Get curious about… Dragons!
There are two 16th-century globes that label the edge of the known world with the phrase Hic Sunt Dracones which translates to “here be dragons.” In our modern lexicon this has turned into something people say when they're referring to hidden or unknown dangers. This guide isn’t dangerous, but it is chock-full of dragons, from beautiful books to magical snacks to building a dragon's lair - I think you’re going to love it.
Also, Chinese New Year starts on February 10th, and it’s the Year of the Dragon! Seemed like a good time for this guide.
Tapestry with Dragons and Flowers (11th-12th Century, Eastern Central Asia) via The Met
“I desired to have dragons with a profound desire. Of course, I in my timid body did not wish to have them in the neighborhood. But the world that contained even the imagination of Fafnir [a treasure-hording Norse dragon] was richer and more beautiful, at whatever cost of peril.” —J.R.R. Tolkien (via Smithsonian)
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Interesting dragon things to read, watch, or listen to.
To spark your wonder, here are some fun and/or interesting things I came across as I researched and created this month’s guide, including this terrifying dragonfish. 😳
Idiacanthus atlanticus, black dragonfish
➵ Apparently no old maps actually say “here be dragons” but there are two globes that do, including one from 1510 that was engraved on an ostrich egg: “‘Here be dragons,’ a very interesting sentence… In early maps, you would see images of sea monsters; it was a way to say there's bad stuff out there.”
➵ My kids aren’t old enough for The Lord of the Rings yet, but this scene from Gandalf’s visit to the Shire is a fun one to share. Unauthorized use of fireworks has never been so delightful.
➵ In addition to that creepy looking fellow above, there are lots of creatures named after dragons, including the blind cave dragon, which “has long endeared biologists with its unparalleled weirdness.”
➵ Rue Dragon in Marseille is the site of a chalk art dragon - largely improvised - by artist Phillipe Baudelocque. His ability to create something so precise - and yet so temporary! - with such a simple medium is pretty awesome.
➵ Have you ever played Dungeons & Dragons? I would have guessed its resurgence was due to the appearance in Stranger Things, but apparently it started before that: “…a fifth edition of D. & D. rules came out, in 2014… People started buying up these volumes in droves. ‘More people are interested in D&D than we thought,’ the game’s lead developer, Mike Mearls, said, as print runs repeatedly sold out. ‘Who are these people? What do they want?’” (from The Uncanny Resurrection of Dungeons & Dragons by Neima Jahromi, The New Yorker)
The Dragon Tree by Eric Fan, from the book The Night Gardener
10 books about dragons to read with your kids.
One of my hopes for the Discovery & Play Guides is that no matter how curious you or your child is about a particular topic, that one or two of the books I suggest will draw you in. If you take this book list to the library, I’d love to know which books you enjoyed most!
The Adventures of Egg Box Dragon by Richard Adams, illustrated by Alex T. Smith
Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch
Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el, illustrated by Tim Bowers
The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie dePaola
There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent
I Will Not Eat You by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Scott Magoon
Tell Me a Dragon by Jackie Morris
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez, illustrated by Felicita Sala
Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua
I’ve linked to Amazon for the sake of convenience, but I love AbeBooks, ThriftBooks, and eBay for finding used copies of books. And of course nothing beats your local public library.
Quotable
“I’m kind of honored to be a dragon lady. The dragon is a very powerful, mythical animal.”
—Yoko Ono
Dragons Discovery & Play Guide
Cultures throughout the world developed dragon myths, seemingly independent of one another. And even though now we know they don't exist, they still captivate our imaginations - hopefully the Dragon guide will do just that!
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These guides are full of lots of ideas, so as always, just choose what looks fun and easy and like something you’d like to explore with your kiddos. And let me know if you have any questions or feedback - I can't wait to hear how it goes.
As you wish, dragon fish!
Love, Kathryn