FELIX AND THE BLUE DRAGON

First published in 1993 and reissued in 2005, it’s the art that makes this British import worth the trip. Felix the Prince has “one thousand precious things but he kept them all to himself.” He meets a dragon, “blue as a plum” and tells the dragon, in his princely way, that it’s his forest and the dragon must go. But the blue dragon says he’s guarding his treasure, and Felix insists that his treasure is the best. For each thing the prince asserts he has—a golden horn that calls other creatures, a flag of shimmering rainbow silk that calls the winds, a silver box of fireworks—the dragon says he has one too, and brings them forth. They have quite a wonderful time dancing with unicorns, flying in the snow, exploding fireworks like stars. Finally, as each tries to outdo the other, they discover that they are pilfering the same treasure. The whimsical illustrations bring an elegant prettiness to a rather didactic story. An extra. (Picture book. 4-8)