Fangs 'n' Fire: Ten Dragon Tales

Gr 3–6—This collection of 10 short stories, well-known and original, will fire up readers' imaginations. The selections have been culled from mythology and folklore and include the traditional Saint George (referred to here simply as George) and Edith Nesbit's more recent 'Deliverers of Their Country' (referred to here as 'The Dragon Swarms'). These classic tales have been adapted for shorter attention spans, condensing descriptions and dialogue and keeping the focus on action. The five original stories offer new material for dragon lovers and storytellers alike. The closing story, "The Smallest Dragon," explains the reason books have chapters, cautioning bookworms everywhere. As the title implies, most of the creatures included here are dangerous and cunning, but any carnage is passed over, leaving readers to fill in details. The fire-red cover with a green scaly spine invites readers in. Additional cartoon illustrations are in black and white and in color. Full-bleed spreads and full spreads of text with spot illustrations add variety. Unfortunate conflicts with the gutter dampen the impact of some of the spreads. Story threads are sometimes dropped, leaving careful readers with questions, but overall, dragon lovers will warm up to these tales.—Carol S. Surges, Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI