Baby Dragon knows he must wait for his mother, but what if she doesn't come back? Blending just the right amount of excitement and apprehension, this deeply satisfying story confronts a child's common fear and offers the ultimate comfort. Full color. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Hillenbrand's (Counting Crocodiles) expressive artwork shines in this well-structured story about a baby dragon that grows restless while waiting for his mother to return from an overnight trip. More puppy than dragon, more endearing than fearsome, Baby Dragon waits semipatiently for hours ("He drew a picture in the dirt. He counted his claws. He took a nap") but as day turns to night, he accepts a shifty-looking crocodile's offer to take him upriver to find her. Ehrlich's (When I Was Your Age) plot climax is free of fear: when Baby Dragon realizes he's in danger, he bravely jumps to a convenient floating log while the villain doesn't even notice. The author emphasizes instead her protagonist's pint-size determination: he puts "one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other" until he returns to the meeting spot designated by his mother. Hillenbrand uses a variety of media, then tweaks it all digitally to achieve layered, batiklike effects--despite the dense patterning, his compositions are light and harmonious. Winning. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS-Gr 1-When Baby Dragon's mother must leave him alone overnight, she warms his face, tickles his tail, and tells him she will return in the morning. He must wait by the red fern near the river for her, and he does. He does not play with Frog or go away with Weasel, but he becomes sadder and sadder as he waits. When Crocodile offers to take Baby Dragon to his mother, he climbs on Crocodile's back. The wind sings to him in his mother's voice, and he escapes the reptile's trickery by jumping onto a log. Then step by weary step he follows the riverbank through moonlight and starlight back to the familiar red fern. His mother finds him there in the morning. As he curls up with her and warms her face with his breath, she assures him that she will always come back. Hillenbrand's illustrations, done with ink, colored pencil, finger paint, gouache, and collage, and digitally manipulated, bring to life Baby Dragon's misty tropical forest where water buffaloes wander and storks splash in the river. The crocodile's heavy-lidded, yellow eyes and large jaws contrast sharply with the gentle faces of the dragons. Young children-especially those who have been sad and lonely in their parents' absence-will find comfort in this lovely, reassuring tale.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information