The Book of Dragons was published by Harper & Brothers in 1900, with illustrations by H.R. Millar. The collection contains eight short stories, each featuring a dragon — but Nesbit’s dragons are not the terrifying creatures of medieval legend. They are comic, often sympathetic, frequently misunderstood, and always susceptible to clever solutions rather than brute force.
Nesbit’s innovation was to apply modern, rational thinking to fairy-tale situations. Her child heroes don’t slay dragons — they outsmart them, negotiate with them, reform them, or find ways to make them useful. In one story, a dragon is defeated by being fed so much that it becomes too fat to move. In another, a child discovers that the dragon is merely lonely. In another, a book of dragons comes to life and the protagonist must work out how to get the dragons back onto the pages.
This approach — rational children in irrational situations, applying common sense to magic — was Nesbit’s signature contribution to fantasy literature. It anticipates Terry Pratchett’s Discworld by nearly a century: the comedy arises from the collision between mundane logic and supernatural absurdity.
The stories also demonstrate Nesbit’s gift for prose style in the short form. Each story is tightly constructed, with a clear setup, escalating complications, and a satisfying resolution. The narrative voice is direct, witty, and confidential — addressing the reader as an equal who can appreciate both the wonder and the comedy of the situation.
Collecting The Book of Dragons
First edition (Harper & Brothers, London/New York, 1900): Cloth binding, H.R. Millar illustrations.
Market values:
- First edition, fine: $300–$800
- Very good: $100–$300
- Good: $40–$100