NO DRAGONS FOR TEA

This rhyming picture book, subtitled “Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons),” takes a low-key but effective approach to the serious topic of fire safety. A girl invites a dragon home to tea. Pepper on the pickle causes the problem: “Then the dragon’s nose twitched, and he started to wheeze. His eyes misted up, and he blew a great sneeze. A-A-A-Choooooo! . . . Flames shot from his mouth and from both nostrils too.” The dragon wants to hide under the rug, but the girl wisely drags him outside while her mother goes next door to call the fire department. The fire fighters, men and women, put out the blaze and praise the child for following fire safety rules. Softly colored drawings help convey the message without frightening the children for whom the story is intended. An attractive, useful volume. (Picture book. 3-8)