If I Had a Dragon / Si Yo Tuviera Un Dragon

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PreSchool-Grade 2–Dismayed when his mom asks him to play with his baby brother, Morton wishes that the tot could turn into something fun, like a kite, or better yet, a hulkingly huge, lime-green dragon. In a series of amusing illustrations, the boy imagines the activities that he and his new companion would share, followed by the less-than-fun results on the next spread. A walk seems like a great idea, but the page turn shows the creature flying off into the sky with Morton dangling from its leash. A basketball game might be enjoyable, until he realizes the impossibility of scoring against a wall of towering green flesh. Whistling together is also a bust, as the youngster ends up with toasted hair. Chastened, Morton banishes his imaginary playmate and races home to join his brother in the sandbox. The brief text, interspersed with wordless spreads, makes this offering a great choice for newly independent readers as well as for sharing aloud. The exuberant watercolor-and-charcoal cartoons take maximum advantage of the dragon's girth, and the images sprawl across the pages. The wacky elasticity, breezy hilarity, and unexpected perspectives in the art add a sense of mad motion. This book's theme will resonate with children, who will appreciate the jokes and identify with the mischievous protagonist and his unusual friend.–Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.