The Dragon Snatcher
Kindergarten-Grade 3–The adventures of young bookworm George and his dragon, whom readers first met inThe Egg(Putnam, 2001), are continued in this frothy fantasy. The story, which centers on the boy's attempt to foil a crotchety wizard who has been stealing dragon eggs, is lightweight. The motives of the wizard are never explained, and the realization that love conquers all when a newly hatched dragon mistakes the man for his mother is, frankly, corny. But the expansive illustrations, filled with moon-kissed snowscapes and moody evil castles, more than make up for any holes in the plot. A fine addition that is good for reading aloud or for young readers to tackle on their own.–Kara Schaff Dean, Needham Public Library, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.