


I’ve been after this book for a couple of years now. I guess I was stalking a book, which sounds bizarre, right? There’s some books out there that I really want, but either Julia isn’t ready for them at that moment or I’m in a hurry, and I plan to buy it later and then I forget or for various reasons, I’m just thwarted in my attempts to get my hands on a particularly rad book.
Such has been the case with ‘A Dignity of Dragons’ by Jacqueline K. Ogburn and Nicoletta Ceccoli. I wanted it two years ago but knew Julia would be like, “What the hey?”
I finally got it for her from the library and it has not left our hot little hands in over two months. We play 20 questions guessing games about the mythical creatures described in the book. We gaze at the pictures over and over and over and over. AND OVER.
We just can’t get enough of this book.
Here’s why: (because it’s the coolest book with the awesomest art and it has MONSTERS and creatures and cool stuff and FIRE and things that FLY and YETIS and FENG HWANGS.


So you’ll find things like:
a pandemonium of fauns
a glare of cockatrice
a dazzlement of Quetzalcoatls
Julia’s favorite? A ROARING OF MANTICORES. She’s waaaaaay into the manticores.



I loooooove her art. Just sayin’. A FEW HUNDRED TIMES. The other neat thing is at the very end of the book, there are several pages devoted to describing each mythical creature in more complete detail. I, for one, had zero clue as to what a Thunderbird was. Or that “were” is the general prefix for a shape-shifter. Are y’all up on your shapeshifters?? You will be after reading this book!


My goodness it's gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteOh I'm so glad you think so! We have enjoyed it more than I can convey here, truly!
DeleteYour enthusiasm is contagious! Now I can't wait to get my hands on this book! My kid loooves Phoenix! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
ReplyDeleteI just can't rave about it enough! Julia practically was in tears when I said it must go back to the library soon...
DeleteThis was one of our VERY FAVORITE library books, way back at the beginning of summer. We had a great time reading it, then Little Sis would get it out just to stare at all the pictures. It really is that beautiful. I hope to get our own copy, too.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this book is some kind of treasure or something, you know? Of course you know! :)
DeleteThe art is just stunning. I'm adding this to my list of must-reads! :)
ReplyDeletesooooooo beautiful -- also if you like her art style, you should check out 'The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum' -- very very cool and strange story and it looks like a someone put down a dream onto the paper...
DeleteI absolutely love love love it when books at that extra info at the end! It's one of my favorite things books can do- otherwise I get all kinds of questions about stuff I have no answers for.
ReplyDeleteI know we'd love this book too, we're way into all things fantasy. Thanks for the heads up!
Totally! I mean, how else would I have found out all about FENG HWANGS?? :)
DeleteWow, amazing! And LOL @ you 'stalking books' - I totally get it! ;)
ReplyDeleteI do, I really do! I stalk books and I have love affairs with recipes and cookbooks -- I'll get into that in another post....;)
DeleteLooks amazing!! I love collective nouns, too and magical ones, well, that's just even better! I'm crossing my fingers that our library has it....
ReplyDeleteyou will ADORE this Vanessa! adore adore. My library didn't have it but they were able to order it from another library, and it came in just a few days -- let me know how you like it when you get a chance to read it :)
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