Reviews: (by author)

McKay, Hilary. There's A Dragon Downstairs. Illus. Amanda Harvey. New York : Margaret K. McEldberry Books, 2005. ISBN 0-689-86774-3

Hilary McKay treats a familiar problem for children-dealing with fears. A sound in the middle of the nights becomes a monster, a bear, a ghost, or a lion in the closet, under the bed, or just somewhere in the room. Once nighttime imagination takes hold, everyday sounds become fearful. Such is the case with Sophie. Every night she hears the cat flap "rattle" as a dragon enters the living room. Naturally, she awakens her parents. Her father says there is no dragon; her mother takes her downstairs, turns on all the lights, and shows her no dragon hides in the living room. Sophie agrees. But as soon as night returns, so does the sound of the entering dragon.
McKay shows Sophie working out solutions. She tries three strategies to defeat the dragon. First, she arms herself like a knight with shield and sword, but no dragon appears. Next, knowing dragons breath fire, she arms herself with a fireman's helmet and her supersonic water squirt gun-but again no dragon shows up. After these plans fail, she decks herself in her princess dress-- because everyone knows that dragons like princesses. But no dragon. Coming to a wonderfully logical conclusion, Sophie decides to confront the dragon as herself-unarmed. The next night, when the dragon enters through the cat flap, pajama-clad Sophie runs down into the living room to discover the imagined dragon is none other than her ordinary tabby cat.
Children love mysteries. McKay lets them become involved: What's the sound? Who enters through the cat flap? Will Sophie catch the dragon?
Amanda Harvey creates watercolor and pencil pictures that are energetic, depict the mysterious house, and add dimension to the text. For example, McKay's text says that Sophie puts on her armor, shield, and sword; however, we see she wears paper bag armor and a cardboard shield and sword. Harvey 's pictures include specific background details, for example in almost every illustration are stuffed animals, primarily dragons and dinosaurs, resting on the shelves, the bed, or on the floor. Sophie's expressive face lets us see as thoughts dart through her mind.

The book provides a positive and useful perspective on dealing with the unknown.

Toni Rowden, January 2006

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