• On the first page, think aloud about the picture of the boy’s bedroom. Ask what we can infer about him? (We can infer that he loves dragons based on all of the pictures of dragons in his bedroom and toy dragons around the room. Students can connect this experience with what is in their bedrooms.)
• Later in the text, stop and ask if we can tell if our inference that the boy likes dragons is confirmed. How can we tell? (He is working very hard making lots and lots of tacos for a party for the dragons.)
• P. 9 — How does the dragon feel about spicy taco toppings? Look at the picture. The dragon is lying down with his tongue out and hands on his belly. When we have a bellyache, we sometimes put our hands on our bellies and we might lie down. We stick our tongues out when we don’t like something as if to say, “Yuck!”
• Confirm the inference by going back to p. 7 and discuss what happens when a dragon has just one drop of spicy salsa (a dragon’s ears smoke, it gives them tummy troubles).

• P. 20 —  the boy realizes that the totally mild salsa has jalapeños in it. Ask the students to predict what they think will happen. Will the dragons eat the jalapeños? What will happen if they do? Will the boy try to stop them? Have the students tell an elbow buddy their predictions.
• P. 23-24 — Discuss what actually did happen when the dragons ate the jalapeños. Ask students to predict what will happen next.
• P. 25-26 — Confirm predictions and discuss.

This book provides a great opportunity to discuss cause and effect relationships.

There are only a few words on the pages describing cause and effect. The story is mostly told through pictures. Discuss signal words for cause and effect and ask the students to use one of those signal words in writing a sentence or two explaining what happens on these pages.

• There are plenty of opportunities to model fluent, expressive reading in this text. It practically begs to be read aloud. Model reading with expression and proper phrasing. 
• P. 3 — Model how to read a sentence that ends with a question mark. 
• P. 11-12 — Demonstrate proper phrasing. Although there are no commas, the words are spaced out on the page so as to encourage pauses between the phrases. 
• P. 21— Model reading “DO NOT LET THOSE DRAGONS EAT THOSE TACOS!!! with expression. Have students practice with an elbow buddy.

P. 20 — Look at the fine print on the jar of totally mild salsa. Ask students what they think that long j word could be. Look at the picture on the jar. It is shaped kind of like a banana, but it is green with a little stem. 

When the students finally figure out that the green things are jalapeños, praise their use of the pictures to solve the word.