This enchanting set of eight children's tales by Edith Nesbit tell of a variety of dragons and their abilities. Crammed with the unique wit and phrasing for which Nesbit was known, The Book of Dragons has surprised and entertained children for generations. The stories hold charm for juxtaposing the modern world with those of ancient myth - in one classic account, the dragon flies out of the very text in which it is contained and eats an entire team of soccer players. Each story has a good combination of wit, mythology, magic and intensity to keep adults and their youngsters enthralled. Perfect for bedtime reading, each story within this book is roughly 15 to 20 pages in length, with the witty dialogue a particular strong point. Nesbit was notably daring for a children's author - possessing and using a surprisingly wide vocabulary, she intended her works to be a challenge for children as well as entertaining for adults. Several of the stories utilise plot twists and sudden surprises, acting as a forerunner to many equivalent tales aimed at adults. While first published at the start of the 20th century, the stories remain fresh, amusing and entertaining to this day.