feathered helmets, some dangerous-looking metal weapons, and a single candle to light their way, are willing, if not eager, to obey. But they are operating under a severe disadvantage. They’ve never seen a dragon, and the king has only given them a few vague ideas about what the creatures might possibly look like. The knights take turns recounting the king’s descriptions and searching the shadowy night. According to the king, dragons have thick, double-sided spikes. But wait; there is a dark shadow out there that looks just like that. With a candle to light the scene, they see a harmless bunch of long-eared rabbits sitting in a pile of carrots. And so it goes. All of Timmers’ shadowy shapes fit the various descriptions suggested by the king, but each one, when lit, is something entirely benign and delightfully silly. But that final shape, dismissed by the knights, just might be the real thing. The text is translated from the original Dutch in a lilting Suessian singsong, with wonderful, surprising rhymes, and little readers and their grown-ups will have a great time combining their voices and giggling through the proceedings. Knights and king all present White.
A fun, goofy bedtime—or anytime—story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-776573-11-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A charming continuation of a much-beloved series—and a clever tribute to the power of storytelling.
Scheherazade hasn’t got a thing on this sneaky mouse’s tale-telling talents.
The Gruffalo—the furry, yellow-eyed creature readers may remember from Donaldson and Scheffler’s classic work of the same name—and his daughter receive notice that Gruffalo Granny will soon be coming for a visit. This calls for a special meal, but what to serve? Ultimately, the Gruffalos decide to snatch up that same mouse who dodged their hungry tummies in previous books in the series. When the mouse is informed that they intend to pop him in a stew, he acquiesces but asks if he can tell a story first. As in The Thousand and One Nights, the mouse leaves his tale unfinished each evening; the Gruffalos let him live so they can hear what happens. By night, the mouse gnaws on the bars of his cage. Eventually, there’s a happy ending, not just for the mouse but for the Gruffalos as well (Granny has different tastes than expected). Donaldson’s gently rhyming text will have readers as rapt as the Gruffalo and his child. Featuring saturated colors and characters who are utterly sweet for all their fangs and claws, Scheffler’s artwork hasn’t changed a jot since the mouse and Gruffalo first met. References to the creators’ previous works provide delightful easter eggs for fans.
A charming continuation of a much-beloved series—and a clever tribute to the power of storytelling. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9798217238736
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
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
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