Dugald A. SteerCritiques

Dragons

Egypt

I freakin' loved this book as a kid

most of this book is orientalist, or just made up colonial garbage. It is very pretty though.

this is a beautiful book that, although a fine spark for the imagination of a child about the Ancient Egyptian world, is really not a very good educational resource

An interesting look into this pseudo historical wizard world. I was embarrassingly into this as a child and tried to do all the incantations to no effect.

A book that contains information about how to be a good explorer.

The sea journal of captain William Lubber.

One of my favorites growing up.

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4A9RDCGA

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This was one of the first books I bought for myself with my first paycheck in HS. This book is an excellent supplement to the original Dragonology book. It repeats some of the facts contained in the previous version but also features plenty of new information on both old and new dragon species as well their close relatives. It's set in its own world and has some original takes on the dragon's history- but that's fantasy for you. The illustrations are fantastic and unforgettable- I spent so many hours poring over them in my youth and drawing inspiration from them. Overall, I strongly recommend this book to dragon lovers and fantasy fans alike.

The Dragonology series was one of my first exposures to these kinds of playful 'guidebooks' and they are instant classics. They were such powerful souvenirs of nostalgia, I had to have my own copies after I graduated HS. These books are definitely marketed for younger audiences- including items within the pages like pull out tabs, maps, 'dragon skin' or 'dragon dust' (nothing but embossed paper with a scale pattern and a sealed bag of glitter) and even the author's report card (You know, to prove his authenticity and expertise in his dragon school). It definitely does the job of getting a kid's imagination stoked the right way. The book acts as both a guide and a workbook, for you to fill in your own answers from your own studies of dragons. It's very engaging and a nice source of entertainment. I know plenty of adults who enjoy these books too- my school librarians were such people. They always supported the idea that you are never too old to grow out of a love of fantasy and be in touch with your inner child from time to time because it is okay to be young at heart. They used this book as a sort of 'coffee table' book for the reading room, and it definitely received plenty of amused eyes on it- from adult to teen. I can't say enough nice things about this book and the Dragonology series. Please give it the love it deserves and check out a copy for yourself.

This is the larger, more ornate version of the Dragonology books. The print quality is both outstanding and appealing- complete with a metallic ink dragon surrounding 3 green 'gems' that appears to be inset on the cover of a mystical tome.

I have generally the same thing to say about the smaller, more compact version of this book:
https://www.librarything.com/work/73016/reviews/228346416

The Dragonology series was one of my first exposures to these kinds of playful 'guidebooks' and they are instant classics. They were such powerful souvenirs of nostalgia, I had to have my own copies after I graduated HS. This is the more mobile, shorter version of the larger and longer Dragonology guides. These books are definitely marketed for younger audiences- including collectible items within the pages like stickers, maps, 'dragon skin' and 'dragon dust' (nothing but embossed paper with a scale pattern and a sealed bag of glitter) and even the author's report card (You know, to prove his authenticity and expertise in his dragon school). It definitely does the job of getting a kid's imagination stoked the right way. The book acts as both a guide and a workbook, for you to fill in your own answers from your own studies of dragons. It's very engaging and a nice source of entertainment. I know plenty of adults who enjoy these books too- my school librarians were such people. They always supported the idea that you are never too old to grow out of a love of fantasy and be in touch with your inner child from time to time because it is okay to be young at heart. They used this book as a sort of 'coffee table' book for the reading room, and it definitely received plenty of amused eyes on it- from adult to teen. I can't say enough nice things about this book and the Dragonology series. Please give it the love it deserves and check out a copy for yourself.

This is the smaller, more mobile verstion of the larger and more decorative volume.
My review of that one can be found here, although since it's overall the same book, my review does not change much:
https://www.librarything.com/work/73015/reviews/228407013

Wizardlology, The Book of the Secrets of Merlin.

A fun book with spells, what one needs to be a wizard, and activities. Good for children and adults.
I found my copy of the book at a thrift store.

Chapter l: The Work of a Wizard
Chapter ll: A Wizard Map of the World
Chapter lll: The Master Wizard's Workshop
Chapter lV: A Wizard's Robes and Tools
Chapter V: Spellcraft
Chapter Vl: A Wizard's Loyal Familiars
Chapter Vll: A Wizard's Menagerie of Magical Beasts
Chapter Vlll: Magical Flight & Flying Carpets
Chapter lX: Potions, Healings & Magical Transformations
Chapter X: Amulets, Talismans. & Magical Items
Chapter Xl: Divination & Crystal Gazing
Chapter Xll: Alchemy, Astrology & the New Sciences
Chapter Xlll: Famous Wizards of History
Conclusion: The Mystery of Wizardology Revealed & Concealed

Drakológia je náuka o drakoch, o ich histórii, rozličných druhoch, miestach, kde ich zahliadli a kde ich možno ešte nájsť. Sprievodcom je Dr. Ernest Drake, ktorý dlho medzi nimi žil a ktorý je uznávaným dračím majstrom.

Considering how much I enjoy all my other dragon books (especially the Dragonology one that was the first of this series) I was not very impressed with this book. Scattered text, illustrations in random places, and no really established reading flow made for a jolting read that I couldn't quite settle in to.

This book is such a cute companion to the full-sized version - Dragonology, by the same authors - as it gives readers a taste of what this series of books has to offer when it successfully covers a mythological topic. The writing may be a bit juvenile for adult readers (hello, it is for kids), but I still really appreciate the time and effort that went into the design of this book, which balances text and artwork quite well and succeeds in a pleasing overall aesthetic. It's also quite cute that they chose to make this pocket version more than just a miniature representation of the full-sized edition, and tackled the subject matter in the form of a student's handbook - giving basic information about dragons, assigning "homework" for each thematic topic, and acting like a field guidebook rather than a tome of information (which certainly would not have worked in this small format). Final verdict: a surprising delight that is sure to engage young readers and remind adults of their childhoods.

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This book gives a very brief overview of several Greek myths as well as histories of the Greek gods, goddesses, culture, and more. I liked that there was an activity listed at the end of each page and it was written from the perspective of a mother trying to teach her children about the Greeks. There are stickers in the back and a fun decoder alphabet.

A whimsical book for sure, the textures and little pop out details are gorgeous. The thick binding grabs your eyes with "Dragon" on the side followed by "ology", any kid who doesn't know the second half of the word, is already pulled in by the first. It's lively within the pretty cover, with many illustrations that leave you reading tiny print details and fiddling with paper flaps that hide secrets. Definitely recommend for kids, it's a keeper!

You can definitely see the appeal of a big black book with "Pirate" on the side of it. The binding is sturdy and dark, and on the cover is a compass. Inside is strings and flaps, a lot like the Dragonology book, but with pirates instead -duh! There's letters and article clippings held on by tape, and what's this? Little letters and tiny books within books? Talk of treasure and gold and strange animals(name one book with a tenrec in it, seriously!), enough to really get your imagination going.

Kids will love this book, more than the dragon one though? No way! Dragons beat pirates, just ask a kid!

The Mythology Handbook (Lady Hestia Evans) MA: Candlewick Press: 2014

Traditional: Myth: Perseus and the Gorgons: Pg 7

Summary: Perseus told King Polydetes he would bring him Medeusa's head. Perseus was helped by Hermes and Athena who gave him a shield and scythe. He stole the crones tooth and eye so they would tell him where the 3 nymphs and Gorgons were. He met the nymphs and got a cape of invisibility, a purse, and winged sandals. He flew to Medeusa and made her look at her own reflection before cutting off her head, putting it in the purse and returning to Polydetes and the court, the head, turning them all to stone.

Critique: An interesting take on how Medeusa was killed. A story I had not heard before.

Activity (Before) What do you know about Medeusa?

Silly interactive pop-up and lift-the-flap book that helps teach about the abc and words that begin with those letters.
1 book