35 months - O has been on a little critter reading spree this week so we grabbed out a couple she hadn't read. Simple short read that appeals to kids... Not so thrilling for the adults to read. ( )

Would I own this book if it weren't part of the Critters of the Night series? Unlikely. The story isn't bad, but there are so many excellent picture books on the market. I love Mercer Mayer's books, though, and am a hug fan of the Little Critter series; I also like the joining of his little critter illustrations with a family of lovable monsters and spooks, which is the world of Critters of the Night. The premise is great, the execution only follows through sometimes. This story is one of the average ones, with a tale about the little boy of the family, Axel Howl, off on a quest to help save dragon babies. The story is adventurous, and has a good dose of goofiness, but is missing in the subtlety and adult appeal that I associate with Mayer works. Not surprising, actually, since this story is not written or illustrated by him, but simply based on his characters. I have to give this book a slightly higher rating because it has dragons, and I like dragons. More importantly, my daughter also has a new fascination with them, and she likes reading this book. It's a good book, made better by association with other books and my daughter's obvious delight with it. ( )