Lovabye dragon

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Lovabye dragon

Title:

Lovabye dragon

Author:

Joosse, Barbara M, author.

Cecil, Randy, illustrator.

Summary:

"When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime"-- Provided by publisher.

General Note:

"Reinforced trade edition"--Jkt.

Edition:

1st ed.

Physical Description:

1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 28 cm.

Genre:

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Dragons -- Fiction.

Princesses -- Fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

Author(s):

Cecil, Randy,

Publisher:

Candlewick,

Electronic Access:

Cover image

Publication Date:

2012

ISBN:

9780763654085

Publication Information:

Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick, 2012.

Call Number:

P JOOSSE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002746041	Picture Books	JOOSSE	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

In her bed in her room in her castle, a girl longs for a dragon.
In his nest in his cave in his mountain, a dragon dreams of a girl.

When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime. Barbara Joosse's fiercely protective and gently loving dragon cavorts across the pages, endearingly illustrated by Randy Cecil. At the end of the day, who can resist curling up in the embrace of a lovabye dragon?

Author Notes

Barbara Joosse has written many books for children. Among them are Mama, Do You Love Me?, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee; and I Love You the Purplest, illustrated by Mary Whyte. She says, "When I was a little girl, I wished for two things -- a best friend, and something so ferocious it would scare away the monsters under my bed. And so I have written Lovabye Dragon. I think maybe it's for little me." Barbara Josse lives in Wisconsin.

Randy Cecil has illustrated more than twenty books for children, including Brontorina by James Howe, And Here's to You! by David Elliott, and My Father, the Dog and How Do You Wokka-Wokka?, both by Elizabeth Bluemle. He is also the author-illustrator of Duck and Gator. Randy Cecil lives in Houston.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 1-Once there was Girl, perhaps a princess, who longed to have a dragon for a friend. "Oh, she cried silver tears/many, many tears/so wishing for a dragon/so lonely for a dragon," and those tears trickle out of the castle to a distant mountain where Dragon wakes from his dreams. He follows the silvery trail back to the girl waiting in her lonely room, and they go to a shell-strewn beach where Dragon makes a fire. He wraps his tail protectively around her and Girl sings to him. On a very fine final spread, Girl rides on Dragon's back through the drifting clouds of a starry night. The fairy-tale setting, lilting repetitive verses, and whimsical characters are wonderfully done. Oil paintings, using a blue, gray, and gold palette, suggest that a toy dragon and three shiny soldiers with swords drawn have come to life, giving an added dimension to the text. This satisfying tale of two forever friends is both a comforting bedtime story and affirmation that sometimes dreams do come true.-Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Is Joosse (Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats) paying homage to a classic mid- century children's author, or just channeling her? Either way, this beautifully bubbly poem sounds a lot like Margaret Wise Brown at her best. "Once there was a girl," it starts, "an all-alone girl/ in her own little bed/ in her own little room/ in her own little castle/ who didn't have a dragon for a friend." The princess doesn't fear dragons; she's pining for one, weeping decorous tears that flow "past a boat in the moat/ past a frog in the bog" and finally to the dragon, who shows up at her door like a faithful dog, ready to adore her. There are moments of saucy wordplay ("On the outside, Girl is little./ On the outside, Dragon's biggle") and reassuring images of steadfast love ("and he wraps his tail around her/ so gently, all around her"). Cecil's (Horsefly and Honeybee) stylized, angular figures stand in visual contrast to Joosse's rounded prose-poetry, but the palette of muted grays and blues is just right for this lullaby of a book. Ages 3-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.