Dragons, those huge, scary mythical beasts with wings and fire-lashing forked tongues that can devour anything in their path, are popular figures in children's books. These creatures with their magic powers are what fantasy is about . . . And who can relate better to fantasy than kids?
In every culture, through the ages, stories of dragons have been passed on from generation to generation. There is probably not a human being who has not yet heard a dragon story. Children relate in various ways to these mythical beasts. Young boys fantasize about slaying them and being knighted for bravery. Girls dream about being rescued from a gigantic monster-dragon by a handsome, brave prince. These days, dragons are also portrayed as loving, kind and even cuddly creatures in every second childrens book about dragons.
But why are dragons so popular? Where do they come from? And why is mankind so fascinated by these mythical creatures that never even existed?
Every kid knows the answer to that question. They KNOW that dragons are real and alive and living between us. The fact that grownups have lost the sensory skills to see, hear and communicate with them, does not make them less real . . . So, if you want to know what a dragon really looks like and says, you just have to ask a kid.
Dragons come in many shapes and sizes. Some are kind, some are bad. They can be gentle giants, or cruel, man-eating monsters. In the realm where giants live, there are no human laws or limits - it's a dragon dreamworld!
Today, there are literally a whole world of dragons for kids to play with and read about. Popular characters in the dragon world, such as Puff, the Magic Dragon, pop up like magic in video games, coloring books, pencil boxes, TV programs, puzzles, stickers and even on candy wrappers. Dragon lovers can take their favorite hero everywhere with them - even to bed in the form of a dragon doll or a printed duvet cover and pillow case! Children can even check out all facts about them on a new Kids Wikipedia about Dragons.
The illustrators of children's books have a ball portraying these huge creatures in various ways. Some dragons have long, thick tails with which they can sweep a whole city away. Some have horns and huge, sharp, pointed teeth. Their huge, claw-like feet can have 3,4 or 5 toes. There is no specific blueprint to indicate what a real dragon truly looks like, and thus children can give free rein to their fantasies when they draw, color or read about them. This lead to a wonderful, colorful variety of dragon caricatures featuring different personalities, trends and traits.
No grownup has ever seen a baby dragon being born, but kids know they are hatched from huge eggs! Sweet-faced, cute baby dragons are popular characters in children's books and often grow up to become the heroes that slay their evil peers. Like in the real world, the battle between good and bad also exists in the dragon world.
Nobody seems to know where dragons originated from and where they live. The first seafarers believed the gigantic creatures they saw on the horizon - the place where the earth supposedly ended abruptly - were the "sea gods" protecting their aquatic kingdom. Many dragons have wings and supposedly live in the sky on a far-away planet from where they occasionally sweep down to earth to feed or . . . Kill!
Nobody can say with certainty that dragons never existed in prehistoric times. We don't know if they originated from myths and folklore during the days of dinosaurs. We do know, however, that they still fascinate and intrigue people and as long as children can see, hear and draw them, speak to them, play with them and read about them, dragons will be around!
In every culture, through the ages, stories of dragons have been passed on from generation to generation. There is probably not a human being who has not yet heard a dragon story. Children relate in various ways to these mythical beasts. Young boys fantasize about slaying them and being knighted for bravery. Girls dream about being rescued from a gigantic monster-dragon by a handsome, brave prince. These days, dragons are also portrayed as loving, kind and even cuddly creatures in every second childrens book about dragons.
But why are dragons so popular? Where do they come from? And why is mankind so fascinated by these mythical creatures that never even existed?
Every kid knows the answer to that question. They KNOW that dragons are real and alive and living between us. The fact that grownups have lost the sensory skills to see, hear and communicate with them, does not make them less real . . . So, if you want to know what a dragon really looks like and says, you just have to ask a kid.
Dragons come in many shapes and sizes. Some are kind, some are bad. They can be gentle giants, or cruel, man-eating monsters. In the realm where giants live, there are no human laws or limits - it's a dragon dreamworld!
Today, there are literally a whole world of dragons for kids to play with and read about. Popular characters in the dragon world, such as Puff, the Magic Dragon, pop up like magic in video games, coloring books, pencil boxes, TV programs, puzzles, stickers and even on candy wrappers. Dragon lovers can take their favorite hero everywhere with them - even to bed in the form of a dragon doll or a printed duvet cover and pillow case! Children can even check out all facts about them on a new Kids Wikipedia about Dragons.
The illustrators of children's books have a ball portraying these huge creatures in various ways. Some dragons have long, thick tails with which they can sweep a whole city away. Some have horns and huge, sharp, pointed teeth. Their huge, claw-like feet can have 3,4 or 5 toes. There is no specific blueprint to indicate what a real dragon truly looks like, and thus children can give free rein to their fantasies when they draw, color or read about them. This lead to a wonderful, colorful variety of dragon caricatures featuring different personalities, trends and traits.
No grownup has ever seen a baby dragon being born, but kids know they are hatched from huge eggs! Sweet-faced, cute baby dragons are popular characters in children's books and often grow up to become the heroes that slay their evil peers. Like in the real world, the battle between good and bad also exists in the dragon world.
Nobody seems to know where dragons originated from and where they live. The first seafarers believed the gigantic creatures they saw on the horizon - the place where the earth supposedly ended abruptly - were the "sea gods" protecting their aquatic kingdom. Many dragons have wings and supposedly live in the sky on a far-away planet from where they occasionally sweep down to earth to feed or . . . Kill!
Nobody can say with certainty that dragons never existed in prehistoric times. We don't know if they originated from myths and folklore during the days of dinosaurs. We do know, however, that they still fascinate and intrigue people and as long as children can see, hear and draw them, speak to them, play with them and read about them, dragons will be around!
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