100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli


Title: 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli

Author: David LaRochelle (Author), Lian Cho (Illustrator)
 
Publisher: Dial Books

Format: Book
 
Publication Date: April 4, 2023
 
Grade Level: PreK through 2nd Grade
 
Category: Texas 2x2

One hundred might dragons all named Broccoli live atop a mountain by a lake. But when dragons start leaving in tens, threes, twos, and ones, how many are left on the mountain? 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli is a creative, captivating, and beautifully illustrated counting book, or perhaps a math book? Perhaps both! And the humor and illustrative details keep the learning concepts fun. I chose this book for review when looking through the Texas 2x2 List, and the cover caught my attention. My 2-year-old nephew loves dragons, and I would definitely buy this book for him. He'd love it!

Illustrations. I think the illustrations are what really make this book. Each dragon is distinct, their individual personalities showing through the bright acrylic and pencil drawings. It makes it easy to follow each dragon through the adventure, some of them leaving the mountain only to return to it and leave again. The illustrations are also how much of the silly humor is delivered. 

Plot. It was surprising to me that a counting/math book had as much of a plot as 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli did (which wasn't all that much of a plot, but still). It had a twist ending that was surprising and funny. When winter comes, the final dragon enters the cave on top of the mountain, and come spring, she reappears with one hundred baby dragons! She decides to name none of them Broccoli, save one Broccoli Jr. This clever ending allowed Cho to show of her art skills by drawing portraits of each of these one hundred new dragons. 
 
Mood. This is definitely a humorous book. It hardly feels like a counting/math book because readers will be so immersed in the silly, lush illustrations and hijinks that the dragons get into. The humor would make it a great option for read aloud. 

References:
 
LaRochelle, D. (2023). 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli. (L. Cho, Illus.). Dial Books.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Image
  Title: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich Author: Deya Muniz Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Format: Book Publication Date: May 9, 2023 Grade Level: 7th and up Category: LGBTQ+ The law of Kingdom Fromage forbids women from inheriting family fortunes. So when Lady Camembert's father passes away, she has no choice but to disguise herself as a man, move to the capital city, and start life over as Count Camembert. But when Cam falls deeply in love with Princess Brie, she's not sure if she can keep her secret, or if she even wants to. The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (TPATGCS) has received many accolades, including making the ALA Rainbow List, the 2024 ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and the YALSA 2024 Great Graphic Novel for Teens award.  Setting. TPATGCS takes place in the kingdom of Fromage, a cheese-obsessed kingdom where even the character's names are based on varieties of cheese. The setting seems largely Regency-era inspi...
Read more

Hot Dog

Image
  Title: Hot Dog Author: Doug Salati   Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers   Format: Book   Publication Date: May 24, 2022   Grade Level: PreK through 3rd Grade   Category: Caldecott Medal Winner   In Hot Dog , a bustling, sizzlingly hot city makes this poor pup fed up. When he finally plops himself down in the middle of the crosswalk, unwilling to move another step, his kind owner decides what he needs is a nice, calming day at the beach. I chose this Caldecott-winning book because I bought it for my two-year-old nephew for his birthday a few months ago, when I was drawn to the dynamic art and sweet story while volunteering at the youth library.   Plot. The plot is simple and emotion-driven, with the central conflict revolving around the dog's inability to deal with his stress. How can his problem be solved? His owner recognizes her pup's distress, and she whisks him away to a quiet beach where he can have a day to run free and enjoy a l...
Read more

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me

Image
Title: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me    Author: Mariko Tamaki (writer); Rosemary Valero- O'Connell (illustrator)   Publisher: First Second   Format: Book   Publication Date: May 7, 2019   Grade Level: 8th and up   Category: Graphic Novel  Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me follows Freddy through her struggles with her on-again off-again relationship with the popular, "cool girl" Laura Dean. The novel is highly acclaimed, winning the 2019 Harvey Award for Best Children's or Young Adult Book and being named a Printz Honor book, among a plethora of other awards and honors. Laura Dean is a queer coming of age story that explores themes of teenage lesbian sexuality, toxic romantic relationships, and navigating complicated platonic friendships.    Plot. The plot focuses in the relationship between Freddy and her sometimes-girlfriend Laura Dean, who continually ends their relationship only to start it again whenever she desires. F...
Read more