Share this with your favorite atypical kids.
Accepting people for who they are is the gentle message of Bar-el’s latest, which readers may find reminiscent, if not duplicative, of the film How to Train Your Dragon.
Crispin Blaze, scion of a long line of fire-breathing dragons, is on the cusp of his seventh birthday, when he will finally come into his fiery powers. But when asked to light his birthday candles, he breathes whipped cream instead. While his younger sister is pleased, his parents are not—they want him fixed. At the doctor’s, he breathes Band-Aids; at fire-breathing practice, marshmallows (to go with all the flaming logs his friends have lit). Discouraged and unaccepted, Crispin runs away to a cave, where he meets a young knight who understands his plight and tries to help. But spicy foods fail to ignite Crispin’s fire, as do thinking mean thoughts and relaxation techniques. Homesick by nightfall, Crispin is escorted back to his parents by Sir George—at which point, a showdown between their fathers might have had a very unhappy ending but for Crispin’s splendid talent of breathing exactly what is needed. Bowers’ acrylic dragons are delightfully nonscary, and readers will be able to tell their thoughts and feelings with ease; Crispin’s dejected slouch as he runs away from home, toting a heavy suitcase, says it all, as do his befuddled expressions at his nonstandard eruptions.
Share this with your favorite atypical kids. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-670-01402-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This cautionary tale set in a library with dragon patrons is worth circulating.
Have you ever thought about bringing your dragon to the library? Don’t do it!
In rhyming couplets, a bunch of kids bring their individual dragons (six in all) to the library, and unsurprisingly, they break all the behavior rules. “Maybe you’re thinking, 'Don’t worry, it’s fine. / There’s plenty of space in that library of mine.' / Perhaps that’s true, but he’s sure to roam. / Then you’ll be wishing you had left him at home.” A double-page spread here shows a big, blue dragon with droopy ears nosing around the bookcases, while in the following spread, he’s pushing them over as he tries to fit between them, visually underscoring the refrain: “So do not bring your dragon to the library!” The vibrantly colored illustrations overflow the pages, use aerial perspectives, and accentuate the size of the dragons. It’s a clever approach to proper library do’s and don’ts. Kudos for including a kid in a wheelchair in the thoughtfully diverse cast, but jeers for the stereotypical demiglasses, bun, and drab clothing worn by the black librarian. The dragons are as colorful as the characters are multiracial, appearing in shades of vivid purple, blue, green, and orange polka dots. The text struggles with scansion and rhythm, but the energy of the illustrations helps to mitigate its flaws.
This cautionary tale set in a library with dragon patrons is worth circulating. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-651-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
