School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Sunrise Elementary School's new librarian is Miss Lotta Scales, a fire-breathing dragon who fiercely guards her new books. When a nearsighted child enters the unused facility and begins reading aloud, other children wander in, and Miss Scales realizes that kids don't necessarily damage books. She then becomes Miss Lotty, and the kids ``warm up'' to her. The text is filled with dragon-related puns, as are the colorful, slightly off-center illustrations of children in armor and forbidding yellow ``dragon line'' tape draped across the stacks of books. Youngsters will enjoy the funny touches and librarians may feel the good-humored tap of a reminder that books are for kids. The final statement, that ``...every librarian needs to be a little bit of a dragon-or else, who would guard the books?'' is not well worded, but it's not worth getting hot under the collar about.-Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
When an elementary school advertises for a "thick-skinned professional" who is "on fire with enthusiasm," it gets just that-and then some. A bespectacled, dress-wearing dragon, Miss Lotta Scales replaces all the books with spanking clean ones, and refuses to let the students ("with their gooey fingers and snotty noses") touch them. The kids' grades are "going up in smoke," but neither the principal nor the teachers can convince the headstrong dragon to let the pupils near the stacks until one myopic girl accidentally wanders into the library and begins to read a story (``Snuff the Magic Dragon'') aloud. The tale manages to soften the librarian's scaly skin-figuratively and literally. Deedy (Agatha's Feather Bed) is an accomplished storyteller, and kids will likely enjoy her frequent puns and wordplay. White heads off imminent cutesiness with droll, stylized illustrations, filled with vibrant color and lots of comical details. Ages 6-10. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved