The very title of the book rolls off your tongue and foreshadows fun and adventure. Antonio Mugica and Hermann Mejia make the perfect marriage of rhythmical rhyme and illustrations so sublime! You actually can get lost in the illustrations as you ogle at the colour pallet used and the intricate, fine details that are portrayed on every page. Each time I re-visit the book I discover more and more fantastic images hidden therein. The illustrations are whimsical and will surely delight a child's (and adult's) heart.
A gargantuan, foreboding dragon, who is mean and threatening, meets the king of a small town and they make a peaceful treaty together. The dragon will not dine on the citizens but instead will be fed glorious pies, cakes and a wagon of bonbons. An unfortunate error occurs as an old lady, in her confusion, substitutes salt, not sugar into the dainties. The dragon takes a few bites and then his beautiful yellow skin turns bright purple, the colour of rage. A threatening letter from the dragon ensues and the townsfolk know they need to solve this huge problem they have on their hands or suffer the loss of a child to the dragon daily. Enter the hero, Hookitty-Tookitty-Tah, the famous wizard baker boy. His name almost seems like a drum roll beat to your ears. He manages to change the hues of the dragon to many different colours and finally restores him to his original, beloved yellow.
Two take-aways from the story are: Salty sweets are a no-no for dragons and too many sweets can actually make you quite ill and turn you into a permanent vegetarian. It is a fun book to read aloud and very entertaining to boot!
Book review rating: 9 (close to perfection)
Read on and read always!
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