A Dragon on the Doorstep

My 4 year old daughter loves this book....we used to take it out from the library almost every week so I decided to buy it. It's a really cute book and my daughter can recite the whole thing. It even came with a CD for the car. I would def recommend this book.

I borrowed this book from the library, but my 28-month-old daughter asks me to read it so much that now I'm buying it. The illustrations are so important to her enjoyment of the book that I'm buying the full-size hardcover instead of any board book version that may be available. They're brightly colored, engaging, and they make the story interactive because she likes to find and identify the animal hidden in the picture that is also waiting on the next page. I also like that the kids in the book aren't really fearful of the animals they're trying to run from (as you can see from the kids smiling faces), but instead are playing hide-and-seek, which you find out on the last page. All Stella Blackstone's books hold my daughter's attention well, even with different illustrators, all of whom are very talented. This is one of her best, not only for the reasons I give above, but also because the text is more skillful than others in rhyme and rhythm of words, which I care more about than my child. It's more obvious to a parent who's reading aloud when a rhyme is forced or the meter is clumsy. This story rolls off the tongue compared to some of her Bear books.

I teach preschool children with special needs. This book has been such a great asset and has kept the children engaged. The pictures and illustrations are wonderful. I would highly recommend this book for teachers and parents. I hope to find more books that keep the children as happy as this one has!!!