His father, not too bright in some ways but quite sensible in others, is sure Kenny can handle it, but Kenny's no-nonsense mother insists, 'Dishes and homework first.' What follows is a delightful riff on Kenneth Grahame's classic The Reluctant Dragon, starring a dragon named Grahame that can delicately torch creme br lee with the flames from his left nostril and has no interest in killing anyone. Gr 3-6-Kenny's father brings home a fearsome description of an enormous creature: '.one of them flying things that eats pretty maidens and burns castles to the ground.' Instead of being frightened, Kenny, a curious and well-read rabbit, wants to meet the beast. Regardless, readers will understand the author's message: make friends, not unfair judgments.

Some readers might struggle with the mannered vocabulary, which encompasses words like drake and varlet, and Beowulf references will probably be lost on the intended audience. DiTerlizzi's novel is light-hearted and his informal pencil sketches enhance the creative interpretation of what would otherwise be a simple animal story. But news of Grahame's presence leaks out to the townsfolk, and before long the king summons a retired knight named (what else?) George-he is also a friend of Kenny's-to battle Grahame to the death. Overcoming his fears, Kenny soon realizes that Grahame is not the stereotyped fire-breathing creature he reads about in books but a well-read, insightful dragon with a flair for the dramatic arts and poetry. Kenny, a clever rabbit, befriends a dragon who has settled on his family's property. Fans hooked on DiTerlizzi's (coauthor of the Spiderwick Chronicles) goblins and fairies may be disappointed initially that his newest novel has neither, but chances are they'll warm up to this old-fashioned tale that contains at least one dragon.

Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi