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An Illustrated Treasury of Dragon Tales: Stories from Around the World
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V každej kultúre sa nájde jedinečná legenda o drakoch. Táto nádherne ilustrovaná antológia prináša mýty z ďalekej Číny, Japonska, Mexika, Indie či z Egypta, ale aj z Ruska, Grécka, Poľska, zo Škótska a Škandinávie. Čakajú vás had hltajúci slnko a nenásytná sedemhlavá príšera, bystré deti, severskí bohovia aj nápomocné mláďatká. Odhaľte zakopaný poklad s tromi drakmi z ruského paláca Petergof, bojujte so smrtiacim drakom z Kolchidy spolu s princom Iasonom, hrdinom starovekého Grécka, preskúmajte japonské podmorské kráľovstvá s dračou princeznou, ktorá mení podobu...
Každú legendu dopĺňajú krásne a detailne prepracované ilustrácie známej škótskej ilustrátorky Kate Leiperovej.
Pre čitateľov od 8 rokov
V každej kultúre sa nájde jedinečná legenda o drakoch. Táto nádherne ilustrovaná antológia prináša mýty z ďalekej Číny, Japonska, Mexika, Indie či z Egypta, ale aj z Ruska, Grécka, Poľska, zo Škótska a Škandinávie. Čakajú vás had hltajúci slnko a nenásytná sedemhlavá príšera, bystré deti, severskí bohovia aj nápomocné mláďatká. Odhaľte zakopaný poklad s tromi drakmi z ruského paláca Petergof, bojujte so smrtiacim drakom z Kolchidy spolu s princom Iasonom, hrdinom starovekého Grécka, preskúmajte japonské podmorské kráľovstvá s dračou princeznou, ktorá mení podobu...
Každú legendu dopĺňajú krásne a detailne prepracované ilustrácie známej škótskej ilustrátorky Kate Leiperovej.
Pre čitateľov od 8 rokov
168 pages, Hardcover
Published May 6, 2025
3 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Theresa Breslin
90 books96 followersTheresa Breslin is a Scottish author of over 50 books, known for her contributions to children's and young adult literature. She won the Carnegie Medal in 1994 for Whispers in the Graveyard, which tells the story of a dyslexic boy overcoming personal struggles. Born and raised in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, she started writing as a teenager and later worked as a librarian before becoming a full-time author.
Her works often explore historical and social themes, as seen in Divided City (2005), which addresses sectarianism in Glasgow, and The Medici Seal (2006), a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci. Her book Prisoner of the Inquisition (2010) was shortlisted for another Carnegie Medal.
Breslin has received numerous accolades, including the Scottish Book Trust's Outstanding Achievement Award and an Honorary Fellowship from the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature.
Her works often explore historical and social themes, as seen in Divided City (2005), which addresses sectarianism in Glasgow, and The Medici Seal (2006), a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci. Her book Prisoner of the Inquisition (2010) was shortlisted for another Carnegie Medal.
Breslin has received numerous accolades, including the Scottish Book Trust's Outstanding Achievement Award and an Honorary Fellowship from the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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September 1, 2025Absolutely gorgeous illustrations and the two stories I read were captivating and beautifully told with a timeless storytelling flavor. I got busy and didn't get all of them read before it's due back at the library (it's popular and has holds) but I would love to read more as well as others in this series.
May 19, 2025
The Illustrated Treasury of Dragon Tales: Stories from Around the World definite lives up to its name, as children will absolutely treasure these folktales. Theresa Breslin includes tales in which the dragon is the hero, the dragon is the villain and several in between; the stories spring from Russia, China, India, Mesoamerica, Japan, Scandinavia, Ancient Egypt and more! My favorite by far was “The Dragon of Kinnoull Meets St. Serf,” set in Perthshire, Scotland, in which Broca, a greatly underestimated, clever woodcutter’s daughter, saves the day. The stories are so beautiful that it is hard to decide which is more lovely: the prose or Kate Leiper’s jewel-toned illustrations. Luckily, readers don’t have to decide. Five fire-breathing stars!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and Floris books in exchange for an honest review.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and Floris books in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2025
This collection of dragon tales from around the world includes legends from Mexico, Scandinavia, Greece, China, India, Poland, Egypt, Scotland, and Japan. Some are just fairy tales, some are ancient religious stories, some are connected with historic castles, but they all have an aura of enchantment. Some of the dragons are evil and greedy, and some are benevolent and generous.
I really loved that each story has a little afterword that tells us something about the culture of the area or the historic significance of the dragon legend. It's so interesting to see the cultural background of these stories! There are also some pronunciation guides for all the names of characters.
The artwork is absolutely beautiful! I love the soft style and the warm colors. Each tale has a color scheme that matches the region where the legend originated. A soft green for Scotland with celtic knot designs. A deep red for Russia, a vibrant blue for Mexico, a demure purple for Japan, and a warm orange for Greece. It's lovely to see how the illustrations and designs reflect the different cultures around the world.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
I really loved that each story has a little afterword that tells us something about the culture of the area or the historic significance of the dragon legend. It's so interesting to see the cultural background of these stories! There are also some pronunciation guides for all the names of characters.
The artwork is absolutely beautiful! I love the soft style and the warm colors. Each tale has a color scheme that matches the region where the legend originated. A soft green for Scotland with celtic knot designs. A deep red for Russia, a vibrant blue for Mexico, a demure purple for Japan, and a warm orange for Greece. It's lovely to see how the illustrations and designs reflect the different cultures around the world.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
May 5, 2025
Theresa Breslin presents ten dragon tales from around the world in this sumptuously illustrated anthology. The individual stories run about 10-15 pages, with the book’s thoughtful graphic design making each one a visual treat. A full page of a repeated, subtle Chinese character in pale gold faces the title page in the first story, “Héhuā and her Golden Dragon-Boy”. The author also provides a short introduction to the tale, subtle pronunciation help, and a concluding note about the significance of the dragon dance in Chinese culture. There’s plenty of white space around Kate Leiper’s graceful watercolor and pastel illustrations, with some appearing as vignettes and others as dramatic, full-page bleeds, with Chinese visual motifs as decorative accents. This story would make a great read aloud, with its brave heroine and repeated use of the phrase “nine hundred and ninety-nine”. The next story, set in Scotland, sounds markedly different, with humorous asides and an eye-rolling young girl who saves her village without much help from a dreamy holy man. Breslin keeps up the variation in tone as the book continues and Leiper’s dragon illustrations also shift, appearing successively as beautiful, eerie, frightening, and even cute; there’s definitely a dragon adventure here for everyone and all the stories were new to me. Breslin wisely assumes that readers will not be equally familiar with all of these folktale settings; she presents just enough background information in either her notes or right in the text to keep us engaged. A story about Thor, Loki, and Loki’s monstrous dragon offspring Jörmungandr efficiently outlined the Norse family’s complex relationship in the second paragraph so that the story could plunge expeditiously into Loki’s prank with the Giant Drinking Horn (which appears draped sinuously over the bottom of two pages, with Thor’s lips ready to drain it). Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
May 20, 2025
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
This is precisely the sort of book I would have bought when my children were younger. Dragon's are a great fantasy creature, providing plenty of imagination fodder for young readers. This book not only offers a series of short, fantasy adventures, but it provides a bit of history as well. It's always fun when a child can learn something without realizing they're learning.
Author Theresa Breslin tells ten short stories, each from a different region (China, Scotland, Egypt, Poland, Mexico, Scandinavia, Russia, Greece, Japan, India). In addition to the story itself, there's a very brief explanation of how the dragon fits into the regions' cultures.
No book like this would work well without art. Here, artist Kate Leiper illustrates each of the stories with some lovely, soft work reminiscent of Tomie de Paola. Each dragon is uniquely depicted, helping to clarify their different origins.
I can picture myself reading these stories to my children and how each child might take inspiration for the stories. But this is one of those unique picture books - there's almost not quite enough art per page to entertain the youngest children, and a lot of depth to the stories, challenging the older, reading-abled children. I still have plenty of these types of books on my shelves, but that would not prevent me from buying one such as this.
Children will likely enjoy a story a night at bedtime, and along with the history of the dragon myth, nicely prepared in just a couple of paragraphs, there's plenty of opportunity to talk with children about the myths and how and why they came to be.
Looking for a good book? An Illustrated treasury of Dragon Tales by Theresa Breslin and illustrated by Kate Leiper is definitely enjoyable and definitely encouraged for parents looking for a new book to share with their children.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
This is precisely the sort of book I would have bought when my children were younger. Dragon's are a great fantasy creature, providing plenty of imagination fodder for young readers. This book not only offers a series of short, fantasy adventures, but it provides a bit of history as well. It's always fun when a child can learn something without realizing they're learning.
Author Theresa Breslin tells ten short stories, each from a different region (China, Scotland, Egypt, Poland, Mexico, Scandinavia, Russia, Greece, Japan, India). In addition to the story itself, there's a very brief explanation of how the dragon fits into the regions' cultures.
No book like this would work well without art. Here, artist Kate Leiper illustrates each of the stories with some lovely, soft work reminiscent of Tomie de Paola. Each dragon is uniquely depicted, helping to clarify their different origins.
I can picture myself reading these stories to my children and how each child might take inspiration for the stories. But this is one of those unique picture books - there's almost not quite enough art per page to entertain the youngest children, and a lot of depth to the stories, challenging the older, reading-abled children. I still have plenty of these types of books on my shelves, but that would not prevent me from buying one such as this.
Children will likely enjoy a story a night at bedtime, and along with the history of the dragon myth, nicely prepared in just a couple of paragraphs, there's plenty of opportunity to talk with children about the myths and how and why they came to be.
Looking for a good book? An Illustrated treasury of Dragon Tales by Theresa Breslin and illustrated by Kate Leiper is definitely enjoyable and definitely encouraged for parents looking for a new book to share with their children.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
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June 11, 2025See my full review here: https://yabookscentral.com/an-illustr...
AN ILLUSTRATED TREASURY OF DRAGON TALES brings together tales of dragons from around the world with stunning illustrations. The book includes 10 different stories, labeled with the country of origin. Each story is also framed by additional context about how it is recognized in the country of origin. For instance, "The Dragon of Kinnoull Meets St. Serf" from Scotland includes some additional context about how there is a church dedicated to St. Serf in Dunning, and a few miles away, there is a cave known as "The Dragon's Den."
What I loved: These inspired tales are brought to life in a new way through the short story-style text and lush illustrations. The dragons in particular are stunningly drawn and come to life in each story. The use of color is fantastic and captures the mood of the story during each scene well. The images have a realistic quality with a lot of detail that adds to the atmosphere and imaginative nature of the tales.
In terms of the stories, these are quite a global collection, and it was fascinating to learn about the stories and their context in their country of origin. A particular favorite was the Egyptian story in our house, but they were all really engaging and told well in the book. Due to the length of the stories, these would work best for older elementary school readers who can appreciate the depth of the tales and slower turning pages.
Final verdict: With beautiful images and engaging curated tales, AN ILLUSTRATED TREASURY OF DRAGON TALES will captivate elementary school readers as they travel around the globe with dragon stories.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
AN ILLUSTRATED TREASURY OF DRAGON TALES brings together tales of dragons from around the world with stunning illustrations. The book includes 10 different stories, labeled with the country of origin. Each story is also framed by additional context about how it is recognized in the country of origin. For instance, "The Dragon of Kinnoull Meets St. Serf" from Scotland includes some additional context about how there is a church dedicated to St. Serf in Dunning, and a few miles away, there is a cave known as "The Dragon's Den."
What I loved: These inspired tales are brought to life in a new way through the short story-style text and lush illustrations. The dragons in particular are stunningly drawn and come to life in each story. The use of color is fantastic and captures the mood of the story during each scene well. The images have a realistic quality with a lot of detail that adds to the atmosphere and imaginative nature of the tales.
In terms of the stories, these are quite a global collection, and it was fascinating to learn about the stories and their context in their country of origin. A particular favorite was the Egyptian story in our house, but they were all really engaging and told well in the book. Due to the length of the stories, these would work best for older elementary school readers who can appreciate the depth of the tales and slower turning pages.
Final verdict: With beautiful images and engaging curated tales, AN ILLUSTRATED TREASURY OF DRAGON TALES will captivate elementary school readers as they travel around the globe with dragon stories.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
June 10, 2025
Stories featuring dragons of many shapes, sizes, and demeanors exist in folklore and mythology from around the world. Whether dragons breathe fire or swim beneath the sea, these fearsome creatures have a legacy that is divorced from physical evidence. While dragons may not be tangible, however, they are vividly alive in the imaginations of humans, and dragon stories are joyfully passed from one generation to the next. This compendium of tales is a global investigation of the collective imaginings of dragons. Concise storytelling is used throughout the book, distilling ancient tales into bedtime selections that are suitable for young readers. Best for an upper preschool- or elementary school-aged audience because of their length and complexity, these stories introduce a new generation of readers to the lore surrounding dragons. When potentially unfamiliar names or words are included, these are presented with a pronunciation guide to assist when reading the tale aloud. Each story is beautifully illustrated, utilizing a blend of small images as well as those that dominate an entire spread. This variation in visual use of space adds intriguing dynamics to the storytelling and amplifies the intensity of choice moments throughout the book. Though there is only one illustrator, each set of images is markedly different to appropriately reflect the particular global cultures that are being featured. Readers of all ages who appreciate dragon stories will enjoy returning to this book with frequency, especially as they are likely to retain something different with each reading. This is an excellent addition to global folklore collections for youth.
November 17, 2025
- detská kniha o drakoch
- 12 príbehov z rôznych kútov sveta
- rozmanité kultúry
- dobrodrúžstva a ponaučenia
- krásne spracovanie
- veľká pevná väzba
Rozprávky o drakoch z celého sveta prinášajú nádhernú mozaiku príbehov, v ktorých má každý drak svoj vlastný pôvod, povahu aj osud. Na 168 stranách sa čitateľ prenesie z ďalekej Číny do Škótska, z Indie do Mexika, z Egypta až do starovekého Grécka. Každá legenda má svoj rytmus a náladu. Niekde sa bojuje s ohnivým netvorom, inde drak chráni poklady, či dokonca ľudí, ktorí sa ho naučili chápať.
Texty sú písané s úctou k pôvodným kultúram, ale zároveň ľahko a pútavo. Nie sú to len rozprávky o bytostiach s krídlami. Sú to príbehy o odvahe, dobrote, pýche a láske a o všetkom, čo robí z rozprávok niečo, čo nikdy nezostarne.
Veľký formát, pevná väzba a nádherné ilustrácie robia z knihy aj vizuálny zážitok. Ilustrácie sú detailné, plné farieb a pohybu. Chcela by som však upozorniť, že ich v knihe nie je veľa a tak odporúčam knižku detom od 8 rokov.
Rozprávky o drakoch z celého sveta je kniha, ktorá spája svet fantázie a tradícií. Je to čítanie, ktoré v sebe nesie pokoj aj napätie, vôňu dávnych čias a pocit, že niektoré príbehy si zaslúžia byť rozprávané znova a znova.
- 12 príbehov z rôznych kútov sveta
- rozmanité kultúry
- dobrodrúžstva a ponaučenia
- krásne spracovanie
- veľká pevná väzba
Rozprávky o drakoch z celého sveta prinášajú nádhernú mozaiku príbehov, v ktorých má každý drak svoj vlastný pôvod, povahu aj osud. Na 168 stranách sa čitateľ prenesie z ďalekej Číny do Škótska, z Indie do Mexika, z Egypta až do starovekého Grécka. Každá legenda má svoj rytmus a náladu. Niekde sa bojuje s ohnivým netvorom, inde drak chráni poklady, či dokonca ľudí, ktorí sa ho naučili chápať.
Texty sú písané s úctou k pôvodným kultúram, ale zároveň ľahko a pútavo. Nie sú to len rozprávky o bytostiach s krídlami. Sú to príbehy o odvahe, dobrote, pýche a láske a o všetkom, čo robí z rozprávok niečo, čo nikdy nezostarne.
Veľký formát, pevná väzba a nádherné ilustrácie robia z knihy aj vizuálny zážitok. Ilustrácie sú detailné, plné farieb a pohybu. Chcela by som však upozorniť, že ich v knihe nie je veľa a tak odporúčam knižku detom od 8 rokov.
Rozprávky o drakoch z celého sveta je kniha, ktorá spája svet fantázie a tradícií. Je to čítanie, ktoré v sebe nesie pokoj aj napätie, vôňu dávnych čias a pocit, že niektoré príbehy si zaslúžia byť rozprávané znova a znova.
July 26, 2025
Ten traditional dragon tales from all over the world are curated and presented in a child friendly fashion. Engaging illustrations accompany each story. The dragons in the stories range in appearance almost as much as they range in their intentions towards the humans in their stories. From the Egyptian dragon Apep trying to stop the sun god Ra from rising again to the very helpful dragons of Peterhof Palace in Russia saving an entire city from drought. Kids will be fascinated by these unfamiliar dragon stories. Recommended for any library serving children in grades 3rd through 8th.
July 27, 2025
I initially planned to just skim this book which is a gift for a child in my life, but I was sucked in by the beautiful illustration and engaging story telling!
This collection covers dragon myths and folklore from around the world, contextualizing the cultural significance with historical information that explains the story’s connection to natural phenomena, historical events, customs, traditions, and real places.
I would highly recommend this to anyone seeking a magical, relaxing, and culturally diverse bedtime story book for children (and adults too)!
This collection covers dragon myths and folklore from around the world, contextualizing the cultural significance with historical information that explains the story’s connection to natural phenomena, historical events, customs, traditions, and real places.
I would highly recommend this to anyone seeking a magical, relaxing, and culturally diverse bedtime story book for children (and adults too)!
October 31, 2025
This is a very interesting book with just amazing illustrations!
What I did notice after reading about half way through the book was that the so called dragons turned out to be a combination of serpents and dragons. For example, the last story talked about such a creature that had a hood like a python. Many of the others were swimmers in the ocean.
Still a very fascinating book!
What I did notice after reading about half way through the book was that the so called dragons turned out to be a combination of serpents and dragons. For example, the last story talked about such a creature that had a hood like a python. Many of the others were swimmers in the ocean.
Still a very fascinating book!
July 23, 2025
Read this aloud to my boys (6 & 8), and we found the stories wonderfully engaging and the illustrations beautiful.
August 7, 2025
Lovely collection of stories about dragons. Nice illustrations and well written for children. Also includes some basic information about each legend and country of origin.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews