Introducing the Fiery Friday Feast Feature of the week in MaiStoryBook Library’s Collection:

“Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri

Book Synopsis and Review

~Welcome to the *hottest* dinner party of the year, with some of the *hungriest* guests of honor you’ll ever meet~ Having some dragons over for dinner? Not sure what to feed them?? No fear, this little guy is here~ to tell you ALL about how to throw the *hit* dragon party of the century: a TACO party~ because after all, as everyone knows, Dragons LOVE tacos ! Big tacos, little tacos, beef tacos, chicken tacos, *maybe nixay on the veggie tacos* they’ll devour them all! You’ll be the talk of the town- just one rule, of course, NO SPICY SALSA…or else…well…can you imagine what might happen if fire-breathing dragons have *spicy* salsa…?? Well, thank goodness you buried all of the salsa in the backyard, right? Didn’t you?? …oh wait… what does that mild salsa with little green specks say in fine print at the very teeny tiny bottom of the jar…Your dinner party is about to be *blazing* through the night!

A fabulously, fun, foodie read, this book is sure to win over any child with its uproarious text and captivating illustrations. This book is great for practicing prediction and making inferences with your child~ there are tons of clues throughout the pictures and text regarding what will happen at this *hottest* taco party of the year~ so really prompt your little ones to predict what’s going to happen!  This unforgettable tale weaves an ode to new friends, good conversation, and the comfort of a close friend’s laughter. Plus, be prepared to get your taste buds tingling for some tacos, and your tummy rumbling for some crispy snacks! Added bonus, after reading this book, you’ll know exactly what NOT to do if a dragon comes to your house for dinner!

Vocabulary List

• Sizzling (p. 3) very hot
• Speck (p. 7) tiny spot
• Mild (p. 8) not too much flavor
• Charades (p. 12) a game where you act things out with no sound, people guess what you are acting
• Samaritans (p. 27) a helpful person

Themes/Main ideas

• Friendship: The best part about being together is good conversation and hearing good friends’ laughter
• Making Predictions: Great book for making inferences and predictions about what will happen in the story. Prompt your child to see if they can predict what will happen at the taco party!

 Fire-Breathing Salsa Dragon Activity

Good friends and favorite foods, sounds of laughter and full belly feelings~I am  most definitely looking forward to a much-needed, week-long break of family, fun, and food! And I wouldn’t at all mind scheduling in a *taco* dinner party ~ I’ve heard *taco bars* are currently one of *hottest* new food selections. Seems like dragons have the right idea~after all, apparently they are some of the *biggest* party-thrower-goers around- costume parties, pool parties, accordion parties~But any kind of party with delicious food and lively conversation is the best party to throw/go to. And of course, little ones can have foodie parties as well- what little kid wouldn’t go *bananas* over a sandwich bar with peanut butter, various jellies, marshmallows, chocolate chips, bananas, banana chips,  strawberries, honey, fluffernutter, Nutella, apples, etc., etc., galore! Finish it off with a cookie decorating/ice cream sundae bar and your house just became the coolest spot in town!  Just, of course, beware any hot pepper chili flakes, or dashes of tobacco~ you wouldn’t want a fire-breathing salsa dragon fiasco on your hands! But say, you and your little one were super curious to know… what would happen in a * fire-breathing salsa dragon* fiasco? Well check out this *Dragons Love Tacos* twist on the classic volcano eruption experiment for an afternoon of erupting, fiery fun!

Materials

• Small jar
• Small cup
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Yellow food coloring
• Water
• Dish soap
• 1 sheet of red construction paper
• 1 sheet of white construction paper
• Scissors
• Tape/glue
• Black and green marker
• Tray

Directions for Dragon

• Cut the red paper to fit and wrap around the jar. Tape/glue it wrapped around the jar.
• For the eyes, cut two long oval shapes from the red paper. Fold them in half so they can remain propped up on one side.
• Cut out two white circles for the eyes and color in the black pupils with the marker.

• Glue the eyes to the propped-up side  of the ovals facing outward. Glue them onto the middle of the red-paper jar near with the eyeballs facing up towards the jar opening.
• For the nose, cut out a two-hump ridge. Fold it to prop up like the eyes. Glue/tape it near the top of the jar, facing toward the opening of the jar.

Directions for the Fire Breathing Salsa Experiment

• In the dragon jar
  • Add 1/3 cup of water
  • 4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons of dish soap (more soap of you want more foam)
  • *No mixing necessary

• In the separate small *salsa* cup
  • Add 5 tablespoons of vinegar
  • 3 drops of yellow food coloring

• Make a Hot Salsa Label for the vinegar/food dye cup
  • Cut out a small square of white paper to fit on your *salsa* cup
  • Write *Hot Salsa* and add *specks* of green jalapeño pepper
  • Tape it onto the salsa container

• BEFORE *feeding* the dragon the salsa, place dragon jar on the tray to avoid foam mess
• Pour *salsa* vinegar cup into dragon jar…

And watch what happens when you Feed a Dragon Hot Salsa!!

Enjoy Your Fire-Breathing Salsa Dragon!

• Connect the fire-breathing explosion to what happened in the story during the taco party fiasco
• Watch and discuss the reaction of these common household-substances
• Children will delight in the bubbling, foamy, eruption!

Dragons Love Food Creative Writing Craft

Materials

• Dragon Downloadable Template
• Scissors
• Glue/Tape
• Colors
• Pencil

Directions

• Choose a “Dragon” template. There are colored and black and white versions.: With or without a heading.
• There are also coloring pages available of the Dragons without the dotted cut-line.
• If you chose the black and white version, color it in and don’t forget to fill in the blank to choose what food dragons love. Choose whichever food you want! You are making your own mini version of the story.
• Cut the Dragon Template in half on the dotted line so that you have two pieces. The “Inside Template” will go in between the two pieces and attach them together.
• Next, choose an “Inside Template”. There are red-colored versions, or black and white versions. There are 7 different template versions, differentiated:
• Fill in the blank sentence frames that match the story // Prompts from the story with lines for your own writing // Prompts from the story with lines and picture space // Prompts with picture space only // All lines // Lines and Picture Space. Blank
• Fill in the inside template with writing or coloring.
• On the headings: fill in the name of the foods that dragons love and hate.
• Cut out the Inside Template**Keep the top and bottom tabs on! Do not cut them off*
• To connect the Dragon and Inside template, fold back the two tabs. Tape or glue the front side of the bottom tab to the top-back of the bottom half of the Dragon.  Then, tape/glue the front side of the top tab to the bottom-back of the top half of the Dragon.
• Next, take the top dragon half and fold it down over the inside-template halfway. Then take the bottom dragon half and fold it up, over the inside-template, until it meets with the top half to create a whole dragon again.
• The Inside Template should fold in on itself as you close the Dragon to make it whole, and then when you open the Dragon, your writing and drawing about dragons is revealed!

*~Overall, have fun creating your own Fire-Breathing Salsa Dragons, Dragons Love Food Crafts and I hope you and your little ones have a delicious, delightful, family-friends-and food-filled Holiday week of celebration and *relaxation!* Please comment below  – tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary  – or post on FaceBook to share your photos of your own *Fire-Breathing Salsa Dragons* and your own reading adventures! I’d love to hear from you!~*

*~Until next time, Happy Reading~*