There's a Dragon in My Closet by Dorothea Taylor and Charly Palmer - OPTIONAL

There's a Dragon in My Closet by Dorothea Taylor, illustrated by Charly Palmer. PICTURE BOOK. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster), 2017. $18. 9781534476462 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL – OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

A dragon is living in a young boy's closet. This dragon is tricky--sometimes it makes messes in the boy's room, but other times it leaves nice notes and treats (even though it signs it's name like the boy's mom). The boy is a little bit afraid of the dragon, but knows that deep down the dragon is his secret friend. 

Palmer's illustrations are rich and intriguing, full of vivid colors. The story is a bit confusing, though, since it is never quite clear why the boy wants to keep this secret friend (that he has told his parents about multiple times) when the dragon frightens him and causes mischief. The rhyming is a bit forced, and this may add to the dissonance of the storyline. 

Keri, elementary school teacher