Liza Jane & the Dragon

Book excerpt: New York Times best-selling author Laura Lippman’s picture book debut offers a timely parable about family values, a little girl, and a dragon. “This enjoyable book delivers a lesson, and its playful drawings invite the young reader into a wonderful place somewhere between fantasy and reality.” —New York Times Book Review “A girl frustrated with her parents’ rules fires them and hires a dragon to take their place.” —Publishers Weekly, Included in Fall 2018 Announcements Liza Jane believed she could find better parents. So she fired her mom and dad and hired the first applicant who came to the door—what could possibly go wrong? And at first everything was fun. The dragon did whatever Liza Jane wanted him to do. But it turned out the dragon had only one response to all problems—opening his mouth and belching fire. Suddenly, people were scared of Liza Jane. The pizza deliveryman didn’t want to come to her house. No one wanted to play with her. And all that fire was very bad for the furniture. Could Liza Jane have been wrong about what kind of qualities she wanted in a parent?