illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama
The young protagonist asks his mother incessantly for a dog. She refuses, coming up with all kinds of reasons why dogs are not a good choice for a pet. Finally, he asks for a dragon instead, and she agrees that if he can find one, he "can keep it for a pet." So he heads out around town, looking for a dragon, and finds one at the drugstore. After convincing the dragon to come home with him, the dragon then proceeds to wreak havoc on the house (and the mom). Soon, something has to be done, and the boy has just the idea to solve their dragon problem. The clever twist at the end is a delight--I shall not give it away!
The illustrations are fun. Mom is young with a short blonde bob who only wears capri pants and is never pictured wearing shoes (although they make an appearance next to the couch at one point). Their house is reminiscent of the 1950s, with a red mod couch a yellow free-standing televison complete with rabbit ears, and a claw-foot tub. There is lots of white space, which also gives the book a more old-fashioned feel.
Enjoy this clever tale of a clever boy who figures out a clever way to get what he wanted to begin with!
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