How delighted we were to have Maria bring another Adam Rubin/Daniel Salmieri book to share with us. Dragons Love Tacos had us at the cover. A delighted looking dragon surrounded my piles of tacos and sporting a very full tummy (tacos?) lounges across the landscape. This looked like a perfectly silly book! We are big fans of silly! We were in!

First of all, it must be noted, that we as a group did not have a lot of background knowledge to support our understanding of this book. Many of us actually haven’t tried tacos. We certainly don’t know any dragons and so can’t really fathom why dragons would be such fans of eating tacos! A few of us though were taco fans or wanted to be taco fans. So while this story was being read, there was a certain degree of mumbling going on: “I’ve never tried a taco.” “My Mom makes the best tacos.” “Do dragons really love tacos? “I think I want to try a taco . . . ” 

However, we did have a previous appreciation of the Rubin/Salmieri brilliance. And . . . we are big fans of funny. This book delivered. It was a delight.

In this story we are introduced to a kid and his dog. He is warned that if he wants to feed dragons tacos, which they happen to love, he must be very careful not to give them any spicy salsa. Mild toppings on the menu? Super! Spicy stuff? Absolutely no go! So . . . it didn’t take long before one clever student guessed, “I bet if those dragons eat the spicy stuff, they will breathe fire.” The next thing we know the book is showing us preparations for a huge taco party! The kid is advised to bury any spicy salsa in the backyard and to fill his house with tacos. All seems good until . . . Tiny jalapeños are discovered in a salsa jar mislabelled mild.

“Oh no!” “Uh oh!” “There are going to be some sick dragons . . . “

There is a page of extreme fire breathing. And then, a bunch of ill looking dragons stand amongst the ruins of a home. “They are all homeless now!” someone shouted.

But there is a happy ending in sight. Turns out dragons are quite good at house construction as long as there are tacos at break times!

Student reviewers respond:

Shereese: It was funny when the boy put the spicy salsa in the backyard.

Arianne: I liked when the dragons breathed out fire and when they had to rebuild.

Ashley: I like a lot that they breathed out fire. I love that book! Where are they going to live now? Do you wonder where they are going to live?

Vicky: My vavourite part was when they rebuilt and cleaned up the house. I remembered Those Darn Squirrels Fly South!

Kevin: I like when the dragons breathed fire. I like when the dragons blow fire at the house. Then they rebuild it and clean up all the house.

Kelvin: When the dragons had a crush on tacos was my best part. The dragons burned the house. The boy planned to drop spice on the tacos. My Mom makes the best tacos. They taste great!

Kala: I liked when the dragons breathed fire.

Ethan: I liked when the dragons blew fire. It was funny. I only like candy. Not tacos.

Heman: My favourite part was when the dragon breathed out fire. I thought the boy will hide the salsa in the cupboard. Why did the dragon eat the salsa? The dragons breathed fire on the house!

Kassidy: I liked when the boy put salsa on the tacos. I liked when the dragons burned the house. The dragons helped the boy.

Pheonix: My favourite part was when the dragons built the house back to normal.

Grace: Do dragons really love tacos? I liked when the dragons breathed fire. So why do dragons love tacos? I liked that the dragons don’t like spicy salsa. I liked the boy’s dog. It’s cute!

Andrew: When the boy buried the salsa and the house got burned down were the best parts. I thought the dragons will burn the whole house down. Where will the boy live? I never tried tacos. Now I want to try tacos!