"Concepts are explained concisely and clearly, and a short glossary provides valuable vocabulary building. The slightly larger font makes the text inviting for emerging readers, and the illustrations blend perfectly into the story. Sassafras and the dragon prove to be able sidekicks in the vein of Disney characters...while this book is a natural fit for STEM collections, it deserves a place in all libraries serving young readers." — School Library Journal
"...Citro gracefully balances her story’s scientific and fantasy elements." — Publishers Weekly
"...the imaginative premise and the incorporation of STEM elements make this an attractive and engaging choice." — Booklist
"...tales for young audiences that model the scientific method are nice to see." — Kirkus Reviews
"...a delightful beginning reader. I will definitely recommend this to kids and I look forward to the other books in this series." — Mel Barnes, University Bookstore
"Zoey and Sassafras are our heroes! My kids love unravelling their mysterious circumstance, and they even made their own "thinking goggles." Zoey is an awesome role model." — Megan Lingo, Reading Teacher and Educational Therapist at Chickadee Lit
"This first book in a new early reader chapter book series is a fun blend of fantasy and real-world science."
"The scientific method is put to good use when Zoey and her pet cat attempt to determine through trial and error the best ways to take care of various magical creatures. In this first book they need to figure out what to feed a baby dragon. There are plenty of false starts and even falser successes, and there's a lot to like. Any book that makes it clear that you need to work through mistakes is good in my book."
02/27/2017
In this whimsical first book in the Zoey and Sassafras series, Zoey—a resourceful budding scientist with brown skin, springy curls, and a cat sidekick—learns that her mother has been secretly rehabilitating magical animals in their backyard. Naturally, Zoey wants to help, but when a sick baby dragon appears while her mother is away, she must use the tools available to her to help the dragon survive. Citro plays Zoey’s anxieties against her can-do attitude, demonstrating how research, past experience, and the scientific method can come in handy (investigating what dragons like to eat, Zoey learns that they enjoy marshmallows but fish is a better choice). Dense blocks of text don’t make for a terribly inviting reading experience, but Lindsay’s cheery spot illustrations help, and Citro gracefully balances her story’s scientific and fantasy elements. Simultaneously available: Monsters and Mold and Merhorses and Bubbles. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)
"Citro takes the “girl helping animals” trope of beginning chapters to a whole new level. Filled with scientific language and experiments, including a helpful glossary, Zoey is encouraged to make mistakes, fail, and get up and keep trying. There’s no lack of child appeal either; both boys and girls will delight in the magical creatures and brisk storytelling and will be eager to try some of their own scientific experimentation, even if they can’t find a dragon!"
"Zoey and Sassafras are our heroes! My kids love unravelling their mysterious circumstance, and they even made their own "thinking goggles." Zoey is an awesome role model."
"...a delightful beginning reader. I will definitely recommend this to kids and I look forward to the other books in this series."
"...the imaginative premise and the incorporation of STEM elements make this an attractive and engaging choice."
01/01/2017
Gr 1–3—Zoey and her cat, Sassafras, love to explore, play pretend, and learn. They make an excellent team. Unfortunately, Zoey is feeling blue because her mom is leaving for a work conference. While her mom finishes packing, Zoey makes a big discovery: a photograph that glows purple, hidden amongst her mom's papers. Zoey learns that magical animals come to the family's barn when they need assistance. With her mom away, it is up to Zoey and Sassafras to aid a sick baby dragon. Zoey puts her Thinking Goggles to work as she researches how to help the dragon. The book relies heavily on STEM themes (Zoey creates an experiment, considers a hypothesis, and gathers evidence), but the story line does not suffer. Concepts are explained concisely and clearly, and a short glossary provides valuable vocabulary building. The slightly larger font makes the text inviting for emerging readers, and the illustrations blend perfectly into the story. Sassafras and the dragon prove to be able sidekicks in the vein of Disney characters, which will appeal to readers. An African American family takes center stage, something not often seen in early chapter books. VERDICT This book is a natural fit for STEM collections and deserves a place in all libraries serving young readers.—Sarah Wethern, Douglas County Library, Alexandria, MN
2016-12-19
Zoey discovers that she can see magical creatures that might need her help.That's a good thing because her mother has been caring for the various beasts since childhood, but now she's leaving on a business trip so the work will fall to Zoey. Most people (like Zoey's father) can't see the magical creatures, so Zoey, who appears in illustrations to be black, will have to experiment with their care by problem-solving using the scientific method to determine appropriate treatment and feeding. When a tiny, sick dragon shows up on her doorstep, she runs an experiment and determines that marshmallows appear to be the proper food. Unfortunately, she hadn't done enough research beforehand to understand that although dragons might like marshmallows, they might not be the best food for a sick, fire-breathing baby. Although the incorporation of important STEM behaviors is a plus, the exposition is mildly clunky, with little character development and stilted dialogue. Many pages are dense with large-print text, related in Zoey's not especially childlike voice. However, the inclusion in each chapter of a couple of attractive black-and-white illustrations of round-faced people and Zoey's mischievous cat helps break up the narrative. In spite of the book's flaws, dragons are very appealing, and tales for young audiences that model the scientific method are nice to see. (Fantasy. 6-9)
