There's a Dragon in My Closet

by Dorothea Taylor, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)

The dragon in the closet is such a con: one minute he's dancing like a goof under sheets and leaving get well notes and peppermints when little ones are sick, and the next he's tracking dirty footprints all over the carpet and eating all the snickerdoodles out of the cookie jar. With him around, there's always lots of fun and a whole heap of trouble, especially when he goes invisible, leaving Gabriel to answer for his bad behavior. No matter the circumstances, Gabriel's always got a good reason and excuse for why it happened. And no matter what goes wrong, it's never, ever his fault much to his parents' chagrin.

Colorful illustrations bring to life this adorable tale of a little boy who blames sweet surprises and mischievous behavior on an invisible, mysterious guest only he knows exists: the friendly, goofy, troublemaking dragon in his closet. But did the dragon really do it?

There s a Dragon in My Closet is a funny, engaging salute to mischievous little boys and the imaginary friends that sprinkle giggles and create a few pickles on even the most ordinary days.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Family, Humor, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2017

Reviews

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

A such a beautiful book that takes you along with a young boy who goes through his days with adventure and creativity. This book captures all the best parts of being young and being loved by family. There is something so true and beautifully wonderful captured in the pages of this book. You cannot help but be left with a sense of love and awe because the sweetness just oozes through this story! Highly recommended!

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Bold, expressive illustrations and only occasionally awkward rhymes

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable! A young boy has a special friend... a dragon who is secretly living in his closet.

[Kristin Guay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a story that captures the vivid imagination of a little boy--and also his loyalty to his very special dragon! In this story, a young boy is trying to tell his parents that there is a real dragon hiding in his closet. He knows this because the dragon does things--good and bad. Once when the little boy was sick, the dragon brought him some soup, candy and a nice letter (although we can see that this was from Mom). Another time, they boy went out to play without making his bed and when he returned his room was completely clean (Mom or Dad?). This dragon is also involved in things not so good--muddy footprints on the carpeting, eating all the cookies, and a toppled flower pot in the living room (this looks like the work of the little boy and his pet dog). Everytime these things happen, the little boy says that this happened because of his secret dragon. In an effort to put an end to all the silliness, the mother escorts her son to his room to investigate the closet where this dragon lives. Of course there is nothing there but some clothes, shoes, and toys. After the mother leaves the room, we see a dragon peer out from within the closet. As the little boy says “That was a setup, a decoy, for sure, planted by the dragon for my mother. I have learned one great, big lesson, if I have learned no other.” The little boy settles in with the dragon and promises to always have him be his secret friend. To be honest, I could not help thinking of “Puff the Magic Dragon” while reading this story!

The illustrations provided by Charly Palmer are absolutely stunning. He also illustrated My Rainy Day Rocket Ship which is one of my favorites. The colors are bright and bold and he provides little details that capture the essence of the story and the characters. In these illustrations, I particularly loved the graphic tee-shirts the little boy wore with lettering such as “I Love My Dog”, “I’m Not Sick”, “Big Dreams”, “I’m Amazing”, and “Super Kid”.

[Bryan Loar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy's imagination may or may not be real. In this rhyming picture book, Dorothea Taylor has given the world a fine picture book with humor and tenderness. Illustrator Charly Palmer's loose brushstrokes provide just enough detail while giving the story immediacy. A folded and gathered (F&G) pre-publication edition was reviewed.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I love Charly Palmer's art, and loved it here. Just cannot get past the awkward and sometimes painfully forced rhymes. It's a great premise, just those contortions to make it fit into that structure.

[P. B. Yeary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I first read it. I loved it even more when I read it out loud to my daughter! I'll give you the details on what's so great about this story, and others, from a writer's perspective on my blog: pbjellybell.blogspot.com

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young boy blames the mischief he causes on a friendly, troublemaking dragon in his closet in this vibrantly illustrate, fun rhyming story.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute illustrations, but a confusing story.