Would You Rather Be a Princess or a Dragon?

Fun to read and visually appealing but unlikely to be a perennial favorite.

Saltzberg (Inside This Book) uses the title question to upend stereotypes as he contrasts the proclivities of a young redheaded princess with those of a good-natured dragon. Photographic elements lend texture to Saltzberg's loose cartoons--mottled green rubber evokes dragon scales, pink bubble wrap creates the girl's bubble bath--as rhyming text offers tips ("If you want to be a princess/ practice walking straight and tall./ If you want to be a dragon, practice bouncing off the wall") and observations ("A princess loves to smile in a dainty princess way./ A dragon is just wild, being dragony all day"). After recounting the ways in which princesses are dainty and dragons rowdy, Saltzberg shows the princess tossing away her crown (and shoes and socks) to prance on the dragon's tail, "Because inside every princess is a little dragon child." And inside every dragon? A princess--if she isn't careful. (The final image reveals that this one doesn't need to worry about being digested.) Saltzberg doesn't push his message too hard, but the book may well lead to valuable conversations about cliches and individuality. Ages 4-7. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Sept.)

If readers are ever faced with the choice of being a princess or a dragon, Saltzberg's succinct rhyming verse will help them decide the path to select. Princesses enjoy princess things, like the color pink and bubble baths. Dragons, on the other hand, enjoy green and being dirty. Princesses are polite and dragons misbehave. The stereotypes that are illustrated with simple line drawings are made interesting by textures. The green-scaled dragon and pink-swirled princess pop against the stark white background. Children are sure to be pleased with the twist at the end, when the princess needs a break and wants to be a bit wild, "because inside every princess is a little dragon child." And inside every dragon is a little princess waiting to get out. Quite literally, a princess is trying to get out (of the dragon's mouth). VERDICT With the bold illustrations, rhyming short text, and popular subject matter, this book is sure to delight a storytime crowd.—Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services