Что делать, если ты только вчера стал королём, а уже случайно выпустил на волю кровожадного красного дракона, который вот-вот съест всё твоё королевство? Или как быть, если сегодня ты принцесса, а завтра - деньрожденный подарок для страшного и очень голодного пурпурного дракона? Что ж, главное - не отчаиваться, вытереть слёзы и... вспомнить, что ты - в волшебной сказке. Впрочем, не стоит надеяться только на волшебство, ведь в сказках Эдит Несбит без смекалки и находчивости не обойтись! Английская писательница Эдит Несбит наравне с Льюисом Кэрроллом и Клайвом С.Льюисом по праву считается одним из основателей современной детской сказочной литературы, а её остроумные, живые и будоражащие воображение сказки давно признаны классикой. Волшебный мир, созданный писательницей, самый что ни на есть реальный, но в этой реальности чудесами никого не удивишь: здесь драконы могут падать прямо с неба, а Северный полюс - в один прекрасный день "переехать" в квартал по соседству. В эту книгу вошли пять сказок о драконах, которые пересказал с английского известный поэт и переводчик Леонид Яхнин. А иллюстрации к ним создала молодая петербургская художница Елена Жуковская. На её рисунках оживают огнедышащие ящеры, рассыпаются сотнями искр праздничные фейерверки и совершается настоящее волшебство - будьте осторожны, ведь с драконами шутки плохи!
Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 15 August 1858 – 4 May 1924) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later connected to the Labour Party.
Edith Nesbit was born in Kennington, Surrey, the daughter of agricultural chemist and schoolmaster John Collis Nesbit. The death of her father when she was four and the continuing ill health of her sister meant that Nesbit had a transitory childhood, her family moving across Europe in search of healthy climates only to return to England for financial reasons. Nesbit therefore spent her childhood attaining an education from whatever sources were available—local grammars, the occasional boarding school but mainly through reading.
At 17 her family finally settled in London and aged 19, Nesbit met Hubert Bland, a political activist and writer. They became lovers and when Nesbit found she was pregnant they became engaged, marrying in April 1880. After this scandalous (for Victorian society) beginning, the marriage would be an unconventional one. Initially, the couple lived separately—Nesbit with her family and Bland with his mother and her live-in companion Maggie Doran.
Initially, Edith Nesbit books were novels meant for adults, including The Prophet's Mantle (1885) and The Marden Mystery (1896) about the early days of the socialist movement. Written under the pen name of her third child 'Fabian Bland', these books were not successful. Nesbit generated an income for the family by lecturing around the country on socialism and through her journalism (she was editor of the Fabian Society's journal, Today).
In 1899 she had published The Adventures of the Treasure Seekers to great acclaim.
I love E. Nesbit, I adore The Book of Dragons, and I was very happy to find this series of illustrated short stories from Dial (though the illustrations are nothing remarkable). But this particular story was always one of my least favorites in "The Book of Dragons." Evil dwarfs made of sealskin, eaten by loyal moths! It's pretty weird, you guys! But it's by E. Nesbit so still good.
This is a fun adorable read for kids. I fondly recall reading these in much younger days and this was a happy revisit.
The story is a simple fantasy with plenty of fun elements. It is enchanting from beginning to end. I read this with my 6 year old niece, and she was enthralled! These are such lovely stories with rich characters and creative situations.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karen Krause, who is delightful. She has a nice steady pace that moves with the story. I love her accent, it is like having your own British nanny to read to you! She was inventive and fun with the character voices. I imagine she would we just as wonderful in person at a children's story hour! I delight for my ears!
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thought, opinions and ratings are my own.