Review by New York Times Review
What's not to love about a book with the absurdist premise that dragons love tacos - as long as they're not too spicy? Rubin and Salmieri, the team behind the equally hilarious "Those Darn Squirrels!," bring their kooky sensibility to this irresistible story about what can go wrong at a taco party for dragons. (A hint: jalapeños set more than just human mouths afire.) Salmieri's pencil-and-watercolor drawings are not only a wacky delight, they're also strangely beautiful. The dragons may screw up the party, but this book gets everything right. ELEPHANT JOE, BRAVE KNIGHT! Written and illustrated by David Wojtowycz. 32 pp. Random House. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6) Elephant Joe and Zebra Pete are peacefully swimming in a moat (on floaties, naturally) when a cry for help rings out from the castle. Quest and adventure ensue, illustrated in colorfully eclectic digital collage, when the king claims that a dark knight has stolen his crown. A wisecracking frog, a fair damsel in disguise and a dragon that is far more ticklish than fierce also figure into the tale, which takes gleeful pleasure in upending fairy tale cliché. HOW TO BE FRIENDS WITH A DRAGON Written and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev. 32 pp. Albert Whitman & Company. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 7) If you've never thought of dragons as especially sweet creatures, this delicious story about making friends and maintaining good manners will rid you of worn-out prejudice. Gorbachev's soft, dreamy watercolor-and-ink illustrations are well suited to the story of Simon, whose big sister Emma offers a helpful guide to befriending-a dragon - without causing the creature offense. Needless to say, Simon wants to do right but can't always carry through. A good dragon friend understands. A GOLD STAR FOR ZOG By Julia Donaldson. Illustrated by Axel Scheffler. 32 pp. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Finally, a lightly Americanized version of "Zog" hits these shores from the creators of "The Graffalo" and other hugely popular British picture books. Donaldson, the current children's laureate in Britain, is a master of witty comic rhyme and original stories with heart ("Stick Man," "The Snail and the Whale"). Here she and Scheffler outdo themselves with the smart, funny - dare I say, deep? - story of a dragon in training, a princess who wants to be a doctor and a knight who could use a bit of rescuing. The book gets a gold star too. KING ARTHUR'S VERY GREAT GRANDSON Written and illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel. 40 pp. Candlewick Press. $15.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 8) From a gifted new author-illustrator comes an original story about a very old hand: namely, Henry Alfred Grummorson, the great-greatgreat-great-great-great-great-grandson of King Arthur. On the day of his sixth birthday, Henry sets out for peril and conquest. "He had heard of a fire-breathing dragon lurking far out in the hills, so into the hills he went." Alas, all he finds are peaceable beasts. A Cyclops who prefers staring contests, a dragon who blows smoke rings, a griffin who plays chess - everyone's actually pretty friendly. It's still exciting. PAMELA PAUL ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 17, 2012]
Review by Booklist Review
Tacos are high on the list of dragon-friendly foods. Who knew? There is, however, a major qualification: the salsa must be mild ( even a speck of hot pepper makes a dragon snort sparks ). Rubin and Salmieri, the creators of Those Darn Squirrels! (2008), offer up a how-to guide to throwing one heck of a dragons' taco party. First, you'll need tacos pantloads of tacos and mild salsa, of course. Then, throw in a few decorations (taco-shaped balloons will work) and some music and voila. Unfortunately, in this tale, someone didn't read the fine print on the Totally Mild Salsa jar, and the hosts are in for a toasty surprise. The slight story meanders a bit, but the humor is helped along by Salmieri's cartoonish watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations, which extend the text through small details, from an I Love Tacos T-shirt to a No Spicy Salsa: A Guide to Dragon Cuisine cookbook. The whole thing is over-the-top ridiculousness, and kids will most likely warm to it for that very reason.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rubin and Salmieri (Those Darn Squirrels!) are two of the weirdest, funniest guys working in kids' lit today. The team lets its geek flag fly in an obsessive how-to guide for would-be dragon taco party hosts. Why a taco party? As Rubin explains, "The only things dragons love more than parties or tacos, is taco parties." If further proof is required, Salmieri-whose poker-faced watercolor, gouache, and color pencil drawings set a benchmark for oddball observational humor-shows one odd, scaly creature with a carryout bag from "Taco Cave" and another beaming with anticipation as it eagerly circles the date for a taco party on its taco-themed calendar. But beware: even if all the tips and rules are followed to the letter (on quantity: "The best way to judge is to get a boat and fill the boat with tacos"), all will be for naught if spicy salsa makes its way into the taco filling. In fact, the dragons will bring a whole new meaning to "housewarming." Off-kilter fun for those who like their picture books (and salsa) zesty and fresh. Ages 3-5. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-The goofy creators of Those Darn Squirrels! (2008) and Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door (2010, both Clarion) are back with another wacky story. Given the cover image of a red dragon gorging itself on tacos and the taco-filled endpapers, readers are prepared for the sheer silliness of this offering. A bemused young dragon fan and his dog are given the inside scoop on the best way to entertain dragons-with a taco party. A helpful narrator offers the boy advice about planning the festivities, informing him that dragons love tacos-beef tacos, chicken tacos, gigantic tacos, and tiny tacos. But those preparing to host these parties are cautioned to keep any kind of spicy salsa off the menu or suffer the consequences. After filling his house with tacos, getting rid of the salsa, and letting the party begin, the host is sure he's properly prepared, but he's missed the jalapenos peppers listed in the fine print of the "Totally Mild Salsa." Uh, oh! The watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil cartoon illustrations are the real stars here, extending the frivolous text. Regardless of, or perhaps because of, the absurdity of the story, this tale should be a big hit with anyone with an affinity for dragons.-Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI (c) Copyright 2012. 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
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 Ss, but the story does not offer it enough range. A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
