HOW TO DRESS A DRAGON

A little boy carefully explains each step of dressing a dragon.

With an intimate, second-person narration, a tiny tot with tea-colored skin, a mop of brown hair, and wide, expressive eyes imparts his expertise in getting a dragon ready in the morning. As a sensible first step: “you must be prepared to catch him as he flies by.” Next, to the infinite delight of all storytime crowds everywhere, it is time to put on underwear. Barclay offers up a wide array of prints: polka dot, striped, plaid, cloud-speckled, and the dragon’s favorite—“froggy superhero ones.” Dragons also have a few persnickety rules when dressing. Shorts are easier than pants, they only wear hats that fit between their horns, and under no circumstances will a dragon ever wear a shirt. Because, never forget, “DRAGONS…DO…NOT…LIKE…SHIRTS!” This playful romp through a familiar morning routine includes fierce, determined scowls at some fashion options and gleeful clapping (for froggy boots) at others. The ending falls a little flat, but the desired silliness carries it through.

Simple, direct text and the extra-large dragon squeezing into tiny clothes—plus the underwear endpapers—make for fine fun.