Review by Booklist Review
Ozzie the dragon and Prince Zebedee are best friends who do everything together. That all changes one day when they get into a huge argument over who won a card game. "And when dragons are mad, sometimes they make bad choices. GULP!" Suddenly, Ozzie swallows Prince Zebedee, putting an end to the fight. Ozzie tries to make the most of his victory, but he actually feels quite lonely without his friend. The softly styled, pastel-shaded artwork evokes a fairy-tale setting that adds humor to the story through its contrast with Ozzie's actions and cutaway views into his stomach that reveal Prince Zebedee to be unharmed, though still angry. After a few more bad choices on the dragon's part and apologies from both parties, the friends are messily reunited. Though a silly story on the surface, this book touches on a number of relevant topics for young children, including friendship, arguments and apologies, and even imagination and play. Serve this up with Tricia Speed Shaskan's Punk Skunks (2016) and Heidi McKinnon's I Just Ate My Friend (2018).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The friendship of a dragon and a boy is tested by an act of anger. Ozzie, a big green dragon, and Prince Zebedee, a tan-skinned boy with curly dark hair, are great friends who "made beautiful music together" and "kept each other's feet warm" cuddling at night. But a card game at the edge of a forest creates a rift in the relationship when the prince accuses Ozzie of cheating. Ozzie, angered, eats the prince. The prince is safely, stubbornly inside the dragon's huge belly, but he still refuses to speak to Ozzie. Ozzie, saddened, eats up chunks of a village, because "sometimes when dragons are lonely, they make bad choices." Of course, the two eventually reconcile; the town and Ozzie are regurgitated but not before both friends learn a little about anger management and forgiveness. Digital artist Kalaitzidis' debut picture book is most notable for the expressiveness of its characters. Whether they are furious or blissfully at play, Ozzie and Zebedee make a charming pair against detail-filled, clever backgrounds. An older, tan-skinned character seen knitting in the backgrounds of many pages, for instance, appears to be Kalaitzidis herself, judging from the cover-flap author picture. While the text never quite soars, the illustrations and the overall story feel true and relatable even if most friends don't eat each other. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A fun pair of characters and a good friendship lesson make for a worthy dragon tale. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
