Dragon Dreams

After a day of bickering, a dragon-led dream-time outing offers nighttime tranquility to two human siblings and others. In extended second-person passages, Schotter describes “a rustle and a whirrrrr. Wings at your window? Your own special dragon could be calling.” A ghostly-blue beast named Nuri whisks the pale-skinned protagonist aloft to a “Secret Gathering.” En route, comets pen messages and stars are roasted like marshmallows in dragons’ fiery breath. The meetup initially proves quarrelsome, but when a dragon proclaims “PEACE NOW,” it inspires the participants, portrayed with various skin tones, to unfurl their own benevolent messages (“No more shoving/ Just loving”) and to send “kindness to the earth and sky.” Scattered with multicolored stars, Le’s inky, unlined renderings seem to twinkle, and the dancing beasts’ tails become luminous northern lights. An invitation (“Imagine...”) closes out the earnest expedition after the child tells family about the group’s harmonious vision. An author’s note includes further info about dragon lore. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)