One of the most read in our family.

This is a cute little story with wonderful pictures, very different. There is no overwhelming moral that I can detect which is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a book I remember reading as a child at my doctor's office that I found a year or so ago at a used bookstore and have just gotten around to cataloging. Re-reading the story of a dragon whose laughter gets him banished really brought me back to my childhood. Love this! ( )

http://www.childfun.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=94
Story takes place in Japan. As the Emperor was about to eat his morning egg, out jumped a little smiling dragon. The Emperor names him Hojo and he becomes the Imperial Pet. He makes himself very useful by cooking food, heating the palace, etc. However, every time Hojo laughed, out came flames. The Imperial Physician tried everything to put out Hojo's fire. One day, the Palace caught on fire and Hojo was sent to a small island. On this island there lived a turtle, George. Hojo and George became good friends. Because of the warmth of Hojo's fire, the island became a beautiful place where all the birds from Japan migrated to. They told Hojo how Japan was having the worst winter ever. George tries to teach Hojo to hold his breath ... inflating like a balloon, Hojo floats towards Japan. They reach Japan where Hojo rescues everyone.