English Dragons (Dragons Day 6)

European dragons come in two kinds. The first is the northern, Germanic dragon that flies through the air on powerful wings and breathes fire when provoked. It loves gold and other kinds of treasure; where it finds a hidden hoard it moves in and sleeps on top of it.

The most frequently encountered type of dragon in English folklore is the creeping and poisonous kind of dragon. It tends not to have wings, and it lurks in caves and marshes.  It devours cattle and maidens until a hero manages to dispatch it, or until a saint invokes the power of God to force it to move away. 

Beowulf and Saint George are the most famous dragon slayers in British mythology, but there are others. Today, there are two distinct dragons in the British Isles. The White dragon, which symbolises England, and the Red dragon that appears on the Welsh flag. Looking for dragon books in the library I was surprised to find factual books, anthologies and stories which all mention European and or English dragons.

These books provide a general introduction to dragons:

• Dragons  by Judy Tatchell and Peter Scott 

A simple introduction to myths about dragons from different countries, including where they live, what they eat, and how they look.

• Dragons?! by Lila Trap

This tours the globe describing the discoveries and ancient beliefs about dragons as mythological monsters, deities, creators of the world and guardians of its riches. The book tells the many stories of fierce battles, superpowers, mysteries of nature, local lore and legend. Thankfully, heroes abound and a clutch of cheeky chicks guides readers through the pages.

• Life-sized Dragons by John Grant and Fred Gambino

Ten life-sized pull-out flaps show dragons of every different shape, colour and personality, from crimson treasure hoarders to magnificent purple fire-breathers.The illustrations detail their physiology and biology and sit alongside informative text.

• Dragons by John Malam 

Enter the realm of legends with this guide to mythical creatures, dragons. Hunt down fearsome dragons, explore fairyland and discover the most famous giants and monsters in the world.

• Dragons Dragons  by Eric Carle

Fiery dragons, playful centaurs, the mysterious garusa, the web-footed bunyip--these and other mythological creatures abound in Eric Carle's Dragons Dragons. 

Compilations:

• Dragon Lore by Curatoria Draconis and Tomislav Tomic

Vibrant retellings of myths and legends that feature heroes and heroines from Thor to Merlin, Beowulf, Heracles, and the last dragon and the Princess. This includes a story about the red dragon and the white dragon.

• Fangs 'n Fire  by Chris Mould

Contains many traditional dragon myths and legends as well as some new and original tales. Stories include: George and the Dragon (traditional), The Dragon's Teeth (Greek myth), The Eyeless Dragons (Chinese myth), The Dragon Swarms (Edith Nesbit) and many more.

 • Dragons  by Christopher Rawson and Stephen Cartwright

Three hilarious, original tales of some not-so-scary mythical fire-breathing beasts. Each title is vividly illustrated, and is clearly laid out with speech bubbles to aid the narrative flow. 

• Tell Me Dragon  by Jackie Morris

Offers young readers a gallery of dragons in every shape, size, and temperament imaginable. They range from a beast as big as a village to a tiny species with whisper-thin wings, from a snaggle-toothed monster to a sea-dragon that races dolphins on the waves.

Individual books:

• Beowulf  by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman

In fifth-century Denmark, a murderous monster stalks the night, and only the great prince of the Geats has the strength and courage to defeat him. Beowulf's terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fiend, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous fire-dragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. Artfully retold and magnificently illustrated, this companion volume to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is made instantly accessible to children by a formidable children's book partnership.

• Saint George and the Dragon by Louie Stowell and John Coven

A humorous re-telling of the legendary tale, specially written for children who are starting to read on their own. Easy-to-read text and colourful illustrations bring the story of a fire-breathing dragon, a princess in peril and a bold knight to life. Includes background to the legend and the art it has inspired, as well as internet links to find out more.

• Saint George and the Dragon  retold by Margaret Hodges and Trina Schart Hyman

In this Caldecott Award-winning picture book, Hodges retells an exciting segment from Spenser's The Faerie Queene, in which the Red Cross Knight slays a dreadful dragon that has been terrorising the country.

• St George and the Dragon  by Geraldine McCaughrean and Nick Palin

This beautifully told story gives a vivid background of frightened villagers, an evil- minded dragon who has been shaped by his birth in “the deepest crevices of a bottomless pool” and his wicked dragon parents, and an heroic St George. 

• The Loathsome Dragon by David Wiesner and Kim Kahng

This is a retold story from an1890 English fairy tales called the Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh. A father of two children marries an enchantress and she gets jealous of the daughter and the son is over seas.  She turns the girl into a dragon and the brother must break the spell.

• Merlin and the Dragons by Jane Yolen and Li Ming

Young King Arthur, troubled by nightmares, doubts he is the rightful king of England. One rainy night, the wizard Merlin tells Arthur the story of dueling dragons and a fateful clash between good and evil, which reveals the surprising secret of the boy king's true legacy.

• Lancelot  by Hudson Talbot

Though Arthur was the greatest king that Britain had ever known, Lancelot was the Round Table's greatest knight. Orphaned in battle and rescued by the Lady of the Lake, Lancelot is raised in the enchanted domain of Avalon, where he is schooled in the arts of chivalry by the finest knights in the world.  Defeating giants, slaying dragons and rescuing damsels in distress are all in a day's work for the dynamic, young warrior.

East Dragon vs West Dragon (Dragons Day 4)

 

Two giant, imposing dragons confront their greatest fears…each other!

East Dragon and West Dragon live on opposite sides of the world. They have never met—and they like it that way. East Dragon is sure that West Dragon’s huge wings mean that he is very, very strong. West Dragon fears that East Dragon’s long, swishy tail means that he is very, very fierce. But when some meddlesome knights start a riff between their two kingdoms, East Dragon and West Dragon are finally forced to come face-to-fire-breathing-face. Might the two dragons finally discover they aren’t so different after all?

Detail-rich illustrations combine with a lighthearted, inspiring message to create a playful twist on the classic theme of fierce, fearless dragons. This story of friendship across cultures begs to be read again and again!

In an early scene in this book the dragons are hanging out with the Emperor’s people and in the final scene the dragons are hanging out with the King’s people. This comparison is timely because as The Year of the Dragon approaches it is the time to compare Eastern dragons and Western dragons.

Eastern dragons:

• are smaller than Western dragons

• are long-bodied like snakes

• have no wings

• have long bodies

• two horns for ears

• breath clouds of air

• live near water

• are believed to control the weather

• are kind wise friends to human beings

• are auspicious and lucky

• represent peace, prosperity and authority.

Western dragons:

• are reptilian  lizard-like animals

• fire-breathing

• scaly green bodies

• are fierce and 

• red wings

• roar

• live in caves

• are greedy and will eat anything

• are evil and malevolent

• hoard gold

• were particularly active in the Middle Ages, when brave knights challenged them to battle.

These differences mean that whatever picture books you choose to read with children, the dragons will likely fall into one of these dragon types depending upon their behaviour.

16th January Appreciate a Dragon (Dragons Day 3)

I was at high school when I read The Reluctant Dragon, the 1938 classic by Kenneth Grahame. It wasn't the beautifully illustrated version by Inga Moore, or the 80th anniversary version with an introduction by Sophie Blackall, but nevertheless I loved it and occasionally I do manage to get a parent to read an illustrated version as their family read aloud. If this stand-alone dragon tale is not your go to, try some of these series with your child or class.

• Warren and Dragon by Ariel Bernstein (4 titles)

Warren is a seven-year-old boy. Dragon is a seven-hundred-year-old dragon. Not that most people believe that. 

- 100 Friends; Weekend with Chewy; Volcano Deluxe;  and Scary Sleepover.

• The Dragons of Wayward Crescent by Chris d'Lacey (4)

When Lucy Pennykettle suspects there's a monster in her bedroom, her mum knows exactly what to do. She makes a guard dragon - Gruffen - to look after Lucy. But soon Gruffen realises there's a mystery behind the monster...

- Gruffen; Gauge; Glade  and Grabber

• There's a Dragon in ... by Tom Nicoll (7)

Small dragon ... big trouble! When Eric finds a tiny dragon nestled among the beansprouts in his Friday night takeaway, he thinks it's a free toy. But Pan the Mini-Dragon is very real indeed - and he's about to get Eric into a whole heap of trouble... 

- Dinner; Backpack; Toilet; Stocking; Pants; Popcorn; and Boot

• Billy is a  Dragon by Nick Falk (4)

When nine-year-old Billy Fincher gets bitten by a lizard at his local pet shop, strange things start to happen...His fingernails turn into claws, his skin becomes green and he starts breathing fire. Billy can't hide it any longer - he's turning into a dragon. And when his parents decide to sell him to the zoo, Billy has to make a decision.

- First Bite; Werewolves Beware; The Shadow Shifter and Eaten Alive.

• Trouble...  by Cate Whittle (4)

Ages and ages ago - about two weeks since next Thursday - a giant green dragon stole my baby brother, Godfrey. Well, okay, the giant green dragon actually stole the house... I saw it all happen. 

- Trouble at Home; Trouble and the Missing Cat;Trouble and the New Kid and  Trouble and the Exploding House.

• Dragon Knight by Kyle Mewburn (6)

Sometimes being half boy, half dragon gets really messy! An outrageous and revoltingly funny medieval series that'll set you on fire!

- Fire; Rats!; Witch; Dragons!; Joust! and Barbarians.

• Naughty Dragons  by Natalie Jane Prior (4)

In the Laidley Hundreds, dangerous wild dragons roam the Highlands. But dragons aren't born bad - just naughty!   When Ava and Jack's parents agree to foster two young dragons, the siblings can't believe their luck. But teaching a mischievous pair of dragons how to behave isn't easy, and Jack and Ava will have their work cut out for them with Graun and Fafnine.

- Make Trouble!; Try School!; Fire Up! and Camp Out!

• Dragon Girls by Maddie Mara (12)

Azmina, Willa, and Naomi are thrilled to learn they're Glitter Dragon Girls. Summoned to the Magic Forest by its magnificent ruler, the Tree Queen, the girls quickly find out their dragon-selves have unbelievable abilities. They can soar above the treetops, breathe glitter-y bursts of fire, and roar loud enough to shake the ground. 

• Dragon Games  by Maddie Mara (3 at the moment)

One fateful afternoon, classmates Luca, Yazmine, and Zane stumble upon a strange-looking rock called a geode in one of the rooms at school. To their surprise, a touch of this geode transports them to a magical land named Imperia.

- The Thunder Egg; The Frozen Sea  and The Battle for Imperia.

• Dragon Storm  by Alistair Chisholm (8)

Tom never knew dragons were real. Then he was taken to the Guild—a training ground for young dragonseers. Now he and his dragon, Ironskin, must bond, discover Ironskin’s power, and train to be heroes. When Iron-skin disappears, Tom worries that he isn’t a dragonseer after all.

• The Boy Who Grew Dragons  by Andy Shepherd (6)

When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandad's garden, he doesn't think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house - and gets the shock and delight of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragonfruit tree, and Tomas has got his very own dragon, Flicker ...

• My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (3) This classic is over 50 years old, has been turned into a movie and makes a lovely family read-aloud.

Having read some of these series, they will now enjoy The Kingdom of Wrenly, Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly graphic novel series, How to Train Your Dragon, Wings of Fire, and the myriad of other dragon stories for older audiences.

16th January Appreciate a Dragon (Dragons Day 2)

Do you like dragons? I am not a great lover of reading fantasy, but watching what the young readers that use the library like to read, I know under eights, beginning to be independent readers, like to read about good versus evil, magic beings, duels and fights and adventures where the small are victorious.

Dragons have been part of human history for centuries. These creatures have appeared in the folklore of cultures all around the world.They are mythical creatures with loud flapping wings, flaming breath, and steely scales. They are viewed as unstoppable masters of chaos and so many stories, be they books or films, songs and craft activities feature them. For a large collection of books to choose from see this Pinterest page. 

School for Australian children does not begin until the end of January, so we will not be at school to appreciate the designated day, but our school library has planned a big display of dragon books to begin the year because it aligns well with Chinese New Year as it is the Year of the Dragon. 

It is also a good time to show students all the beginning reading series that feature dragons, and there's certainly many to choose from.

• M P Robertson's The Egg series. These are four picture books with plenty of text and amazing illustrations and these books are a great place to start your 'battle' with dragons.

George knew something wasn't right when he found more than he had bargained for under his mother's favourite chicken. George takes the enormous egg inside and puts it in his room. There he reads stories to it until finally the egg begins to rumble and out pops a baby dragon. 'Mummy' it says. George takes it upon himself to teach the hatchling 'dragony' ways, until one night the dragon flies away to find its own kind.

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- The Egg; The Great Dragon Rescue; The Dragon Snatcher  and  The Dragon and the Gruesome Twosome.

• Paul Jennings Rascal series. There are 14 titles in this series and the stories become addictive with the five year olds in my library. We have the pocket sized copies which adds to their appeal because they look like chapter books.

Ben wants a dragon the same way most kids long for a pet dog. When Dad keeps refusing Ben's request, Ben cleverly finds an important use for the dragon, should the family get one.

• Dav Pilkey's Dragon series. This series has been reissued as part of Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, which is aimed at children who are learning to read. There are five titles.

Lonely Dragon has made a friend, and he loves spending time with his new buddy! He enjoys telling scary stories, cracking funny jokes, and fixing a midnight snack for them to share. But when his friend appears to be ill, Dragon demonstrates what it means to be a true friend.

– A Friend for Dragon; Dragon's Fat Cat; Dragon Gets By; Dragon's Halloween  and  Dragon's Merry Christmas.

• Margaret Ryan's The Littlest Dragon series is perfect for newly independent  readers.

The youngest of ten dragon brothers, the Littlest Dragon, known as Number 10  always has the best and brightest ideas for getting his own way.

- The Littlest Dragon; The Littlest Dragon Gets the Giggles; The Littlest Dragon Goes for Goal and The Littlest Dragon at School

• Shoo Raynor's Dragon Series has three books starting with Dragon Gold  where we are introduced to Harri who wants to win a school competition to make a dragon that can fly.

- Dragon Gold; Dragon White  and Dragon Red.

• Dragon Masters by Tracey West is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches which is aimed at newly independent readers. They have easy-to-read text, high interest content, fast-paced plots and illustrations on every page. There are at least 25 books in this reading marathon. In 2023, one of my Year 1 boys  managed to read them all!

Eight year old Drake is snatched up by King Roland's soldier and taken to the castle. He is to be trained as a Dragon Master. At the castle, he is joined by three other young Dragon Masters-in-training: Ana, Rori, and Bo. The Dragon Masters must learn how to connect with and train their dragons--and they must also uncover their dragons' special powers.

• Draglins  by Vivian French (8)

Meet four teeny-tiny dragons in some wonderfully endearing adventures as they leave their home in the attic and go out into the great outdoors. 

• The Dragonsitter series by Josh Lacey. There are ten books in this series.

Eddie is a young boy trusted with an incredibly big task: he must look after his uncle's pet dragon, Ziggy, every time his uncle is off on a holiday. The only problem is Ziggy is a very naughty pet dragon who always seems to get himself (and Eddie) into lots of  trouble.

• Luma and the Pet Dragon  by Leah Mohammed. At the moment there are three titles in the series.

When Luma Dewan wakes up on the morning of her seventh birthday, she knows that today will be special. But she has no idea just how wonderful and extraordinary it will be. For today is the day she will meet Timir – a real talking dragon. Or at least when Luma is around that's what he is. When anyone else is there, he becomes an ordinary grey puppy with a fluffy tail, 

- Luma and the Pet Dragon; Luma and the Hiccuping Dragon  and Luma and the Grumpy Dragon.

• Dragon Slayers' Academy by Kate McMullan. There are twenty books in the series, too many to list.

Welcome to the Dark Ages, where dastardly dragons rule the land and the life of a weedy boy called Wiglaf is about to change forever. . . There's only one place an ordinary boy can learn to be a hero - the Dragon Slayers' Academy. Join Wiglaf on his quest to take on tyrants and battle the most fearsome of beasts!

More series, slightly longer and requiring more reading stamina tomorrow .

16th January Appreciate a Dragon (Dragons Day 1)

Happy New Year! It's the Chinese Year of the Dragon and the International Year of Camelids. It's 2024!

To coincide with Appreciate a Dragon Day and in preparation for Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon we have planned to display dragon books in the library to start the New School Year which begins at the end of January. We have so many books featuring dragons, so over a series of blogs, I will introduce you to what is on offer for our library users. There are seven days so you will be able to make a long list of books to get from your library.

Firstly, my young students associate dragons with fairytales, knights, breathing fire and having battles, and yes the stories they choose to read do feature these kind of dragons, but there's many more to explore. There's chapter books, myths and legends, Asian folktales and dragons who are friendly. 

Are you ready to battle a dragon? This is the signage above the library display but many of the dragons in the pictures displayed above the books make the dragons look friendly, fun and not too scary because the readers who frequent my library are under eight or parents and teachers of these students who are at preschool or in Kindergarten, Grade 1 or Grade 2.

For my very young readers I would start with books such as these:

• How to Catch a Dragon by Carol Hart and Ed Eaves

• Sylvia and Bird by Catherine Rayner

• This is Not a Fairytale  by Will Mabbit and Fred Blunt

• Me and My Dragon  by David Biedrzycki

• King Jack and the Dragon  by Peter Bently and Helen Oxenbury

• Jill &  Dragon  by Lesley Barnes

• Again!  by Emily Gravatt

• Look Out, It's a Dragon! by Jonny Lambert

• Ellie's Dragon  by Bob Graham

• Dragon Dancing by Carole Lexa Schaefer and Pierr Morgan

• George and the Dragon  and  George, the Dragon and the Princess by Chris Wormell