I got this book at a local Annie's Book Stop, for another release copy. It's the first in a children's fantasy series by Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher), whose work I've enjoyed (see Digger, a comic about a feisty wombat and her adventures in a strange underground world, and Jackalope Wives, stories set in a kind of mystical American-West surrogate).

I first encountered this series via Lair of the Bat Monster, the 4th book, and enjoyed it so much I wanted more. The series is aimed at younger readers, and is set in a world of anthropomorphic animals who live like humans in a '50s suburb, more or less - and who occasionally refer to the "other" animals, the ones that don't talk and don't wear clothes (and who thus can become food, or - sometimes - can try to devour the main characters {wry grin}). Danny, our hero, is a young dragon; his best friend Wendell is an iguana. Danny is imaginative to a sometimes-reckless degree, while Wendell is the voice of reason (and/or cowardice) - a good balance, except that Danny usually drags Wendell into his schemes.

This is the first book, and a lovely introduction to Danny and his family and friends - and to the very interesting bus route that allows him to go to the mall, the library - or the Sargasso Sea, where Danny and Wendell get a fascinating and sometimes terrifying look at the ocean deeps, courtesy of cousin Edward, a sea serpent!

I liked meeting Danny's folks for the first time, including morning-person Dad and Definitely NOT Morning-Person Mom, and even appreciated the first meeting with school bully Big Eddy (a Komodo dragon) - who gets put to flight this time by a school-lunch potato salad that has become sentient and very, very aggressive. [Makes sense in context - sort of!]

The premise of the story is that Danny, having flunked an assignment by making up the (delightful) "snorkelbat" for his paper on "The Ocean", takes Wendell to visit cousin Edward to learn about the *actual* ocean. [Which in this 'verse includes Lost Atlantis - which very much wants to STAY lost, so Danny leaves that bit out.] Fish and shipwrecks and a too-close encounter with a giant squid and a delightful assist from a sperm whale - great fun!

[There's a TV Tropes page on Vernon and her work.]

I left this book in the Little Free Library at the playground - and with a view of Lake Massabesic just across the road. Hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]