The Dragonsitter

Originally published in the U.K., this entertaining series opener from Lacey (Island of Thieves) takes place over a chaotic week in which Edward Smith-Pickle and his family look after a dragon belonging to his Uncle Morton. The story unfolds almost entirely through Edward’s increasingly harried emails to his uncle: “Dear Uncle Morton, What’s a tether? I don’t know and Mom won’t tell me, but she’s at the end of hers.” The emails go unanswered, leading Edward to worry about Uncle Morton’s safety. Parsons’s b&w cartoons, cleverly framed as photos attached to Edward’s emails, reveal a house in ruin, with curtains aflame, a gaping hole in the fridge, and neighborhood cats fleeing in terror. The discovery that dragons love chocolate helps set things right, paving the way for future destructive adventures. Ages 6–10. (Sept.)