This wry tale of two brothers who amiably try to outdo each other by creating jumbo-size imaginary friends makes a great read-aloud and is a follow-up to There’s a Monster Under My Bed . PreSchool-Grade 2?"There's a dragon in my sleeping bag. I can't see him, but my brother says he's there." When the dragon appears at the breakfast table and on the swing set as well, it becomes clear that big brother Simon is deliberately shutting out his younger sibling. But two can play at that game, and before long...there's a camel in Simon's sleeping bag. By book's end, both boys have asserted their solo identities and reaffirmed their brotherly bond. Rose's dark palette and solid, heavily outlined forms lend a surreal quality to this almost-fantasy, with the comic antics of a dragon and camel sounding an appropriately lighter note. Text and drawings achieve a neat balance, the end result being a satisfying and psychologically sound excursion into the realm of sibling dynamics.?Marcia Hupp, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Ages 4-7. This sequel to There's a Monster under My Bed (1986) pairs brothers Simon and Alex in another encounter with imaginary creatures. Little brother Alex is distressed to discover that Dexter the Dragon has moved into his sleeping bag, is sitting in his chair at breakfast, and is occupying his swing and his side of the seesaw. But Alex doesn't feel left out for long. Calvin the Camel comes along, and it just so happens he likes the same games Alex does--and unlike Simon, he always lets Alex win. Now it's Simon's turn to feel left out, but in the end, both brothers learn a valuable lesson from the experience: imaginary friends come and go, but brothers are forever. The story is humorous and heartwarming without being overly cute, and Rose's acrylic illustrations are colorful and imaginative. Pair this tale with Kevin Henkes' Jessica (1989), which looks at imaginary friends from the female perspective. Lauren Peterson James Howe is the author of more than ninety books for young readers. Bunnicula , coauthored by his late wife Deborah and published in 1979, is considered a modern classic of children’s literature. The author has written six highly popular sequels, along with the spinoff series Tales from the House of Bunnicula and Bunnicula and Friends. Among his other books are picture books such as Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores and beginning reader series that include the Pinky and Rex and Houndsley and Catina books. He has also written for older readers. The Misfits , published in 2001, inspired the nationwide antibullying initiative No Name-Calling Week, as well as three sequels, Totally Joe , Addie on the Inside , and Also Known as Elvis. A common theme in James Howe’s books from preschool through teens is the acceptance of difference and being true to oneself. Visit him online at JamesHowe.com.