Dragon

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Who says dragons aren't real? Anderson's fantastical story makes an inventive case for their existence. ``One morning, something precious dropped from the sky,'' begins the tale; it is a dragon's egg, and it lands ``in the deep, dark ocean.'' The egg hatches under water, and a young dragon soon surfaces and begins to notice the world around him--``This is a sad, empty place.'' Embarking on a quest for his mother and his own kind, the dragon attempts to identify with several different species. Only when he meets a boy ``who knows magic from his storybooks,'' does he learn in which direction to look. A work of pure enchantment, the book's poetic text may need to be read aloud to young children; but kids and grownups alike will readily respond to Anderson's evocative imagery and subtle messages about self-identity and the importance of maternal care. Anderson's gently whimsical art has soft-edged, dark-hued illustrations with the sophistication of Peter Sis, yet there is an endearing strangeness to the characters. Perhaps never has there been a more lovable dragon baby. From its captivating cover to its striking endpapers to its tender closing, this book is a total charmer. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-- Standard, competent fantasy illustrations accompany this inoffensive story of a newly hatched dragon who is accidentally dropped into the ocean while still an egg and goes in search of his mother. Curious fish, with orblike eyes and nonthreatening smiles, surround the odd creature, trying to reassure him by pointing out the features that they have in common: scales and fins. When the fins grow into wings, the dragon realizes he is not a fish and swims to the surface. Thus begins his odyssey to find his proper home, predictably sequenced to have him encounter other creatures somewhat like himself but ultimately not the same. Eventually, a kind child, well versed in magic lore and sympathetic to dragons, helps him find his missing parent. Surrounded by outside edges of white, the full-page illustrations are rendered in muted tones of blues and greens. The soft focus and gently curved lines minimize the drama of Dragon's search, reducing even his encounter with a scheming crocodile to a mere diversion rather than a true threat. Despite its tried-and-true formula, this latest version lacks something to set it apart from others of its type, such as the silly humor of Eastman's Are You My Mother? (Beginner, 1966) or the engaging rhythm of Guarino's Is Your Mama a Llama? (Scholastic, 1989), or the surprising heartwarming resolution of Kasza's A Mother for Choco (Putnam, 1992). --Dorothy Houlihan, formerly at White Plains Public Library, NY

Kay Weisman

One day a mysterious egg falls from the sky into the ocean, where, at the appropriate time, it hatches into a mysterious creature. The scaly, winged beast begins a search for its mother, seeking help in turn from a fish, a dragonfly, a bird, a snake, and a crocodile. Finally, a young boy recognizes that the being is a dragon and helps it return home. Anderson's mixed-media paintings, rich in earth tones, lend a foggy, ethereal atmosphere to the quiet text. Any astute listener who has heard the title will already know the identity of the mystery creature, and the fact that the beast locates its family will reassure children. A cozy bedtime read-aloud for young fantasy lovers.