A Practical Guide to Dragons (Practical Guides)

This lavishly illustrated guide showcases the wide array of fantastic dragons encountered on the world of Krynn. Sindri Suncatcher–wizard’s apprentice–opens up his personal notebooks to share his knowledge of these awe-inspiring creatures, from the life cycle of a kind copper dragon to the best way to counteract a red dragon’s fiery breath.

The perfect companion to the Dragonlance: The New Adventures series, this beautifully illustrated title introduces readers to the looks and habits of dragons of the Dragonlance world. With tips and tricks every new adventurer can use on imaginary encounters with dragons, this book will enchant readers with both pictures and words.

About the Author
Sindri Suncatcher is a three-and-a-half foot tall kender, who enjoys storytelling, collecting magical tokens, and fighting dragons. He lives in Solamnia and is currently studying magic under the auspices of the black-robed wizard Maddoc. You can catch Sindri in the midst of his latest adventure in The Wayward Wizard.

Grade 3–7—Readers of "Dragonlance: The New Adventures" series (Mirrorstone) will recognize the "inscriber" of this book, an elf-eared "kender" named Sindri Suncatcher. Having gleaned much of his knowledge from a wizard mentor, he begins his book with a general look at the anatomy and life cycle of dragons. The bulk of the work is divided into six-page chapters, each introducing a specific species with a fierce-looking, full-page portrait and descriptions of physical attributes, offspring ("Eggs"), development ("Wyrmlings"), adult behavior, lair, and combat skills. Inset paintings, labeled anatomical sketches, and maps decorate the pages, which are shaded to look like parchment. Readers will learn that red dragons are "ferocious and cruel" and live in volcanoes, blue ones use their lightning breath to cook their food, brass dragons prefer talking to fighting, and gold ones spend most of their lives in human form. Filled with interesting and quirky details, this well-imagined manual is fun to browse. Although readers unfamiliar with Sindri's world may feel lost by references to the character's compatriots and experiences, this offering may appeal to die-hard fantasy fans.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.