Magic Galore In Childrens Book About Dragons


By Mattie MacDonald


Dragons, those huge, scary mythical beasts with wings and fire-lashing forked tongues that can devour anything in their path, are popular figures in children's books. These creatures with their magic powers are what fantasy is about . . . And who can relate better to fantasy than kids?

Everybody has heard one or more stories about dragons. Young boys dream of slaying the monster and earning knighthood for saving a damsel in distress from the evil dragon. Young girls normally swoon over the fantasy prince in fairy tales who wins the hand of the beautiful, captive princess by slaying the dreaded monster. Almost every childrens book about dragons feature an impressive phantom monster with supernatural skills that appeals to their vivid imagination.

Dragons must have some very special qualities to make them so popular. Young and old enjoy dragon stories. One can only wonder why mankind remain so intrigued by a phantom character that is not even real.

Every kid knows the answer to that question. They KNOW that dragons are real and alive and living between us. The fact that grownups have lost the sensory skills to see, hear and communicate with them, does not make them less real . . . So, if you want to know what a dragon really looks like and says, you just have to ask a kid.

Kids will tell you there are many kinds of dragons. Big ones and small ones. Kind ones and cruel ones. They all look different and each one has different magical powers and purposes. In the world of dragons, magic is real!

Today, there are literally a whole world of dragons for kids to play with and read about. Popular characters in the dragon world, such as Puff, the Magic Dragon, pop up like magic in video games, coloring books, pencil boxes, TV programs, puzzles, stickers and even on candy wrappers. Dragon lovers can take their favorite hero everywhere with them - even to bed in the form of a dragon doll or a printed duvet cover and pillow case! Children can even check out all facts about them on a new Kids Wikipedia about Dragons.

Clever artists and illustrators know there is no scientific proof of what a dragon truly looks like, and that only children can see them. That's why they listen to kids and study children's drawings of dragons to get an idea of how to portray them. Unlike in the human world, dragons can be any color, size or shape. Some can fly, while others have long legs and huge claws to jump across mountains and oceans. Cruel, man eating dragons have horns and razor sharp teeth, while baby dragons are cute and cuddly.

Kids will tell you that baby dragons come from huge eggs. When they are ready to be born, they crawl out of the egg and start walking or flying straight away. Good dragons always have to protect themselves and the universe from the cruel, fire-spitting monsters and in the world of dragons, the good always wins!

It is still a mystery where dragons come from and where they live. Tales from the Middle Ages portray them as cruel, blood-thirsty land dwelling man eaters. In the days of Christopher Columbus, it was believed that they live in the sea. Most dragons have huge wings, indicating that they might even live somewhere up high in the sky or on another planet from where they watch and visit us.

Do these magical creatures stem from exaggerated myths about huge snakes, lizards and dinosaurs, or are they real and only visible to children? Who knows? One thing is for sure: mankind has always, throughout history, been fascinated by dragons and the thousands of children's books about dragons that are still being published today, prove that they are still alive and well . . . And probably will be with us forever!




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