This Book is NOT About Dragons

Reviewed by: Anne Donovan - Long Island Community Library, Long Island, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 10, 2017

Review

Just by looking at the cover of This Book is NOT About Dragons the reader will guess that it certainly is about dragons! The silly little mouse narrator invites and dares all to follow him page to page with reassurances that there are no dragons to be found, although each illustration is peppered with dragon shadows, scary and pointed claws and teeth and scales and a trail of fiery destruction. The illustrator uses 'crumpled paper and various incendiary devises including smoke bombs, firecrackers and blow torches" and qualifies that "No mice or dragons were harmed in the making of this book." As the mouse progresses throughout the pages and creatures and humans all flee ahead of him it finally occurs to him that there are indeed dragons...a page full of dragons of all shapes and sizes and colors. The little mouse is then shown with a copy of the cover where he is painting over the word NOT in the title. Clever illustrations and text shaped like dragon scales and fire make this a fine and fun choice for a Preschool and early elementary read aloud.

Overall Book Score: very good