Nobody takes the youngest member of the family seriously when she announces that she is a dragon. Even when Bee Frog describes herself as not nice and fierce, her mother proceeds with her chores, her father reads his newspaper, and her grandmother keeps napping. This bruise to her self-image prompts the little frog to leave home, making her dramatic departure in a series of hops that transport her to a solitary rock in a pond. She reflects on her imagined identity, relishing the idea of being a frightful creature, until she wonders if dragons ever get lonely. With perfect timing, this moment of insight coincides with her parents' awareness of Bee's need for recognition as they come looking for her. They feign fear as she ambushes them from her safe spot in the reeds; once they willingly play along, Bee Dragon happily reclaims her original protected status. Soft, verdant watercolor-and-pencil illustrations exude comfort and charm, and the last one says it all with little Bee Frog hopping home for tea, hand in hand with her parents. Use this gentle story to discuss imaginative play or in combination with Larry Dane Brimner's The Littlest Wolf (HarperCollins, 2002) to reassure children who are seeking greater power in their world.–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.