Dragons Love Tacos, written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. Dial, Penguin. 2012. $18.00 ages 4 and up

"But wait!
As much as dragons love
tacos, they hate spicy salsa
even more. They hate spicy
green salsa and  spicy red
salsa. They hate spicy
chunky salsa and spicy
smooth salsa. If the salsa
is spicy at all, dragons can't
stand it."

I love tacos, too. But, I'm not like these dragons in any way. They don't want any spice in their tacos...you would think a little spice might help with their fire-breathing ways. Apparently it is not a test you want to take!

Kids will love the premise of this book and the sheer goofiness of the story. Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri have had much practice at finding ways to entertain their audience. You will recognize them if you are a fan of 'those darn squirrels' and their countless ploys to get the best of old Fookwire. Well, that practice conjures up another hilarious story of dragons and a big taco party gone wrong. It starts with a question and some speculation:

"Why do dragons love tacos?
Maybe it's the smell from the sizzling pan.
Maybe it's the crunch of the crispy tortillas.
Maybe it's a secret.
Either way, if you want to make friends with dragons,
tacos are the key."

But, the tacos must be made a certain way, and for many good reasons. The consequences are not good if the tacos should have even a little bit of spice. You have been warned! Dragons will attend any party you plan for them, and one party after another, if you so choose. They prefer taco parties. But....check the salsa ingredients!

Daniel Salmieri uses colored pencil, gouache and watercolor to create his very fitting and hilarious images that perfectly match the droll humor of Adam Rubin's alarming advice about dragons and their predilection for MILD tacos (no spicy salsa involved). I love the detail that he includes on every page, encouraging young readers to take time to really focus on all that is being shared.

Offbeat, and oh, so much fun!