I want a pet dragon! Or...maybe not. I guess if it was a nice dragon, it could stay in our barn but the price of food would be crazy. Although hunting works very well in our area, too.
Today's read glides along with this fantasy and should take a look at a girl's desire to have a pet dragon. Or rather, she claims she has a pet dragon. I'm super curious to see if she truly does and how this all works. Or if it's a lovely play on imagination and fantasy? Let's open it up and find out!
LOU LOU'S PET DRAGON GOES TO SCHOOL
by Brenden Bott
Illustrated by Dong Hoon Kim
Arete Books
Picture Book
36 pages
ages 3 to 9
Meet Lou Lou—an unusual girl with a most unusual pet. On her first day at a new school, Lou Lou tries to convince her classmates and teacher that her favourite pet is a real dragon—a difficult task indeed. Filled with humour and surprises, it’s a story children will want to read again and again.
MY TIDBITS
Not only dragon fans will find themselves curious and smiling at this little girl's claims that she owns a pet dragon.
Lou Lou enjoys school, especially since her teacher has something fun that day. The teacher introduces the class to her pet cat and everyone finds it adorable and playful. When the teacher asks the kids which pets they have, everyone is more than happy to answer as they adore their dogs, pet pigs, and more. Only Lou Lou remains quiet as she sits there and comtemplates how to answer the question. After all, she has tons of pets and isn't sure which one she should mention. As she says 'dragon', no one believes her.
If you're looking for a light-hearted, smile-worthy, and quick read, this is it. The plot is rather simple on the surface as Lou Lou announces that she has a dragon, no one believes her, and she's determined not to let them think she's lying. But that's just the surface story as there's a lovely, rich underplay. The author and illustrator keep Lou Lou's pet claims on a delicate fence between reality and fantasy, making the lister wonder until closer to the end which side her claims really sit on. Even when it appears the answer is clear, this unsureness hangs on just a bit longer until there's, finally, no doubt. It ends on a warm, huge smile of endless possibilities and will have the listener hoping they can see Lou Lou and her 'pets' again.
The illustrations do a marvelous job at playing right along the plot's edge. First, the unsure emotions as Lou Lou considers how to answer the teacher's question about pets comes across clearly enough for listeners to wonder how she'll handle the situation too. Then, the illustrations keep the possibility of reality or fantasy alive with shadows and not the true objects. Even when the dragon first appears on the page, it's not clear which direction it goes. The text flows right along to create a grabbing read the entire way through. Even reluctant listeners will enjoy this one and wonder what happens next.
It's a fun read with imagination and simple enjoyment, and is sure to get the word 'again'.
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