Spreckle's snack surprise

PreS-K--An adorable and comically told story about a dragon's arduous journey for snacks and the life lessons she learns along the way. Spreckle is a dragon hatched among chickens. She loves her family, but she hates their snacks (slugs and seed corn). So she decides that the only logical course of action is to leave the nest in search of the elusive perfect snack. When she finally finds it, in a popsicle truck, she learns that a dragon's fiery ways and icy snacks are less than ideal matches, and she is hungrier than ever! Returning home, and with her family's support and the power of her fiery breath, Spreckle finds that the tastiest treat has been in front of her all along. With no more than two short sentences per page, the text is digestible and engaging for young readers. The cartoony, watercolor illustrations hilariously complement the text, and readers will delight in their details across multiple readings. VERDICT Like a delicious snack, this witty and funny picture book will be devoured by youngsters.--Maria Bohan

Is life without decent snacks worth living? Spreckle, a red dragon inexplicably hatched among farm chickens, appreciates her fine home, cozy bed, fluffy mama, and snuggly siblings but dislikes the between-meals fare that the chickens appreciate. You try slimy slugs and dried corn. So Spreckle flies the coop. Life outside the henhouse is rife with goodies, but Spreckle is unimpressed. A colorful ice pop from a passing ice cream truck looks perfect but is a melting, messy disappointment. Spreckle glumly decides there are "no good snacks anywhere in the entire world." When it starts to rain, Spreckle realizes that maybe food isn't as important as her loving mama and siblings, who find and comfort the cold, lonely dragon. Spreckle catches a cold in the rain, and a fiery sneeze results in Spreckle's inadvertently discovering the best snack ever. (Hint: Think heated dried corn kernels.) This sweet, comical tale is downright delicious, and children will gobble it up. Spreckle is an adorably winning character who finds what she's been looking for at home in the bosom of family--a reassuring message for kids. The spirited illustrations, rendered in pencil, watercolor, and Photoshop (art media are riotously noted on the back cover's "nutritional label"), are enhanced with amusing font changes, insets, arrows, and onomatopoeic sound effects. Background human figures are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Readers will savor this delectable treat and will want to return to it again and again. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.