There's a Dragon in My Closet

by Dorothea Taylor, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)

Overview

In this funny and imaginative salute to mischievous little kids, a young boy blames mishaps on the dragon in the closet only he can see.

The dragon in the closet can be a bit fickle. One minute he’s dancing like a goof and being sweet to the little ones, and the next he’s sneaking treats out of the cookie jar and leaving dirty footprints on the carpet. The worst part is that after the dragon causes heaps of trouble, he goes invisible and leaves a little boy to answer for all his bad behavior...But did the dragon really do it?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534476462
Publisher:	Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/05/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dorothea Taylor has a degree in graphic design with a minor in journalism. She currently resides in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where she runs an award-winning design studio, T.P. Design, Inc.

Charly Palmer, a graduate of the American Academy of Art, is a nationally recognized fine artist whose work is in private and public collections, including those of McDonald’s Corporation, the Coca-Cola Company, and Vanderbilt University. His illustrative work for Mama Africa! earned him the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator of the Year award. Palmer’s art is inspired by his children and grandchildren. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for There’s a Dragon in My Closet:

“This category-defying tale, with stunning illustrations by Charly Palmer, answers the prayers of so many Black parents who are searching for books for their young boys. Taylor mixes adventure and mirth to great effect, encouraging boys to dream big while keeping their feet on the ground.” —Essence

“Painterly illustrations and the appeal of a story about a contemporary black family.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2017-05-24
Is there or isn't there a dragon in the closet? In his debut as a picture-book illustrator, fine artist Palmer depicts a young black boy with a crown of dreadlocks atop his head and a big imagination. He's convinced that a dragon in his closet is responsible for various happenings (leaving a dollar bill under his pillow when he loses a tooth, tidying his room while he's out) and also for the mischief he's blamed for (tracking mud in the house, breaking a flower pot, eating all the cookies in the jar). He tells his parents about the dragon at the beginning of the book, but after the cookie incident, his exasperated mother leads him to his closet—where they find a dragon-shaped pile of stuff. The boy steadfastly holds onto his story of a real dragon, deciding the heap of things is just a clever ruse. Ultimately, however, the story is confusing: is the child using this story to get away with mischief? Is he truly innocent of any mischief-making and ignorant of his parents' tooth fairy and tidying duties? More problematic is Taylor's forced, uneven attempt at rhyming verse, which undermines the book's success as a whole despite its painterly illustrations and the appeal of a story about a contemporary black family. A miss. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews