by Sarah Glenn Marsh ; illustrated by Ana Gómez ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2018
In the end, the most notable feature of the book may be that the setting is a sleep-away summer camp rather than a backyard
There’s s’more to camping with a dragon than meets the eye.
Lots of kids are scared at their first day of sleep-away camp, and dragons are no different. Taking pity on a quaking reptile, the human narrator offers to be his buddy. A dragon should be a fun companion, but when swimming, sailing, tug of war, archery, horseback riding, and even a puppet show go wrong, the two become the camp pariahs. The narrator even begins to rethink their choice of buddy. When Dragon’s attempts to remove a spider get a bit incendiary, it’s the final straw, and the narrator throws him out of the tent. Then Dragon disappears. All the campers go searching for him, becoming frightened by the growling of something big and scary in the forest. Then Dragon appears, and “the angry creature is gone.” The bulk of the book is a pedantic tale advocating patience with those who are different, while the climax is simply confusing: Was Dragon the “angry creature,” or did he scare one away, as the campers believe? Happily the bright and cheery illustrations compensate for the text. Though the dragon remains mute, the art renders him expressive and emotional. The narrator is a blond, pigtailed, bespectacled white child, while the other campers display some diversity.
In the end, the most notable feature of the book may be that the setting is a sleep-away summer camp rather than a backyard . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1993-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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Awards & Accolades
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11
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
by Adam Rubin & illustrated by Daniel Salmieri ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2012
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
11
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
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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More In The Series
by Adam Rubin ; illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
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by Karma Wilson ; illustrated by Jane Chapman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2024
Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static.
In his latest outing, Bear and his pals go in search of eggs.
Bear “lumbers with his friends through the Strawberry Vale.” Raven finds a nest; climbing up, “The bear finds eggs!”: a refrain that appears throughout. Instead of eating the robin’s eggs, however, Bear leaves a gift of dried berries in the nest for the “soon-to-be-chicks.” Next, the friends find 10 mallard eggs (as bright blue as the robin’s), and Bear leaves sunflower seeds. Then the wail of Mama Meadowlark, whose bright yellow undercarriage strikes a warm golden note, leads them to promise to find her lost eggs. With his friends’ assistance, Bear finds one, and they decide to paint them “so they aren’t lost again.” Another is discovered, painted, and placed in Hare’s basket. After hours of persistent searching, Bear suddenly spots the remaining two eggs “in a small patch of clover.” Before they can return these eggs, the chicks hatch and rejoin their mother. Back at his lair, Bear, with his troupe, is visited by all 17 chicks and the robin, mallard, and meadowlark moms: “And the bear finds friends!” Though this sweet spring tale centers on finding and painting eggs, it makes no overt references to Easter. The soft green and blue acrylics, predictable rhymes, and rolling rhythm make this series installment another low-key natural read-aloud.
Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665936552
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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