Worries, fears, and anxieties are all dragons that sneak up on most of us at one time or another. Lots of people get dragons. Even really really good people get them. And sometimes they are hard to get rid of. So what can a young boy with a bad case of the dragons do? He can pretend they are not there, or that they are really quite harmless. Hugs from his mom help. Looking his dragon straight in the eye at least once every day helps even more. But most reassuring of all is the reminder that dragons don’t stay forever. Kathryn Cave’s lighthearted writing style and illustrator Nick Maland’s appealing pen-and-ink drawings exaggerate the humor of the text without minimizing the seriousness of the underlying themes. It is the perfect read-aloud story for young children whose fears can sometimes get the better of them. PreSchool-Grade 2-This picture book presents a muddled blend of humor and instructional advice. A young boy suddenly discovers that he is surrounded by dragons. He can't ignore them and he can't escape them: "Dragons are scary. You try to pretend yours isn't there. But it IS." As the child grows used to his unwanted companions, he writes an advice column about them and offers tips to others, such as "Talk with someone else about your dragon." Finally, he discovers that "dragons don't stay forever." The illustrations depict the omnipresent creatures as slightly scary, but not too threatening. The narrative includes humorous moments, but it will be hard for most children to really get what's going on. A list of "Ancient Dragon Wisdom" at the end indicates that the "dragons" the boy describes actually represent something else, perhaps fears or change or insecurity. There are no hints early on that the dragons aren't literally part of his world. Often they appear along with stressful childhood experiences, such as turning off the light or moving to a new home. Other times, though, he associates them with playing games or eating lunch, and it seems like it's all in fun. The metaphor could be used effectively by adults sharing the book with children, but it will be lost on most young readers. Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. K-Gr. 3. You know how it is. Suddenly "your heart thuds and your knees shake . . and your tummy hurts and . . . You've got dragons." And they don't go away. In this reassuring picture book, a redheaded boy first tries to deal with his dragons by ignoring them. But the truth is, he has to figure out what kind of dragon it is--like a math-test dragon--give it his full attention at least once a day, so it doesn't get bigger, talk to someone else about it, and get plenty of hugs. This excellent metaphor for the fears and worries of every child (and adult) is accompanied by relentlessly cheerful illustrations in fine line and rosy washes of color. Even the dragons themselves, though fearsome, are kind of pastel. A great choice for the walking worried. GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved In this charming story told in the rich tradition of Jewish folklore, Lemuel is a fisherman that dreams of building a boat that will take him across the sea to the enchanted, magical city that he is sure must lie just beyond the horizon. As time passes, Lemuel sets out on his journey. Disoriented after a storm, Lemuel lands near a strange new village - except that it's strangely familiar, from the boats drawn up on the dock, to the hissing cats in the street, to the woman who looks and talks exactly like his own dear wife and lives in a house exactly like his own.