GEORGE, THE DRAGON AND THE PRINCESS

The mouse in the mountain has a very special skill. George the mouse actually lives in the wall of a castle that sits atop one majestic peak. As George struggles to open his tiny deckchair and light a fire to make tea, the reader can see in the distance a big orange dragon getting closer and closer. George is busy toasting his bread and cheese when the dragon makes his assault upon the castle. It looks as if the dragon will swallow the princess, who’s obliviously watering her flowers. At this crucial moment, George’s special skill, as well as the book’s punch line, is revealed: “He could scare dragons!” The princess rewards George with a satisfying feast. Wormell’s watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations, which spread over both pages with the large-font text running beneath, have the elegance and texture of paintings but simple compositions, appropriate for his target audience. Minimal text makes this a pitch-perfect yarn for the very young. (Picture book. 2-6)