Matthew's Dragon

In another display of impressive storytelling, Newbery Medalist Cooper (the Dark Is Rising sequence; The Selkie Girl ) recounts Matthew's post-bedtime escapade. As he settles into his pillow, the boy watches the pages of his book open to reveal a dragon with golden scales and eyes like rubies. Matthew becomes as small as this personable creature, and the two slip under the window. After snacking on tomatoes and doing battle with the nasty neighborhood cat, Matthew and the dragon--who grows to be as large as a house--fly high into the sky, where they meet up with ``all the dragons ever put into the world of story.'' Filled with imaginative creatures, incandescent colors and thrilling motion, Smith's paintings of the dragon-crowded sky are truly breathtaking. This is an inspired pairing of author and illustrator. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)