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Zoey and Sassafras #1
Dragons and Marshmallows
In the first book of this series, Zoey discovers a glowing photo and learns an amazing secret. Injured magical animals come to their backyard barn for help! When a sick baby dragon appears, it’s up to Zoey and Sassafras to figure out what’s wrong. Will they be able to help little Marshmallow before it’s too late?
96 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2017
948 people are currently reading
2766 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 719 reviews
December 13, 2017
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
A charming chapter book in which Zoey and her cat, Sassafras, rely on the scientific method to save an ailing baby dragon.
A charming chapter book in which Zoey and her cat, Sassafras, rely on the scientific method to save an ailing baby dragon.
December 12, 2017
Things I loved about this book (in no particular order):
* short chapters
* cute illustrations
* Zoey deals with real emotions
* Science journals & how to run experiments...without seeming like you're learning about science journals and how to run experiments!
It's a quick read but both my 6 yr old and I enjoyed it. We will be checking out the rest of the series to see how it continues!
* short chapters
* cute illustrations
* Zoey deals with real emotions
* Science journals & how to run experiments...without seeming like you're learning about science journals and how to run experiments!
It's a quick read but both my 6 yr old and I enjoyed it. We will be checking out the rest of the series to see how it continues!
July 18, 2020
I loved this! What a delightful, fun, creative and thoughtful little story. I love all the great messages here yet it doesn’t feel heavy-handed. Zoey happens to be a girl, she happens to be black, she happens to love science. I’m so grateful for a protagonist like this and also that none of it feels forced just to make a point. She is a great role model, intelligent and curious but not afraid to ask questions, kind and compassionate, and also just very much a fun kid. I have a soft spot for orange cats and Sassafras is a charmer. I love the blend of fantasy and real-world science – sure, it’s magical creatures that show up on Zoey’s doorstep needing help, but Zoey uses real science to help them. It’s such a fun and exciting and marvelous premise. It is educational in an effortless and entertaining way. Zoey’s mom is a scientist and she first the creatures when she was a little girl, too (magical creatures are all around us, of course, but most humans cannot see them) so she and Zoey share a special bond and Zoey’s mom is also in a great position to help Zoey learn the science needed to help the animals. It did bother me a little bit that the dad is not let in on the secret (poor guy) but at least he is a positive and loving presence in Zoey’s life. I appreciate that Zoey has a great relationship with her parents and that they trust her with responsibility, treat her as an intelligent human being, and let her take initiative. Highly recommended, with the caveat that parents of sensitive children may wish to preview this (everything turns out well in the end, but there is some angst about the sick baby dragon and talk of whether it might die… I know it would have really bothered my little one so I am holding off on it until he is better able to handle animals in peril.)
November 28, 2016
This series is a brilliant way to introduce the scientific method to kids! After reading the first book together, my son spent days running around with "thinking goggles" on his head and solving the problems of all the magical (a.k.a. stuffed) animals in his room. And the whimsical illustrations are adorable. (We received an advance copy of the book -- and so glad we did!)
May 15, 2017
What the Magic Tree House series does for historical topics, this series does for science.
Fall in love with an atypical main character as she explores the world of science -- with a little dose of magic thrown in to make everything more fun and exciting!
Author Asia Citro weaves learning into the story line so effortlessly, kids won't even realize it because they're just having fun!
OhMyGoodness, this book is hands-down our favorite thing in the world right now -- our enthusiasm over it has honestly lasted for days!
Even though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, when this book arrived for my review, I was immediately excited -- the colorful artwork adorning the front and back are incredibly enticing.
Then I flipped through the pages a bit and saw not only plenty of these same fantastic illustrations on each page, but a larger font size being used for the text, which is just perfect for younger readers!
We were quickly introduced to Zoey and her feline pal Sassafras. Zoey is not your typical little girl, however. The opening scene of the book has her down in the dirt and searching for bugs, which she quickly creates a bug circus for.
This little tomboy loves science and is constantly conducting experiments and filling out a science journal with her findings. She wears a set of safety goggles on her head like a headband (when she's not using them to protect her eyes, of course), which she refers to as her Thinking Goggles because they help her come up with great ideas and solutions to problems.
Those qualities alone make Zoey an appealing character to connect to, but it is when she goes inside to speak to her mom (also a scientist, by the way!), that the book really draws you in.
Turns out, Zoey's mom has a secret. She can see magical creatures -- and has been helping them out since she was a little girl. But that's not all. Zoey can see them, too!
Thus the torch is passed from mother to daughter and when a sick baby dragon appears one day, it's up to Zoey and Sassafras to figure out what's wrong with the little creature.
The rest of the book is an exciting journey of discovery as Zoey employs the scientific method to get to the root of the problem.
She realizes that part of the issue relates to whether the dragon is warm- or cold-blooded, then further fine-tunes things when she explores whether the little guy is an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore.
The cool thing is, these science concepts are woven so seamlessly throughout the book, you never even realize you're being taught this new information and vocabulary.
I've been telling people that this book is like the Magic Tree House series for science, but even though I always enjoyed those books in my classroom, I think author Asia Citro does a better job with her Zoey books in conveying new information in a natural, flowing way.
Even though this is a chapter book, don't let this book's size intimidate you. It makes a great read aloud for a preschooler and it's definitely one most every elementary student will enjoy reading alone.
I received a free copy of this product from Innovation Press in exchange for writing a review. All opinions are my own.
Fall in love with an atypical main character as she explores the world of science -- with a little dose of magic thrown in to make everything more fun and exciting!
Author Asia Citro weaves learning into the story line so effortlessly, kids won't even realize it because they're just having fun!
OhMyGoodness, this book is hands-down our favorite thing in the world right now -- our enthusiasm over it has honestly lasted for days!
Even though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, when this book arrived for my review, I was immediately excited -- the colorful artwork adorning the front and back are incredibly enticing.
Then I flipped through the pages a bit and saw not only plenty of these same fantastic illustrations on each page, but a larger font size being used for the text, which is just perfect for younger readers!
We were quickly introduced to Zoey and her feline pal Sassafras. Zoey is not your typical little girl, however. The opening scene of the book has her down in the dirt and searching for bugs, which she quickly creates a bug circus for.
This little tomboy loves science and is constantly conducting experiments and filling out a science journal with her findings. She wears a set of safety goggles on her head like a headband (when she's not using them to protect her eyes, of course), which she refers to as her Thinking Goggles because they help her come up with great ideas and solutions to problems.
Those qualities alone make Zoey an appealing character to connect to, but it is when she goes inside to speak to her mom (also a scientist, by the way!), that the book really draws you in.
Turns out, Zoey's mom has a secret. She can see magical creatures -- and has been helping them out since she was a little girl. But that's not all. Zoey can see them, too!
Thus the torch is passed from mother to daughter and when a sick baby dragon appears one day, it's up to Zoey and Sassafras to figure out what's wrong with the little creature.
The rest of the book is an exciting journey of discovery as Zoey employs the scientific method to get to the root of the problem.
She realizes that part of the issue relates to whether the dragon is warm- or cold-blooded, then further fine-tunes things when she explores whether the little guy is an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore.
The cool thing is, these science concepts are woven so seamlessly throughout the book, you never even realize you're being taught this new information and vocabulary.
I've been telling people that this book is like the Magic Tree House series for science, but even though I always enjoyed those books in my classroom, I think author Asia Citro does a better job with her Zoey books in conveying new information in a natural, flowing way.
Even though this is a chapter book, don't let this book's size intimidate you. It makes a great read aloud for a preschooler and it's definitely one most every elementary student will enjoy reading alone.
I received a free copy of this product from Innovation Press in exchange for writing a review. All opinions are my own.
February 1, 2018
I've been struggling to find read-aloud materials for my girls. They love picture books, but anytime I bust out a chapter book, the cringe and groan. (sniff sniff) FINALLY a winner! I bought Zoey and Sassafras because it was short, had a bunch of pictures, and blends science and magical animals together! How awesome is that?
My girls read this with me in one sitting (all 96 pages). Every time I finished a chapter they groaned (the good kind) and begged for more. We've put the rest of the books on hold at the library and they want to read them right away. They have no idea that we talked about warm blooded/cold blooded animals, omnivores/herbivores, experiments, and more! This is a huge hit, and i'm happy to find the other books in the series for them.
My girls read this with me in one sitting (all 96 pages). Every time I finished a chapter they groaned (the good kind) and begged for more. We've put the rest of the books on hold at the library and they want to read them right away. They have no idea that we talked about warm blooded/cold blooded animals, omnivores/herbivores, experiments, and more! This is a huge hit, and i'm happy to find the other books in the series for them.
January 5, 2024
Our first chapter book readaloud of 2024 and we both loved it! C is 4.5 and it was super fun and engaging for her ♥️
February 25, 2021
I read to my kids a lot, but I normally only review middle grade books in children’s lit. I am making an enthusiastic exception for this early chapter book because my first grader and I loved it so much. I had been using this one for her reading practice with me, but she begged to take it to bed with her after she’d read me a few chapters, and came bounding down the stairs later that night telling me she’d finished and loved it, and insisting that I should read it tonight because it was so good. I did, and I was impressed. A science-loving heroine that uses what she knows about regular animals to heal sick and injured magical animals? A fun cat sidekick? We were so there. The language was just the right amount of challenging for a first grader to read on her own, the animals were cute, the suspense was just right, and I loved that it talked about scientific method, warm vs cold-blooded, carnivore vs omnivore, and research in fun and accessible ways. We’ve already put the next few books on hold.
July 13, 2025
My seven-year-old daughter and I read this together for a school-wide reading program, and we both adored it. The Zoey and Sassafras series is now, I think, up to about ten books. "Dragons and Marshmallows" is the first in the series.
The hero is a little girl named Zoey who, with her cat Sassafras, help magical creatures that live in the forest in her backyard. Only she and her mom can see them. It is their special "superpower".
Zoey loves science, and she is always conducting experiments to figure out how to help the magical creatures. In this one, she conducts a food experiment to determine if the dragon is a carnivore, an herbivore, or an omnivore. This is a great series combining fantasy and science. My daughter and I are already mid-way through the second book.
The hero is a little girl named Zoey who, with her cat Sassafras, help magical creatures that live in the forest in her backyard. Only she and her mom can see them. It is their special "superpower".
Zoey loves science, and she is always conducting experiments to figure out how to help the magical creatures. In this one, she conducts a food experiment to determine if the dragon is a carnivore, an herbivore, or an omnivore. This is a great series combining fantasy and science. My daughter and I are already mid-way through the second book.
October 13, 2020
Sara saa yllättäen kuulla poikkeuksellisesta kyvystään nähdä ja kommunikoida erilaisten taikaeläinten kanssa. Vastaava ominaisuus on myös äidillä ja lemmikkikissa Sassafrassalla, mutta ei esimerkiksi isällä. Saran äiti on myös hoitanut takapihalla olevassa ladossa erilaisia sairaita taikaeläimiä, mutta nyt hänen on lähdettävä viikon mittaiselle lomamatkalle. Voisikohan Sara tuurata?
Asia Citron "Lohikäärmeitä ja vaahtokarkkeja" (Kumma, 2020) on Sara ja Sassafrassa -fantasiasarjan ensimmäinen osa. Lukija saa vähän jännittää vauvalohikäärmeen puolesta ja oppii siinä sivussa myös vähän eläimistä (esimerkiksi mitä vaihtolämpöisyys tarkoittaa) sekä tieteellisen havainnoinnin perusteet.
Ihan sympaattinen tapaus. Vinkkaukseen kakkosille ja kolmosille.
Asia Citron "Lohikäärmeitä ja vaahtokarkkeja" (Kumma, 2020) on Sara ja Sassafrassa -fantasiasarjan ensimmäinen osa. Lukija saa vähän jännittää vauvalohikäärmeen puolesta ja oppii siinä sivussa myös vähän eläimistä (esimerkiksi mitä vaihtolämpöisyys tarkoittaa) sekä tieteellisen havainnoinnin perusteet.
Ihan sympaattinen tapaus. Vinkkaukseen kakkosille ja kolmosille.
August 27, 2020
Started reading at the request of my nephews — I'm four chapters in an I'm already enchanted! :)
FINISHED
I can see why my nephews adore this series! So much fun, so well written, and really sweet and smart. I know I'm not the target audience, but it didn't matter, I totally adored this!!
FINISHED
I can see why my nephews adore this series! So much fun, so well written, and really sweet and smart. I know I'm not the target audience, but it didn't matter, I totally adored this!!
October 16, 2018
So cute! Love the illustrations annnnnddd teaching scientific method through literature?! Giiirrrrlll 🤓 my tiny dork heart is bursting with love.
November 14, 2022
My daughter loved this one.
October 18, 2019
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH I WANNA READ THE WHOLE SERIES!!! Can we say STEM and WOC empowerment?!!?! With an adorable cat sidekick?!!? This book has everything you could every ask for! Zoey is quite the brilliant young scientist and she teaches us how to create a hypothesis and how to design a proper scientific experiment. And when things don't go as she hoped, Zoey doesn't give up but changes the experiment and keeps trying! Truly inspirational. Love the black and white illustrations that are pretty frequent throughout. Would definitely recommend this series, probably to 3rd grade and up.
August 30, 2018
“Keep trying even when things get hard!” A great message to young readers! This first book in a series is a great way to get children hooked into a series! In this book, Zoey shows so many character traits, there are highlights of the science process and there are so many teachable moments in this quick read.
April 21, 2024
Such a fun read-aloud chapter book with toddlers. Scientific method, magical animals, family that loves each other. All good things.
May 25, 2019
Nicely done transitional/beginning chapter book series. Zoey and her cat sidekick Sassafras help magical creatures recuperate from various ailments. With short chapters, larger font, and pictures throughout this is a great book for kids to practice reading independently. Application of the scientific method is woven in neatly and Zoey is a good role model. She asks questions, tries new things, seeks out help, is caring and compassionate.
August 16, 2018
Really sweet book. Great beginning chapter book! I love the characters. Zoey is someone for all readers to look up to! I'm excited to see where the story goes. Read for grad school for Reviewing Children's and YA lit. This is also a Monarch 2019 nominee (but I personally think it might be a bit too old for some of that age group).
July 5, 2019
I really love this series! Fun to read, makes science appealing, the main character really has to show some perseverance to soothe problems. B wears his “thinking googles” around just like Zoey. 👍♥️
April 1, 2023
Working in a library has been such a joy as I discover so many lovely chapter books. On my mission to get the Best Books for one of my favorite little families, I discovered this series. It is just so charming and sweet and even smart and sciencey!
I'm gonna read 'em ALL, so I can have fun conversations with my cute library patrons.
I'm gonna read 'em ALL, so I can have fun conversations with my cute library patrons.
April 29, 2024
Our 4 and 6 year old children love this series! We’ve read the first six books so far. It’s about a girl and her scientist mother who have the power to see magical creatures. The magical creatures come to them when they have problems and Zoey goes through the scientific method with experiments to solve their problems. It’s a super fun way to give your kids more STEM exposure. I would highly recommend this series as a read allowed for ages 4-7, or for around ages 8-10 to read on their own.
April 27, 2020
Mrs. Srb has been reading this virtually to Miranda these last two weeks and I've been listening too. Fantastic book for Kindergarteners and 1st graders. It's magical but also teaches scientific concepts and age-appropriate emotional lessons. Loved it! Read this instead of that treehouse junk.
October 2, 2020
Tämä oli niin kiva!! :) Tässä opetellaan pitämään huolta (taika)eläimistä tarkkailemalla niiden vointia ja tekemällä muistiinpanoja. Paljon söpöjä kuvia ja ihanan iso teksti!!
February 14, 2025
Review by my dad, after he lost a bet
Dragons and Marshmallows (D&M) is the worst book I have ever read. It has no redeeming value for children or adults. Asia Citro, the so called "author," should be run out of all literary circles. If I believed in banning books-which I, of course, do not-D&M would make the top of my proscription list. But better than banning is to let the natural course of things transpire: in a few years, D&M will be consigned to the dust bin of history. It will be unread, forgotten, and useful only as toilet paper in future pandemics.
To read this book is to loathe your life. So to spare you the trouble, I will provide a brief synopsis. Zoey and her pet cat, Sassafras, stumble upon an old photograph of Zoey's mother holding a magical creature. Zoey can see the creature in the photo, which surprises Zoey's mother. Zoey's mother then reveals that she has been living a secret double life as some sort of magical creature veterinarian. She enlists Zoey into the cause, and places Zoey in charge of the clinic while she attends a conference for a whole week.
Towards the end of the week, Zoey gets her first customer: a dragon! He is abandoned at the back of her clinic like some gangland gunshot victim. He is a baby dragon, and Zoey must perform some experiments to figure out what is wrong with the dragon. It turns out that the dragon needs water, food, and warmth to survive (truly groundbreaking stuff, this book!). Zoey is worried that she has killed the dragon by allowing it to gorge itself on marshmallows-the crisis of the book-only to remember that a balanced diet will save you, and just in the nick of time. After the balanced meal, the dragon recovers from Zoey's marshmallow malpractice, and begins to grow rapidly.
When Zoey's mother returns, the magical vet, her panicky daughter and the world's grumpiest cat spend several days taking care of the dragon (named Marshmallow, due to his near death experience). When Marshmallow outgrows the barn, it is time to take him into the wild. While the magic vet is teaching the dragon to fish, another dragon appears and the two fly off together, presumably to mate. Zoey, her mother, and Sassafras return to the house to roast marshmallows in memory of Marshmallow. The End!
My favorite part of this book was the last page. When reading it, I knew it was almost over, and it could not hurt me anymore. It is difficult to choose my least favorite part- so many to choose from! I found the opening sequence with the rolly-pollies asinine and contrived. When reading the book, I felt like the author was causing me to walk a tightrope (Just like Zoey did to the rolly-pollies). On one side of the tightrope was boredom, on the other side was defeat and squelching on the a bet. I had to keep scurrying through the pages in order to avoid my demise.
But I guess the largest problem with the book is that it is attempting to trick children into learning. It has an ulterior motive. Instead of seeking to entertain, it is trying to hide learning the scientific method in a boring story about a girl and her cat. And just like the child who can taste the vegetables snuck into his mashed potatoes, so can the reader detect the classroom element of this book. In short, this book is a fraud. It is neither fiction nor classroom learning. It is a grotesque mutant. It ought to be hunted and destroyed before it can destroyed before it destroys anymore lives.
I do, however have one suggestion for how this book could have been made better. It is a plot change. I think Zoey should have hypothesized that dragons do not eat girls named Zoey and cats names Sassafras, but then be proven wrong by the dragon's ferocious appetite for homo sapien with a side of feline. Thus would mark the end of Zoey and Sassafras, and the world would be spared from the subsequent books in this series.
Dragons and Marshmallows (D&M) is the worst book I have ever read. It has no redeeming value for children or adults. Asia Citro, the so called "author," should be run out of all literary circles. If I believed in banning books-which I, of course, do not-D&M would make the top of my proscription list. But better than banning is to let the natural course of things transpire: in a few years, D&M will be consigned to the dust bin of history. It will be unread, forgotten, and useful only as toilet paper in future pandemics.
To read this book is to loathe your life. So to spare you the trouble, I will provide a brief synopsis. Zoey and her pet cat, Sassafras, stumble upon an old photograph of Zoey's mother holding a magical creature. Zoey can see the creature in the photo, which surprises Zoey's mother. Zoey's mother then reveals that she has been living a secret double life as some sort of magical creature veterinarian. She enlists Zoey into the cause, and places Zoey in charge of the clinic while she attends a conference for a whole week.
Towards the end of the week, Zoey gets her first customer: a dragon! He is abandoned at the back of her clinic like some gangland gunshot victim. He is a baby dragon, and Zoey must perform some experiments to figure out what is wrong with the dragon. It turns out that the dragon needs water, food, and warmth to survive (truly groundbreaking stuff, this book!). Zoey is worried that she has killed the dragon by allowing it to gorge itself on marshmallows-the crisis of the book-only to remember that a balanced diet will save you, and just in the nick of time. After the balanced meal, the dragon recovers from Zoey's marshmallow malpractice, and begins to grow rapidly.
When Zoey's mother returns, the magical vet, her panicky daughter and the world's grumpiest cat spend several days taking care of the dragon (named Marshmallow, due to his near death experience). When Marshmallow outgrows the barn, it is time to take him into the wild. While the magic vet is teaching the dragon to fish, another dragon appears and the two fly off together, presumably to mate. Zoey, her mother, and Sassafras return to the house to roast marshmallows in memory of Marshmallow. The End!
My favorite part of this book was the last page. When reading it, I knew it was almost over, and it could not hurt me anymore. It is difficult to choose my least favorite part- so many to choose from! I found the opening sequence with the rolly-pollies asinine and contrived. When reading the book, I felt like the author was causing me to walk a tightrope (Just like Zoey did to the rolly-pollies). On one side of the tightrope was boredom, on the other side was defeat and squelching on the a bet. I had to keep scurrying through the pages in order to avoid my demise.
But I guess the largest problem with the book is that it is attempting to trick children into learning. It has an ulterior motive. Instead of seeking to entertain, it is trying to hide learning the scientific method in a boring story about a girl and her cat. And just like the child who can taste the vegetables snuck into his mashed potatoes, so can the reader detect the classroom element of this book. In short, this book is a fraud. It is neither fiction nor classroom learning. It is a grotesque mutant. It ought to be hunted and destroyed before it can destroyed before it destroys anymore lives.
I do, however have one suggestion for how this book could have been made better. It is a plot change. I think Zoey should have hypothesized that dragons do not eat girls named Zoey and cats names Sassafras, but then be proven wrong by the dragon's ferocious appetite for homo sapien with a side of feline. Thus would mark the end of Zoey and Sassafras, and the world would be spared from the subsequent books in this series.
September 29, 2020
Helppolukuista fantasiaa. Kumma -kustannukselta on tupsahtanut useita pikkukoululaisille helposti vinkattavia juttuja. Näköjään seuraavana lukuvuorossa taas yksi eli Satujen sankarit.
December 10, 2017
This is hands down my favorite new easy chapter book series. A spunky girl with the ability to see magical creatures along with her sidekick kitty, what's not to like? This will be very popular with the library kids!
December 27, 2022
Reads with the kiddo ☺️
October 12, 2018
A good introduction to the scientific method for beginning readers, with some fantastical elements mixed in. Very cute illustrations are an added bonus.
February 23, 2019
Zoey & Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows Audience: Grades 1-5
Format: Hardcover - Library Copy
"What is it, Sassafras?" I crouched down and ruffled my cat's fluffy fur.
- first sentence
This book is a fabulous early chapter book. Zoey and her cat Sassafras both love bugs and science and when Zoey discovers that her mom secretly takes care of magical creatures, she is eager to help. Zoey, a budding scientist, wears her thinking goggles on her head when she needs to concentrate. And when she finds a baby dragon, she uses the scientific method to determine how to help him.
So, not only is this book fun, but it also explains the scientific method (including a glossary at the end). It is much more meaningful than I thought it would be. With a strong female lead who happens to be African American, and all the science thrown in, it goes above and beyond what you expect from an early chapter book. The entire series is a must-have for any elementary library collection.
Highly recommended.
Format: Hardcover - Library Copy
"What is it, Sassafras?" I crouched down and ruffled my cat's fluffy fur.
- first sentence
This book is a fabulous early chapter book. Zoey and her cat Sassafras both love bugs and science and when Zoey discovers that her mom secretly takes care of magical creatures, she is eager to help. Zoey, a budding scientist, wears her thinking goggles on her head when she needs to concentrate. And when she finds a baby dragon, she uses the scientific method to determine how to help him.
So, not only is this book fun, but it also explains the scientific method (including a glossary at the end). It is much more meaningful than I thought it would be. With a strong female lead who happens to be African American, and all the science thrown in, it goes above and beyond what you expect from an early chapter book. The entire series is a must-have for any elementary library collection.
Highly recommended.
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