The Discovery of Dragons: New Research Revealed
by: Graeme Base
Published by: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Buy From Amazon.com
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams
(Graeme Base is also known as Rowland W. Greasebeam, B.Sc.)
The Discovery of Dragons: New Research Revealed is a revised edition of Graeme Base’s original 1996 tongue-in-cheek release, The Discovery of Dragons. The original Discovery of Dragons featured the letters of three fictional explorers as they discovered various dragon species in Europe, Asia, and the tropics. The updated edition introduces a new explorer, Francisco de Nuevo, as he travels through North America. All have been compiled by the equally fictional serpentologist, Rowland W. Greasebeam.
Graeme Base is known for his beautiful illustrations, and The Discovery of Dragons is more art than story. The exquisitely detailed portraits of various dragons will keep you glued to the page, scoping out every aspect. Base seems to have taken a different approach with the North American dragons, making their likenesses more comical than threatening, which fits the text perfectly. This would make a wonderful coffee table book.
Once the reader is able to move past the entrancing artwork, the storyline is original and humorous. There are now four explorers in this revised edition, each with their own interesting motivations.
— The first is the Viking Bjorn of Bromme, writing to his “bad-tempered cousin, Olaf the Grim,” as he travels through Europe.
— Next is the Asian adventurer Soong Mei Ying as she writes to her ailing father, Soong Chen Yi. Third is cartographer and ampibiologist, Dr. E. F. Lieberman writing to his fiancée, Prunella Hapsburgernfries, as he forges through Africa, Madagascar, and Tasmania.
— Last is the newest addition, Francisco de Nuevo, writing “to his lady friends” as he explores the New World. As each stumbles along in Monty Python fashion, they encounter dragons as small as mice and as large as houses, with personalities as colorful as their features.
Intended for ages 9 to 12, The Discovery of Dragons: New Research Revealed is a book that can be appreciated by all ages.
Armchair Interviews says: Base combines powerful images with light-hearted humor in a unique blend of entertainment.
Author’s Web site: http://www.GraemeBase.com
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