Further foolish fun.
Will Eric and Mini-Dragon Pan have to say goodbye?
Pan the Mini-Dragon is an excellent party planner; he proves it by planning a surprise anniversary party for Eric’s parents but then vanishes during the party. When Eric finds his little dragon buddy, Pan seems sad. The Encyclopedia Dragonica indicates Mini-Dragons need companionship—including that of their families. Eric and his human friends Min and Jayden discover that there is a way for Pan to contact his parents, but only adults know how to use the special codes that enable worldwide Mini-Dragon communication. Turns out they are just email addresses, and the group contacts Pan’s parents, who are none too pleased that Pan is staying with humans instead of his aunt and uncle, whom he is supposed to be visiting. A wet-suited Aunt Maria and Uncle Fernando show up via the toilet (hence the title) and demand that Pan join them in Mexico, where they will see to his education. Can Eric and his friends convince Pan’s parents that Pan is where he needs to be? Fans of Pan and Eric’s earlier adventures (There’s a Dragon in My Dinner! and There’s a Dragon in My Backpack!, both 2019) will enjoy this follow-up, which publishes simultaneously with the camping-trip adventure There’s a Dragon in My Boot! Eric and his family are white; Min is Chinese; Jayden is black. As part of the Americanization of these Scottish imports, the setting has been relocated to the States.
Further foolish fun. (Fantasy. 5-9)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68010-181-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Weathers heavy themes with breezy sensitivity…and unicorns!
Emotional storm clouds come between two unicorn friends.
Harking back to Not Quite Narwhal (2017) in both cast and tone, Sima offers a friendship tale in which Kelp’s close and aptly named pal Nimbus acquires a dark little cloud that rains when she feels down. The more she tries to ignore it or bottle it up, the bigger it gets…until it finally breaks out in a storm that sends her fleeing all company to huddle alone in a gloomy forest. There, she discovers that recognizing and getting to know the cloud actually makes it shrink—and just as she’s feeling a bit better, Kelp gallops into view, which sets the stage for a joyful reunion depicted in the sweet, softly hued illustrations with an exuberant rainbow swirl. Kelp, who turns out to be “a very good listener,” acknowledges the cloud matter-of-factly, and Nimbus comes to understand that though she may have up days and down days to come, weathering the latter with an accepting friend will make them easier. If some young readers subject to or familiar with similar storms (or a bit foggy on what a metaphor is) need explanation or discussion about depression to clear the air, the comforting message nonetheless shines brightly. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Weathers heavy themes with breezy sensitivity…and unicorns! (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781665916981
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
Encouragement for moguls-to-be and fun for everyone else.
A young entrepreneur is ready to sell homemade lemonade, but everyone else has already staked out the best spots.
The nameless narrator rolls a colorful stand through the diverse city neighborhood and just keeps on going until reaching the countryside. Pushing it up a hill, the kid loses control, and the tall stand with the lemon on top goes careening through the woods until it finally stops near a river. Unexpectedly, a customer arrives! The kid serves up, and then a steady stream of customers float by: an octopus, two alligators, a sea monster, a diver in an old-fashioned helmet, and more. The kid needs to make more lemonade on the spot. After selling out and trudging home, the kid sleeps through the night dreaming about a future riverside lemonade empire. Careful readers will spot many reminders of the adventure in the kid’s bedroom. A toy octopus’s tentacles overflow from a chest, a diver’s helmet sits on the floor, pictures of sea animals and boats adorn the walls. The lines between reality and fantasy blur…but the tip jar is full. Bright cartoon illustrations are full of funny details (the lemonade-stand sign smiles and frowns expressively), and the alliterative text begs to be read aloud: “I sat for a long while, feeling terrible as a turnip,” the kid grumps at one point. The narrator has textured black hair and a ruddy complexion. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Encouragement for moguls-to-be and fun for everyone else. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 25, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7352-2828-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
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