Kenny the Rabbit is a little “out there.” In a teeny tiny town full of mostly farmers, he loves books, reading, knowledge, learning, and most importantly, stories, more than anything else. His parents are bemused, but supportive, and the rest of the town is just bemused. No one dislikes Kenny, but, except for George, the old bookseller, don’t understand his sense of wonder and excitement about, well, everything.
That everything changes instantly the day that Kenny’s father bursts into the kitchen with alarming news: there’s a dragon in the sheep pasture. Unsurprisingly, they’re convinced it’s dangerous–Kenny has a book that says so in no uncertain terms, and also, it’s a dragon.
As it turns out, they couldn’t be more mistaken. Grahame the dragon (“Just the cracker, except with an ‘e’ on the end”) is peaceful, intelligent, cultured, and a voracious reader. Kenny and his family become great friends with Grahame and life is wonderful–until the day the rest of the town discovers the dragon in their midst.
Terrified, and convinced that Grahame is a danger to everyone, the townspeople send George (who, it turns out, used to be a knight!) to slay the beast and save their town. Kenny’s two friends are about to fight to the death–what can he do to stop it!
In spite of what seems like a rather bloodthirsty premise, this is an adorable book. DiTerlizzi is obviously quite familiar with the works of Kenneth Grahame (names sound familiar?), the author of The Wind in the Willows and The Reluctant Dragon, as well as several other classics: Anne of Green Gables, Alice in Wonderland, and the work of Beatrix Potter. His references–some in the text, some only in the illustrations–are sly, but humorous and fresh, and make it clear that he loves and respects those authors’ work.
The illustrations should be mentioned especially. This book is a chapter book, probably at about a 4th grade level, but it is ilustrated throughout with wonderful black-and-white drawings of all of the characters and key scenes in from the story. It’s rare for more than five pages to go by without at least a tiny illustration in the corner of the page. These pictures make the story–already amply animated by the spot-on text–come to life. If published as text alone, this book would have been a lovely way to spend a an hour or two. With the illustrations, it becomes a must-read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes animal stories, or gentle fantasy, or ripping-good reads.
Posted by: SH
Chris Monroe hits the nail on the head with her book Monkey with a Tool Belt. Boys of all ages will love this fun, new title. Chico Bon Bon is a monkey who loves his tool belt so much that he wears it everywhere (even to bed). He likes to use his tools everyday to make or fix things for his friends. One day an evil organ grinder sets a trap using a banana split that Chico can’t resist. Will Chico be able to use his tools to escape? Kids will enjoy looking at all his tools and imaging what Chico will build next.
Xena and Xander, brother and sister, have just moved to London. They are playing The Game (guessing what people do for a living) when they are slipped a cryptic note. Deciding that they should follow it, they end up in a strange home only to discover that they are the descendants of Sherlock Holmes himself. And while Holmes was an amazing detective, he did not solve all the cases he was given. After being given his casebook, the two siblings take a look and decide to try to solve one of the cases. The case that strikes their interest is about a missing painting entitled Girl in a Purple Hat.
How could a 16 year-old girl hope to make her way as a homesteader in the Montana wilderness, and on her own no less? Hattie Inez Brooks was going to give it her best shot! When her little known uncle dies and wills his Montana claim to her, all she needs to do is to “prove up” on the claim. Hattie is tired of moving from relative to relative since her parents died, and now she wants a place to call her own, a real home. 
Anne Sullivan did not have an easy childhood.