A warmly inviting tale starring a hero who’s cool under pressure.
A dragon who can’t breathe fire? Unheard of!
After Diego Fuego is born into a family of fire-breathing dragons living on Tierra del Fuego, the island group at the southernmost tip of South America, his extended family warmly welcomes him, but they soon realize something is amiss when Diego uncontrollably sneezes ice instead of fire. The family doctor delivers a surprising diagnosis: Diego is allergic to smoke! Determined to support him, Diego’s family members adjust their fiery habits, avoiding smoky outbursts and blazing roars as much as possible. Still, Diego, who can’t join in the flaming fun that the other young dragons enjoy, finds it hard to navigate friendships. On top of Diego’s smoke sensitivity, his frosty breath irritates family as he inadvertently freezes hot drinks and sprinkles snowflakes on his sister’s homework. Everything changes when Diego is caught in a house fire and discovers the unexpected benefits to his icy roar. This tale about the softer side of dragon lore wraps up a bit tidily, and some may be frustrated that Diego finds a happy ending only after what makes him different proves useful. Still, it’s a heartwarming story, featuring a supportive family and an endearingly resolute protagonist. Morales’ cartoonish images brim with goofy exuberance, and accessories such as earrings, hairdos, and hats give the characters personality. Spanish words and phrases are woven naturally into the dialogue throughout.
A warmly inviting tale starring a hero who’s cool under pressure. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 22, 2025
ISBN: 9780593750322
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
The premise is worn gossamer thin, and the joke stopped being funny, if it ever was, long ago.
A fairy tending their garden manages to survive a gaggle of young intruders.
In halting cadences typical of the long-running—and increasingly less amusing—How To Catch… series, the startled mite—never seen face-on in Elkerton’s candy-colored pictures and indeterminate of gender—wonders about the racially diverse interlopers: “Do they know that I can grant wishes? / Or that a new fairy is born when they giggle?” The visual action rather belies the sweetness of the verses, the palette, the bright flowers, and the multicolored resident zebras and unicorns, as after repeated, elaborately designed efforts to trap or even shoot (with a peashooter) the fairy come to naught, the laughing children are escorted out of the garden beneath a rising moon. The encounter ends on a (perhaps unconsciously) ominous note. “Hope they find their way back sometime,” the butterfly-winged narrator concludes. “And just maybe next time they’ll stay!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
The premise is worn gossamer thin, and the joke stopped being funny, if it ever was, long ago. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728263205
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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