The Book of Dragons, Paperback/E. Nesbit

Dragons -- of all sorts -- make for marvelous fun, and this collection of madcap tales is filled with them. Some of the legendary monsters are funny and mischievous, others are downright frightening, and a number of them are wild and unpredictable. There's a dragon made of ice, another that takes refuge in the General Post Office, a scaly creature that carries off the largest elephant in a zoo, and even a dragon whose gentle purring comforts a tiny tot. And who challenges these amazing creatures? Why, daring heroes, of course, as well as a wicked prince, and even an entire soccer team -- which, unfortunately, meets its fate with a fire-breathing brute that flies out of the pages of an enchanted book. E. (Edith) Nesbit (1858-1924) was one of the pioneers of fantasy fiction for children. Her classic novels -- such as The Railway Children and Five Children and It -- have remained popular for more than a century. 24 illustrations.