View source for The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon by Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)

{{infobox1
|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|sort=Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A gorgeous book for the 5 to 9 age group which gently encourages children to tackle their fears.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=42
|publisher=theweightofink.com
|date=September 2023
|isbn=978-1732898769
|website=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0016275/
|cover=1732898766
|aznuk=1732898766
|aznus=1732898766
}}
When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute.  Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them.  He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils.  (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.)  Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped.  They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.

Don't you just love those names?  They wander around your tongue and emerge with a giggle.  The target audience for ''The Sour Milk Dragon'' is the five- to nine-year-old age group and whilst the story is quite simple, the language used and concepts are demanding.  You need to accept that caterpillar coffee, weenut toast, worm waffles, marmalade moths, grasshopper gooeys and cricket cakes make for delicious food.  Did you notice that gorgeous alliteration?  It's lovely to read and even better to speak.  It's a great book to share with a group of children.

But back to the plot.  It is simple but it's a good point, well made.  We all have our fears: for me, it's heights and snakes.  Some of the fear is valid but much of it isn't and in the case of the two brothers their fears of this particular dragon are not well-founded.  Fortunately, they find that Sour Milk is a good friend and playmate.  But - you have to be open to realising that your judgement might be wrong this and that's a great life skill to have.  

The writing is clear and direct but there's something else that raises this book above the norm and that's Indre Ta's illustrations.  They are rich and lustrous, generous in what they deliver.  I loved looking at the images and particularly appreciated that one of the brothers wears glasses.  It helps children accept disadvantages are normal.

''Sour Milk Dragon'' is book one in the Birpus and Bulbus books: I'm looking forward to hearing about what the brothers do next.  I'd like to thank the authors for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

One of Bookbag's very favourite books is [[The Boy Who Loved Boxes: A Children's Book for Adults by Michael Albanese|The Boy Who Loved Boxes]] by Michael Albanese.  It's a children's book for adults!

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[[Category:Wynn Everett-Albanese]] [[Category:Michael Albanese]] [[Category:Indre Ta]]