To catch a glimpse of one unicorn is lucky; to see a grace of unicorns is to witness a marvel. In this book, you will also find . . . a riddle of sphinx, a splash of mermaids, a dignity of dragons, and more. With inventive groupings, luminous artwork, and a fact-filled glossary, A Dignity of Dragons makes for a bestiary to treasure. For within its pages, you’ll learn about all the creatures you may be lucky enough to see, if you know where to look. Grade 2–4—Gorgeous mixed-media illustrations complement dozens of inventive collective nouns, among them a "bolt of hippogriffs," a "splash of mermaids," and a "dazzlement of Quetzalcoatls" as well as the eponymous "dignity of dragons." These creative descriptions comprise the only text in the book. A four-page glossary defines each fantastic creature and identifies the culture(s) of its origin. Ceccoli has created a stylized and luminous fantasyland energetically inhabited by Ogburn's enchanting bestiary. Fans of mythology and fantasy as well as budding lexophiles will savor this sophisticated picture book. A caveat for conservative collections: the mermaids, sphinx, and sirens are, collectively, a triad of the tastefully topless.— Amy Rowland, Shelter Rock Elementary School, Manhasset, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. What do you call a group of fish? A school, of course. Lions? A pride. But what about a group of dragons? Ogburn (The Bake Shop Ghost, 2005) has gone a bit far afield for her subject matter, assigning collective nouns to mystical beasts from across world fairy tales, folklore, and mythology, and she does so with great cleverness. Although each choice is amusing and appropriate—a riddle of sphinx, a flurry of yetis—in the end, her young readers will likely eschew the labels in favor of the luminous art. Italian artist Ceccoli imbues each panoramic array of creatures, both popular and obscure (ever heard of a feng hweng?), with a magical gloss that glows from the page. The most heinous creatures are cast with no more than age-appropriate menace, qualifying this as an ideal introduction to fictional bestiaries. An informative glossary, which includes national origin as well as details of mythical backstories, will pull readers deeper into the mysterious world and send them off on their own quests for more magical stories. Preschool-Grade 2. --Jesse Karp Jacqueline K. Ogburn worked as an editor at New York publishing houses for a decade before moving to a new home in North Carolina, raising her children, and beginning a second career as a children's book author. Nicoletta lives and works in San Marino, Italy. Awarded with the Andersen prize, "baia delle favole" as best Italian illustrator of the year in 2001, Nicoletta has also received the silver medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York.