Starred Review for reading aloud. In his fourth appearance, Dragon adopts a stray cat and learns by trial and error how to care for it. Once again, our hero (as innocent of the mechanics of pet care as he is of everything else) makes a number of mistakes and experiences a range of emotions along the way, and as before, his good heart is rewarded in the end. Pilkey, whose first book was 'Twas the Night before Thanksgiving , has a distinctive style of illustration based on broad lines that express a world of emotion with the droop of a whisker or the tilt of a head. Playful and original in his use of color, he vitalizes the scenes with bold patterns and vibrant hues that sometimes shift from page to page. The interplay of pictures and words is vital to the broad humor that ensures the book's success, whether read aloud or read alone. The Dragon series is fast moving toward that pantheon of children's reading reserved for books that make kids laugh out loud. Since nothing is actually easy for a beginner to read, what more could we ask for newcomers than the intrinsic reward of a genuinely funny book? Again and again, Pilkey delivers. (Reviewed Feb. 1, 1992)

In this fourth book about Dragon, he discovers the responsibilities of pet ownership. The ridiculous humor in the story will appeal to beginning readers. The unself-conscious childlike quality of the artwork, with green and purple snow, orange moon, and blue dragon, provides a perky setting for the amusing antics.

Pilkey's series about a little blue dragon who keeps house (Dragon's Merry Christmas, 1991) gets stronger with each entry. Here, Dragon takes in a cat on a snowy day, then has trouble teaching her the things she needs to know: a sign reading roll over'' means nothing to her, and heryellow puddles'' are ``smelly'' (there's a particularly funny picture of the obliging cat peering out of the toilet she's trying to use). The mailmouse suggests a litter box, but roadside litter proves to be even smellier. A trip to the pet shop helps to straighten Dragon out; then Cat produces kittens, with still more amusing results. Never a dull moment here; the amiable Dragon's misapprehensions are as much fun as his quirky problem-solving, while the lighthearted illustrations display an unusual sensitivity to color and design in their artless-seeming background detail. (Easy reader. 6-8)"

About this fourth book starring the beguiling blue reptile, PW remarked, ``Pilkey's narrative understatement and cheery, heavily defined artwork once again form a humorous, harmonious whole.'' Ages 6-8. (Sept.)

Gr 1-2-- The loveable blue dragon stars in his fourth book for beginning readers. This time, he rescues a fat gray cat from freezing in the snow, decides to keep it, and quite logically names it ``Cat.'' The only problem is that Dragon knows nothing about caring for pets, or the smelly puddles they leave. When he finally gets to the pet store for advice, he leaves with all the things Cat will need to live comfortably, but forgets Cat. When Dragon finally finds his new companion, he is in for quite a surprise. The simple cartoon illustrations in vibrant watercolor and pencil enhance the gentle humor of the story and the characters as well. A book that will be loved by Dragon's fans, and one that's sure to win him many new friends. --Rachel Fox, Port Washington Pub . Lib . , NY