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From School Library Journal

February 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-The fun-loving, jubilant imaginary friend from When a Dragon Moves In (Flashlight, 2011) is back in this stand-alone picture book. The bright red dragon moves in when a young boy and his father build a castle, which in this case is actually a crib with castle detailing. The boy and the dragon joyfully play in it until the rest of the family reminds them that the crib belongs to the soon-to-be-born baby. Making way for the newborn soon becomes the norm for the young protagonist. As he adjusts to his new role in the family, the protagonist experiences the ups and downs of a new baby. Things come to a head when his dragon naps with the infant. The big brother feels displaced and tells his parents, "I've had enough of this baby business! Send him back!" Soon, he goes to check on the dragon and crying baby, whom he manages to settle and accept after all. The colorful pencil and digitally painted cartoon illustrations are expressive and relatable. VERDICT Readers will hope that this dragon keeps coming back.-Laura Hunter, Mount Laurel Library, NJ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

July 15, 2015
In this companion to When a Dragon Moves In (2011), it turns out that castles of any sort, not just sand, attract dragons, so the soon-to-be-born baby's crib, with its crenellations and turrets at the corners, has an occupant even before mom gives birth. The dragon and the boy start off doing their best to entertain the new baby, but their efforts are not always appreciated. The baby's bottles are not toys, and no matter how it makes the baby giggle, mom and dad just don't appreciate their son playing airplane in the house-and they're not buying the boy's explanation that the overturned plant is the dragon's work, not his. The last straw is his father's declaration that "we've had enough of this dragon business." Well, the boy's "had enough of this baby business!" Will the baby get sent back as the boy demands of his parents, or will the boy decide that maybe the baby's not so bad after all? As in the previous title, the big question here is whether or not the dragon is imaginary. Regardless, the dragon is definitely the boy's release-his way of engaging in naughty behavior and then blaming it on the dragon-when it's tough to accept the new changes around the house that come with a baby. McWilliam's pencil and digitally painted illustrations are wonderfully raucous and tongue-in-cheek, and his facial expressions are spot-on. It doesn't matter whether or not they can be seen; there's a little bit of dragon inside each of us. Here's to dragon-taming. (Picture book. 3-8)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Publisher's Weekly

June 22, 2015
Moore and McWilliam return with a follow-up to 2011's When a Dragon Moves In, as the boy from that book contends with the arrival of a new sibling. Adding insult to injury, the boy's imaginary red dragon seems to be quite fond of the baby boy, leading to a tantrum and a time-out. McWilliam makes adept use of varied visual perspectives, and his artwork has a sculptural depth and emotional vividness that, when combined with Moore's second-person narration, will make readers feel like they are right there with this growing family, through all of its messy, noisy, and tender moments. Ages 4—8.

From School Library Journal

September 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 2-While enjoying a day at the beach with his family, a boy builds a perfect sand castle and a dragon promptly moves in toting a well-worn suitcase. The youngster can't believe his luck while the rest of the family can't believe him. Mischief blamed on the dragon eventually gets the child in trouble, but that doesn't stop him from building an even better castle the next day. While the text is fun, the story is truly told through the comical illustrations. The friendly red dragon's expressions are hilarious whether he is joyfully flying a kite, gobbling sandwiches, or has his snout wrapped in a towel to smother his smoke. Readers will enjoy pointing out what could be real-life explanations for everything the boy attributes to it. Certainly "no beach bully would dare stomp your castle with a dragon inside." (But it would run from an angry dad, pictured behind the narrator.) From the delighted face of the boy when he finds the dragon, to the frustration of the parents when the creature has caused too much trouble, the story and pictures show a classic family outing. This story of a runaway imagination will make for an entertaining storytime as well as an enjoyable one-on-one read.-Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2011
A dragon moves into a boy's "perfect sandcastle," but his family doesn't believe him. The roaring they hear is waves crashing, the dragon's feather is from a seagull, and its teeth "are just broken shells." While the concept certainly isn't original, the digital illustrations do a good job extending the humor of the situation.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Kirkus

April 1, 2011
Doesn't every child want a dragon? Well, "[i]f you build the perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in," and in this funny and creative riff on cause and effect, that's exactly what happens. At first, things are perfect: You have a friend to play with, a permanent bully deterrent, a built-in marshmallow toaster and an ever-present raft. But then things start to get complicated. You have to feed the dragon and clean up after him—and no one will believe you when you explain that the dragon is the one to blame. Was that a dragon-ish cackle coming from inside the sandcastle? Be careful what you wish for! Colorful, cartoony illustrations brim with humor as they depict this animated boy and the impish dragon who may or may not entirely exist. The deadpan text is sure to illicit giggles as it captures the conundrum of an imaginary friend with a child's eye and provides a gentle acceptance of the mild misbehavior that sometimes accompanies imaginative play. Oh, well. Maybe it's time to get rid of the dragon, as long as you are polite about it. But if you build another perfect sandcastle, perhaps he'll come back (with friends) tomorrow. A sandy complement to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. (Picture book. 4-8)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

From Publisher's Weekly

March 14, 2011
Fans of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and its sequels should enjoy how debut author Moore, channeling an imaginative boy at the beach with his family, muses upon the consequences of having a bright red dragon take up lodging in his sand castle. At first it's all fun and games ("...you'll have a built-in marshmallow toaster"), with a little subterfuge thrown in (since there's no smoking on the beach, "you'll have to hide his smoke from the lifeguard"). But as the day wears on, the fantasy begins to impinge on others. Ultimately, the cardinal sin of the beach is committed: throwing sand at one's annoying big sister. "Then you'll march over to your sandcastle and order your dragon to leave until he learns some manners," says the narrator, who seems firm in his resolution, but who will live to pretend another day. Although it's not the freshest concept on the shelves, Moore has a light, sure touch, and she gives McWilliam (I Need My Monster) plenty of room to exercise his considerable gifts for operatic expressiveness and expertly choreographed physical humor. Ages 4â€Â"8.