The Library Dragon [Hardcover]

Carmen Agra Deedy (Author), Michael P. White (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When Sunrise Elementary School advertised for a thick-skinned librarian with a burning love of books, Miss Lotta Scales knew she was perfect for the job. Who could guard books better than a REAL dragon?

"She kept a fiery eye out to make sure no one removed any books from the shelves.... The very thought of sticky little fingers touching and clutching, pawing and clawing, smearing and tearing her precious books just made her hot under the collar."

The teachers, singed and scorched, formed a delegation. But not even sweet Miss Lemon could convince Miss Lotta Scales that "the library belongs to the children."

Fortunately, nearsighted Molly Rickmeyer stumbles into a copy of Snuff the Magic Dragon and reads the tale out loud. Her storytelling beckons the children back to the library and brings them face to face with the Library Dragon. Can an open book temper the flames of the school's hot-headed librarian?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When an elementary school advertises for a "thick-skinned professional" who is "on fire with enthusiasm," it gets just that-and then some. A bespectacled, dress-wearing dragon, Miss Lotta Scales replaces all the books with spanking clean ones, and refuses to let the students ("with their gooey fingers and snotty noses") touch them. The kids' grades are "going up in smoke," but neither the principal nor the teachers can convince the headstrong dragon to let the pupils near the stacks until one myopic girl accidentally wanders into the library and begins to read a story ("Snuff the Magic Dragon") aloud. The tale manages to soften the librarian's scaly skin-figuratively and literally. Deedy (Agatha's Feather Bed) is an accomplished storyteller, and kids will likely enjoy her frequent puns and wordplay. White heads off imminent cutesiness with droll, stylized illustrations, filled with vibrant color and lots of comical details. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Sunrise Elementary School's new librarian is Miss Lotta Scales, a fire-breathing dragon who fiercely guards her new books. When a nearsighted child enters the unused facility and begins reading aloud, other children wander in, and Miss Scales realizes that kids don't necessarily damage books. She then becomes Miss Lotty, and the kids "warm up" to her. The text is filled with dragon-related puns, as are the colorful, slightly off-center illustrations of children in armor and forbidding yellow "dragon line" tape draped across the stacks of books. Youngsters will enjoy the funny touches and librarians may feel the good-humored tap of a reminder that books are for kids. The final statement, that "...every librarian needs to be a little bit of a dragon-or else, who would guard the books?" is not well worded, but it's not worth getting hot under the collar about.
Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156145091X
• ISBN-13: 978-1561450916
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming and fun. Lotta Scales is a lotta librarian!, October 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Library Dragon (Hardcover)

As a corporate librarian by trade and a public library volunteer, I had to buy this book for myself. However, as much as I (an adult) got tremendous pleasure from the book, it was even more enjoyable to see the rapt faces of the children to whom I read it at the local library. They loved the story, and were impressed with the bravery of Molly Brickman as she educated the Library Dragon on how children can responsibly enjoy the library. In my copy of the book, the dragon actually felt scaly, though I am not sure if it was deliberate on the part of the publisher. Great book, I highly recommend it!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A favorite read-aloud in our school library!, October 10, 2000

By 

Volkert Volkersz (Snohomish, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Library Dragon (Hardcover)

"The Library Dragon" is one of a handful of titles that I read EVERY YEAR in our elementary school library. It is read at the beginning of each school year to first, second and third graders (and they never get tired of it).

While it is delightful, spellbinding story, my motives go beyond entertaining the kids. This hilarious tale is an excellent way to discuss proper care of library books. After all, my students don't want to see me, their librarian, turn into a fire-breathing DRAGON!

By the time the students reach third grade, I have them begin to look for the puns and plays on words pertaining to fire, heat and smoke. Author/illustrator Carmen Agra Deedy got all "fired up" with her "burning" sense of humor. To introduce the concept of puns, we make comparisons to the Amelia Bedelia books, that they already know and love so well.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!, July 19, 2008

By 

Judy K. Polhemus "Book Collector" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Library Dragon (Hardcover)

I love "The Library Dragon"!! Why? It is so clever in illustrations but more so in word play. There is a flip doll The Library Dragon Flip Doll that goes with this book to show the dual nature of both the dragon and the librarian. I am burning to explain!

A dragon is hired by the principal to protect the library books. In order to do that, she gets rid of all the old books and replaces them with nice, new, clean books. Everyone knows the ONLY way to keep them that way is to keep them on the shelves. So Library Dragon institutes new policies: no books out, no children in. After weeks of no story time in the library, the children begin to suffer from withdrawal.

As often happens in fairy tales anything can happen and does. Molly Brickmeyer has lost her glasses and cannot see beyond her hand. She wanders into the library, a book drops into her hand--Library Dragon is fast asleep-- and she starts reading aloud. Little children hear her and wander into the library to listen. Then Library Dragon awakes and an ancient memory crowds her brain. She takes the book and begins reading.

What happens afterward is the stuff of happy endings. Suffice it to say that scales are involved and a tail and one lap.

Other related books to look at are:
The Shelf Elf
Mr. Wiggle's Library
Library Lion
Tomas and the Library Lady (Dragonfly Books)
Wild About Books (Irma S and James H Black Honor for Excellence in Children's Literature (Awards))