April 10, 2007

Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter... Here There Be...

A celebrations of dragons in poetry, prose, fiction, and original folktales, Jane Yolen’s Here There Be Dragons joyously embraces the blank spots on the edge of the map, the what-ifs that make history and lore.

This is as much a novel as a picture book, and even older readers will find something to like. Yolen’s collection features many of her unique poems, and the roots of some storylines which appear fleshed out in later novels. A short piece included in this collection later became the basis of the popular The Pit Dragon Chronicles. The stories in this collection are meditative, thoughtful, funny or tragic, each prefaced by an introduction by the author. The artwork by David Wilgus make this big book a dragon-lover's coffee table treasure. Yolen fans will wish to seek out Here There Be Witches , Here There Be Unicorns , Here There Be Ghosts , and Here There Be Angels , the rest of this intriguing art-filled picture book series.

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