From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4?As she did in The Tale of Custard the Dragon (Little, 1995), Munsinger brings Nash's appealing cowardly dragon to life through her lively ink-and-watercolor illustrations. Belinda is kidnapped by the notorious Sir Garagoyle and it is Custard, not the child's other reluctant pets, who sets out to rescue her. " 'Well,' said Custard, 'at least I'm in the mood/To be the toughest chicken that was ever chewed.' " Munsinger's deft portrayal of the poem's action and characters is a perfect match for Nash's clever wordplay. Her paintings, whether of the arrival of the evil Sir Garagoyle ("You could tell he was wicked, for he reeked of roguery") or of Custard's rescue flight ("With headlight eyes and spikes a-bristle/He pierced the air like a locomotive whistle") perfectly convey the poem's light tone. Thanks to Munsinger for introducing a new generation to Belinda and her "realio, trulio, little pet dragon."?Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CTCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. As in The Tale of Custard the Dragon (1995), Munsinger illustrates Nash's nonsense poem with affectionate line-and-watercolor pictures that express the farce and the coziness of the story. Belinda's pet dragon is always getting flustered, so the other pets call him Cowardly Custard. Then, when Belinda gets captured by Sir Garagoyle, the shy dragon breaks down her prison gates with his "blowtorch breath," flattens the wicked knight, and flies Belinda home. Kids will love the first reversal--a knight can't always beat a dragon--but there's a further funny surprise: when Custard gets back home, he's scared by a rabbit in the kitchen. This time, he responds to the jeers with a nonchalant shrug: "I've learned what a nuisance bravery can be, / So a coward's life is the life for me." The rhymes are fun, and the pictures, with lots of purple and green, get the mock-heroic gestures and the cuddles of Belinda and her funny pet. Hazel Rochman


Card catalog description
In this humorous poem, Custard the cowardly dragon saves the fair maiden Belinda from the wicked Sir Garagoyle.

ANNOTATION

In this humorous poem, Custard the cowardly dragon saves the fair maiden Belinda from the wicked Sir Garagoyle.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ogden Nash, the "foremost practitioner of light verse" (Saturday Review), rhymes a second adventure starring Custard the cowardly dragon, Belinda, a nd her brave pets Ink, Blink, and Mustard. A wicked, wicked knight takes Belinda from her peaceful household to his dark, dank castle, and it is up to Custard to rescue her. Full color.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature

Wonderful, wonderful Ogden Nash! When Belinda is carried off by a wicked knight, her friends, Blink the mouse, Ink the Cat, and Mustard the dog, all run away in terror. Custard the cowardly Dragon is left alone and realizes "There's no one to rescue her but chickenhearted me." And he decides he's "in the mood to be the toughest chicken that was ever chewed." When he finally finds Sir Garagoyle and Belinda in the wicked knight's ice castle, he melts the ice with his fiery breath and rescues Belinda. Once they're home again, Blink, Ink, and Mustard tease Custard because he is still afraid of rabbits. But Belinda tells him not to fret because "a cowardly dragon makes the nicest pet." Nash's brilliant humor shines throughout the text and Lynn Munsinger's characters are, as always, absolutely delightful and full of fun.

School Library Journal