Synopsis
Adorable dragons search for a bedtime snack in this heartfelt and funny debut picture book set to the tune of “Hush, Little Baby.”
Baby and Mama dragon are almost ready to settle in for the night. But Baby can’t sleep until he gets a treat, so together they search for one in a beautifully detailed village. But there are so many options to choose from! Will they devour the town’s magician? Eat the three musketeers? Gobble up the princess? Or maybe dine on the mean old queen? Exhausted from their clever culinary adventure, Mama and Baby dragon settle down to a good night’s sleep in this warm, funny tale.
Using a tried-and-true lullaby with a clever twist, and warm illustrations to bring the story to life, this picture book will be a familiar yet original read for picky eaters—and readers—at bedtime and storytime.
Children's Literature
If a mother dragon were to croon a lullaby to her baby dragon, this is what she would sing: "Hush, little dragon, don't make a sound. Mama's going to bring you a princess she found." Ashburn takes this wonderfully clever premise for a picture book and develops it into an amusing spin on a parent's gift-giving promises: "If that princess runs from you, Mama's gonna bring you a knight or two." From this auspicious beginning, however, the text becomes somewhat clunky and strained in its rhyme and rhythm: "And if those knights should try to flee, Mama's going get a bit fiery"; "If those musketeers should bolt, Mama's gonna stop their silly revolt." Even a parody should keep the grace and ease of the original. And while the ending to a bedtime book should indeed show the cozy moment of the little one drifting off to sleep, readers may be disappointed to have no twist at all at the end, just the embrace of sleepy mother and baby. Should n'ot the baby at least have a bit of princess gown hanging out of its sweetly smiling mouth? This comical reinvention of the familiar song abandons its potential for humor too soon. Murphy's large accompanying paintings create a beautiful, dreamlike medieval village and an appealing dragon pair. Reviewer: Claudia Mills, Ph.D.