Anna and the Little Green Dragon

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Illustrated with sprightly, large-scale artwork, this fanciful tale of breakfast-time bedlam concerns a mischievous dragon that pops out of Anna's cereal box. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

Children's Literature - Mary Clayton Rowen

Just what pops out of the cereal box and joins Anna for breakfast is a surprise. It is a lovable green dragon whose antics leave a mess. Upon discovering this mess Anna's mom becomes upset and even more so with Anna's explanation. The arrival of another unexpected guest will amuse and delight the reader.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1 --Anna sits sleepily at the breakfast table. Suddenly, out of the cereal box pops a little green dragon. The playful creature proceeds to make a mess, squishing in the butter, juggling and dropping an egg, and splashing in the cocoa. Baumgart has worked in children's film animation, and these watercolor illustrations resemble stills from a cartoon. All of the artwork is set on the right-hand pages surrounded by a sedate black line and white border, although when the action gets going, it seems to explode off the pages. The story has a slight twist at the end when Anna's gullibility is vindicated as her mother opens the door to find the dragon's mother who has come looking for him. The brief text is stiff and somewhat awkward. As a picture book, this fantasy is adequate but undistinguished, but its lack of violence and lighthearted humor make it superior to the Saturday-morning cartoons it so resembles. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY