dragons coloring book

Dragons are mythical creatures, often depicted as huge, scaly, serpent-like mon- sters, with wings, flaming breath and barbed tails. Found in many cultures around the world, dragons are generally regarded in the West as evil or malevolent, given to hoarding large sums of gold and jewels, and devouring fair maidens and hap- less villagers who venture too close to their lairs. The dragons in the Old English epic poem Beowulf, and in the legend of St. George and the Dragon, are repre- sentative of this evil kind of dragon.

In the East, on the other hand, dragons are often seen as symbols of goodness, harmony and intelligence. Chinese dragons are thought to guard the homes of the gods, as well as controlling the weather and other earthly phenomena. Japanese dragons, known as tetsu, are able to change size at will, even to the point of becoming invisible. Eastern dragons can be identified by their number of toes: Chinese imperial dragons have five toes, four-toed dragons are Korean or Indonesian, while Japanese dragons possess three toes. Oriental dragons are often depicted with pearls in their mouths, under their chins or in their claws. The pearls symbolize the dragon's power and wisdom.

In this book you are invited to color 30 different kinds of dragons, ranging from the tiny, imaginary "fairy dragon." to such formidable real creatures as the giant lizard of Indonesia called the Komodo dragon. This is your opportunity to bring your own conceptions of color and hue to these fabulous creatures that have become so much a part of the world's mythology.