Kirkus Reviews QR Code
HOW TO BE FRIENDS WITH A DRAGON by Valeri Gorbachev

HOW TO BE FRIENDS WITH A DRAGON

by Valeri Gorbachev & illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

Pub Date: March 1st, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8075-3432-8
Publisher: Whitman

A sweet and gentle picture book with friendship, etiquette and a hint of dragon breath.

The prolific Gorbachev, (Shhh!, 2011, etc.) uses a soft color palette to introduce readers to a spirited dragon lover named Simon. The boy’s secret: He wants to befriend a dragon. His older, wiser sister, Emma, has a quick response: “If you want to make friends with a dragon, you must remember the rules…” The author deftly teaches life lessons with the softest of nudges. Emma’s worldly recitation of tips for dragon friendship shows that befriending a dragon is a lot like befriending anyone else, requiring courtesy and kindness. “[D]on’t try to scare him”; “be nice”; “[a]fter lunch, when the dragon takes a nap, you really shouldn’t try to wake him up by putting a stick in his nose.” The imagined scenes play up the comedy, varying perspective when necessary and depicting the cowboy-hat–clad little boy interacting with a classically spiky, winged green dragon whose amiably goofy expression poses no threat, even when breathing fire. Bedtime approved thanks to its soft palette and reassuring tone, and clever enough to land in many a read-again pile.