Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A dragon and a girl are best friends. Violet wants to share Dave with her other friends because he is so wonderful, but he is "very, VERY shy." Whenever he gets in front of a group of people, he grows hotter and redder, and then flames gush from his mouth. It happens at the park and at the band concert while he plays a trumpet, causing the audience to run away. Dave's stint as a lunch lady ends in flames as well. Feeling sad, he hides in the house. But one rainy night, Violet coaxes him out from under the furnace for a walk, and they encounter a huge crowd in the town square. This time when the dragon grows hotter and redder and flames fly, people cheer. He has lit the fireworks for the night's festivities. Adams's pitch-perfect text is accompanied by equally successful lino-print illustrations that complement the action with nuanced expressions and emotions, and vivid colors that change with the dragon's mood. What's not to love in this simple story? Pair it with Joan Heilbroner's Robert the Rose Horse (Random, 1962) for an explosive storytime with a happy ending.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
