About the Holiday
Today’s holiday was instituted in 1994 by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith, a self-proclaimed “eventologist” who has created more than 1,900 of these quirky holidays we celebrate, as a way to encourage people to spend a little extra and help the economy. While this year splurging monetarily may not be possible, there are lots of other ways to enjoy an extra treat or experience a larger-than-life moment. And if your child’s wishes run to wild, mythical pets, then today is the day to indulge them—with today’s book, of course!
By Jakki Licare
You Don’t Want a Dragon!
Written by Ame Dyckman | Illustrated by Liz Climo
“NOW you’ve done it! I TOLD YOU not to wish for a dragon!” warns the narrator to the little boy who has just wished for a pet dragon at a fountain. The little boy can’t imagine anything better, but the narrator chides him. Doesn’t he remember what happened when he wished for unicorns last time?
Image copyright Liz Climo, 2020, text copyright Ame Dyckman, 2020. Courtesy of Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
The unicorn had been destructive and even held a crazy unicorn party. Plus, the unicorn left a lot of smelly cupcake surprises around the house. The narrator continues to warn him, but the boy is having too much fun flying on his dragon. The narrator concedes that it might be fun at first, but cautions him that it won’t be worth it in the end because dragons love to chase things and never stop drooling!
The dragon smiles sneakily next to a lit grill holding a roll of toilet paper while the narrator informs us “and what the stories never mention is . . .WHERE charcoal comes from. Don’t mention this at your next barbecue. Trust me.” The little boy works endlessly to keep the dragon under control and to clean up after it. The narrator tells the boy he’s doing a good job, but he’s in for some big trouble. Dragons grow and grow and grow and become enormous!
Image copyright Liz Climo, 2020, text copyright Ame Dyckman, 2020. Courtesy of Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
“You just don’t have the space for a dragon. In your heart, yes. But in your house . . . no.” The narrator advises the little boy to go back to the water fountain and wish the dragon away. The boy does as he’s told with a bit of regret. As he’s returning home, he discovers a Pet Adoption Day event going on and finds an adorable hamster. The narrator and the boy both agree that the hamster will be the perfect pet.
The little boy brings his hamster home and places him into a cage. He’s cleaning up the mess left from the dragon and unicorns, when the narrator points out that the lid isn’t on the cage! The hamster escapes and comes across a smelly cupcake surprise left by the unicorn. The narrator warns the hamster not to eat it, but it is too late. The hamster turns into a large unicorn-hamster and wishes for a unicorn-hamster party!
Image copyright Liz Climo, 2020, text copyright Ame Dyckman, 2020. Courtesy of Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
In this laugh-out-loud sequel, Ame Dyckman’s narrator is trying once again to convince our young protagonist to wish away another mythical pet. Dyckman does recap the first book, but I do recommend that readers check out You Don’t Want a Unicorn first so you can really enjoy the jokes. Dyckman’s conversational style of narration brings the story to a new level of hilarity. The narrator not only admits that flying a dragon is fun, but dramatically concedes “FINE! It’s AWESOME, too, okay?!” If your young readers are like my children they will appreciate the potty humor that the ending joke is hinged around. Yep, the cupcakes in this book are not for eating! The best part about the book, however, is the nice message of the importance of adopting animals. Dyckman’s main character has finally realized that while unicorns and dragons may be amazing creatures, they are not ideal pets. There are many animals needing homes who are tamable and loveable!
Liz Climo’s soft-colored illustrations of the boy’s adventures really highlight the fun. When Climo’s characters’ reactions are paired with Dyckman’s on-point narrations, the result is a hilarious adventure. The boy’s surprised expression at the charcoal on the barbecue and the dragon’s sneaky smile while holding the toilet paper will ensure giggles from readers of all ages. Climo is a champion at using the white space to the story’s advantage. The white space surrounding the dragon’s drool, for example, emphasizes the fact the boy is physically stuck in the drool! When the dragon grows to an enormous size, Climo cleverly uses the entire page to show that even the book can barely contain this dragon.
A fun adventure that both kids and adults will enjoy reading over and over, You Don’t Want a Dragon! is a great choice for enchanted or mythical story times as well as for placing on a non-magical bookshelf.
Ages 4 – 8
Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2020 | ISBN 978-0316535809
Discover more about Ame Dyckman and her books on her website.
To learn more about Liz Climo, her books, and her art, visit her website.
National Splurge Day Activity
Fiery Dragon Craft
Watch out this project is hot! Create realistic looking fire to add to your own personalized dragon with the printable template and some simple supplies!
Supplies
- Printable Dragon Coloring Sheet
- Markers/colored pencils/ crayons
- Cotton Balls
- Red and Yellow Paint (I used craft acrylic paint)
- Paintbrush
- Glue
Directions
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Take your cotton balls and pull them apart.
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Paint your stringy cotton balls red. The cotton ball will stick to your paint brush if you use strokes so use a dabbing a motion. Younger children will need an adult to hold the cotton balls down.
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Let the red paint dry and then add in some yellow. Don’t forget to dab. Let them dry
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Print out and color in your dragon
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When your paint is dried, glue down the stringy cotton balls so it is coming out of the dragon’s mouth.
You can find You Don’t Want a Dragon! at these booksellers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million
To support your local independent bookstore, order from
Picture Book Review
celebratepicturebooks.com 