Rating: Not for me

Reading Level: Early Elementary, Mid-Elementary

I can see why this might be a Newberry Honor Book. It is full of adventure, character, & clever problem-solving. That said, it is wild, with danger and disobedience mixed in with fantastic, dreamy whimsy.

Some cautions:

  • A boy disobeys his mom by stealing milk from the fridge & feeding it to a cat even after she forbids it.
  • The boy’s mother whips him when she finds out he’s been sneaking milk to an old cat.
  • Some animals enslave & abuse a baby dragon.
  • A boy runs away from home to help save the dragon & feels revengeful toward his mother as he rationalizes not telling her.
  • A rhino holds an unhealthy obsession with his appearance and calls itself ugly.

Some families may think the adventure and problem-solving are worth the violence and slavery; I’m not convinced. I’d be curious to read more of the adventures with the dragon; maybe the sequel doesn’t have these dark parts.