Liza Jane & the Dragon

PreS-Gr 2—Liza Jane is a young girl with a very nice life. She is told this every day by her parents and while she does like her canopy bed, and getting pizza delivered on Friday nights, she does not like it when her parents don't listen or interrupt her. She decides to fire them and advertises for new ones. As luck would have it, a dragon responds. He is everything she's ever wanted; he listens to what she says, never interrupts, and most importantly, gets mad when she gets mad. The first night they order a pizza, and it's delivered terribly late and cold, so the dragon sets the pizza delivery truck on fire. When Liza Jane is late for school and gets in trouble, the attendance officer's desk is engulfed in flames. Liza Jane admonishes the dragon that he really can't behave like this and his droll response is: "Hey, I'm a dragon." They live together for quite some time, ordering pizza every night and living in a slovenly fashion until the little girl realizes that not only is she heartily sick of pizza, but she's alienated everyone with this pyromaniac dragon in tow. She once again puts up a parents wanted sign, and her original ones return. This appealing debut picture book is enriched by the strategic use of color in Samworth's dreamy illustrations, and kids will roar at the dragon's outrageous antics.