Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson.

While looking for dragon books for the October 14, 2021 Peculiar Picks, I discovered there are so many awesome dragon books, so, there will be more draconic Peculiar Picks, including this one, to come, some around certain recurring themes.

This month, we look at dragons and their eating habits. What do you think dragons like to eat?

The Yin Yang Sisters and the Dragon Frightful by Nancy Tupper Ling, illustrated by Andrea Offermann
Library Catalog
Twin sisters, of opposite temperaments, and a town beleaguered by a sleeping dragon. A wonderfully illustrated story with themes of family, sisterly bonds, persistence and ingenuity, with a surprising culinary resolution.

Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon by Ute Krause
Library Catalog
When there are no more princesses for the town to feed to the dragon, poor Oscar is sent. However, Oscar uses his brains and blossoming cooking skills to change his fate and the town’s draconic problem.

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Ben Mantle
Library Catalog
A colorful and hilarious take on the classic “There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly” shows that dragons will eat… well, just about anything.

Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays by Jon Stahl, illustrated by Tadgh Bentley
Library Catalog
Two little monstery creatures begin telling a story featuring a dragon that is rebuked from eating a knight by a brave girl that proves to the dragon it’s Tuesday, and dragons only eat noodles on Tuesday. When the dragon appears out of the story before the two little monstery creatures, however, it is not Tuesday… It’s Wednesday.

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
OverDrive & Libby / hoopla / Library Catalog
Dragons Love Tacos 2: the sequel by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
OverDrive & Libby / hoopla / Library Catalog
Dragons Love Tacos probably does not fit under the “perhaps not well known” aspect of Peculiar Picks, but I can’t not include this raucously funny book as it sure does check a lot of other Peculiar Picks boxes – it is unabashedly funny, irreverent, and odd. Read it and laugh. Then, read the absolutely absurd time-traveling sequel, Dragons Love Tacos 2, and laugh some more. Since this is a fairly well known book, I’ll take this opportunity to also recommend another title by this creative duo, which I don’t see as many people reading, but is also just a fun weird LOL book: Secret Pizza Party (hoopla / Library Catalog).

Dragon Stew by Steve Smallman, illustrated by Lee Wildish
Library Catalog
While the rest of these titles feature dragons eating, Dragon Stew is about eating dragons. Some bored vikings decide to go on a quest to Dragon Island to find a dragon to slay and make some dragon stew – things don’t go their way. Hilarious illustrations and silly rhymes make this a great read-aloud.