Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon

Gr 1–3—A very hungry dragon lives near Oscar's village. As no princesses are available, Oscar is chosen to be fed to the dragon instead. Oscar, however, has a mother who taught him to cook and who read him fairy tales. The boy tells the dragon that he would make a much better meal if he were fattened up instead of eaten right away. Sending the dragon away with grocery lists, Oscar manages to distract him for several days by cooking delicious non-boy meals. In the end, Oscar discovers that the dragon is more lonely than hungry, and they come to an amicable resolution—opening a restaurant together. The illustrations, drawn in a lighthearted cartoon style, have a cinematic quality. Making full use of the available space, parts of the pictures break out of borders and expand off the pages. Many visually humorous elements are included, such as the royal car leaving rapidly at the beginning. The only disappointment in the design is an oddly small font. Because the pictures are so detailed, the book is best appreciated one-on-one, rather than in a group setting.