Review by Booklist Review
Theodore just wants to be left alone, but his quiet cave seems to attract noisy animals. He shoos away several creatures a squawking bird, a howling wolf, a growling tiger informing each, with decreasing conviction, that he will not eat them. Only Theodore's eyes are pictured, keeping his identity secret, until a pesky boy dressed as a knight prods him out of the cave. Theodore, revealed as a bright red dragon, chases the boy, fully intending to eat him, but is thwarted when the boy has a fit of laughter. Theodore, laughing along, concludes that it's hard to eat someone when you're sharing a laugh. There's a slightly sinister feel: the illustrations are done in muted browns, and the subtle threat that a creature or two might be devoured looms throughout. Of course, it's all dispelled when Theodore finally emerges, looking more goofy than menacing. The dark color palette and mischievous nature of the text are reminiscent of Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back (2011) albeit with a different final outcome.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As Theodore debates eating the noisy animals that pass by his cave, Magoon (Breathe) delivers laughs using nothing more than the creature's eyes shifting left and right, all that readers can see of him. Theodore decides against eating the animals, but when a boy with a hobbyhorse and garbage lid shield roars in Theodore's face, Theodore emerges, a hulking red dragon. The boy is undaunted. He shines his flashlight in Theodore's eyes and pokes at his snout with his wooden sword. "That's it!" Theodore snarls. "I will eat you!" Magoon's bold, angular, digitally rendered drawings capably juggle action, suspense, and comedy. After boy and dragon dash through a patch of flowers and emerge with floral crowns, the boy bursts out laughing. "It's hard to eat someone when you're sharing a laugh," Theodore realizes. By focusing on Theodore's thoughts and perspective, Lehrhaupt (Chicken in Space) adds unexpected nuance to this David and Goliath story-it's not clear who's the aggressor and who's the victim. What is clear is that size doesn't matter and laughter trumps fear. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Theodore hides in his solitary cave, pondering several possible meals, but lacks the appetite to eat the bird, the goat, or the tiger. However, when a boy dressed as a knight gallops up to his cave and proceeds to poke at Theodore with his sword, he decides he definitely should eat the child. Then something unexpected happens. The boy falls down and starts to laugh, which makes Theodore begin to laugh as well. It's hard to eat someone when you're sharing a laugh. Soon his cave is quiet because Theodore is out playing with his new friend, but maybe he'll eat him later. The full-bleed illustrations are saturated with rich, dark colors but manage never to be scary. With several humorous twists, lots of imaginative play, and illustrations reminiscent of Maurice Sendak's in Where the Wild Things Are, this is a surefire read-aloud hit. VERDICT Highly recommended for storytime and one-on-one sharing.-Jessica Marie, Salem Public Library, OR © Copyright 2016. 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 Horn Book Review
Theodore, who lives in a cave, wants nothing more than quiet. He struggles to find any peace with all the loud creatures around. Trouble starts small as a noisy blue jay passes by. Theodore thought, Does it want me to eat it? He restrains himself (he isnt hungry), and the bird flies off. He also spares a wolf and a tiger, but then a noisy boy in a knight costume gallops up on a stick horse and roars right at Theodore. Seriously? thought Theodore. I should eat it. The boy continues to antagonize Theodorewho, when he emerges from his cave, reveals himself to be a giant red dragon. The fearless boy sticks his toy sword up Theodores nose, and an angry chase begins. Before long, though, the two are falling down giggling, and a new and lively friendship begins. Smartly designed, the book features bold digital illustrations full of amusing characters and suspense. For much of the book, only Theodores eyes shine out of the caves darkness, but they convey everything readers need to know to catch the spirit of the story. As the well-paced, entertaining tale unfolds, the seasons quietly change in the background, and the endpapers show the meaningful transformation of the gray leafless area surrounding Theodores cave into a lush and colorful landscapea metaphor for Theodores own blossoming through friendship. julie roach (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
