Imagine a Dragon

Written by Laurence Pringle

Narrated by John McDonough

For thousands of years, the notion of dragons has struck fear in the hearts of men and women all over the world. The ancient Egyptians believed there was a dragon of darkness that attacked the sun god each day, and in Norway people thought that a dragon gnawed at the roots of the tree that sustained all life on Earth. Around the globe, dragons have been depicted as everything from massive, winged, fire-breathing creatures to beasts sporting a camel's head, deer's horns, rabbit's eyes, and eagle's claws! Dragons might hoard treasure in caves, or they might be responsible for floods and the death of livestock. Dragons, in fact, prove as diverse as the many cultures that tell of them. The works of Laurence Pringle have garnered major awards, including the Eva L. Gordon Award for Children's Science Literature, the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490608723

Reviews for Imagine a Dragon

[jmistret · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The tale of the dragon originated thousands of years ago. Dragons were brought to life for either good or bad depending on what part of the world one lived in. Sometimes dragons were used to explain scary situations. In ancient Egypt, the dragon was used to explain why the sun rose and set each day. They believed that Apep, the dragon of darkness, tried to destroy Ra, the sun god each night. Luckily, Ra would be saved by Seth, the god of wind and storms each night after Apep tried to ruin him underground. This cycle would continue on and on until the real truth to why the sun rises and sets would be revealed. In another part of the world such as Greece, dragons were known for being good. One story told was of a young boy being saved by his former pet dragon many years later. I was unaware of the different meanings of this mythical creature before reading this book. The language used here does a great job of explaining what dragons represented and how stories could vary among different parts of the world. I knew that people used to believe in dragons and now I have a deeper understanding of why. It is truly amazing how one creature can be interpreted in so many ways depending on where one comes from.

[corrylloyd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Imagine A Dragon” by Laurence Pringle, Illustrations done by Eujin Kim Neilan. Laurence Pringle writes about the myths and legends of Dragons from around the world. There are dragons that are frightening and destructive and ones that are not so frightening who are still today worshiped for the wonderful gifts they give. Laurence Pringle writes about the legendary heroes who fought the dragons to bring peace to the land. Also about the dragons that were not dangerous but were helpful by bringing rain to a village after the villagers prayed for rain. It is also written that there are some cultures that still to this day believe in the dragon. This picture book of the legends of dragons is great for ages 9 to 12 years of age. For those children interested in dragons they will learn a great deal about many different dragons and the many different places they have lived. The illustrations are remarkable. They give great detail to the different shapes, sizes, and types of dragons. The illustrations also show a full description of the story by following along with the text.

[alliek710 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book to use in a mythical unit or about different cultures.