Dragons also have been interpreted as symbols of the awesome power of nature. They are often associated with fire, water (the river, the sea, and the rain), and sometimes thunder and lightning in nearly all cultures. This great power of nature frequently carries a malign or destructive quality, and for thousands of years, western dragons have been human's ultimate adversaries. The upper-handing of dragons represents human's control (or wish for control) over nature.

However, when opening a modern picture book created for children, a reader will most likely discover that these dragons have been "transformed" or "reformed" into beings quite different from their evil folklore ancestors. Unlike the ancient witless beasts, many picture book dragons can speak and communicate with either other anthropomorphized animal or human characters. No longer depicted as ruthlessly evil, many of them are simply misunderstood creatures who have always been quite innocent or meek. Others simply "behave badly", never evil, at the beginning and are always tamed and reformed at the end. Some might be sent away but never slain. Many dragons even become the child protagonists' allies and take them on great adventures or make their fantasies come true.

In Katherine Holabird's Alexander and the Dragon, Alexander imagines that there were beastly creatures everywhere in the darkness of the night: his door becomes a mean giant and the curtains are two ugly witches. Alexander also thinks that there is a dragon under his bed. When he reveals this fear to his father, his father says to him, "'There are only two things you can do with a dragon. You've either got to scare it off or make friends with it.'" Alexander first attempts scaring off the dragon, but finds out that the dragon is vulnerable and scared of him. Alexander then proceeds to "befriend" the dragon, and find a new best pal.

Counterparts of this timid, friendly, misunderstood dragon can be spotted in many other picture books. The expressed attitude that instead of warring against a dragon, one can seek more peaceful ways to deal with it is also prevailing in many picture book dragon stories.

To find out the reason why this transformation has occurred calls for an extensive investigation and research. However, possible interpretations of this "friendly dragon" phenomenon can be offered by examining the books and the dragon characters themselves. In this short essay, no contemplation of the intention of each creator of these dragons is made, nor an "ultimately single" explanation for the changes in dragon traits proposed. Rather, I merely suggest in the following paragraphs several angles to view these new dragons.

AS A LITERARY DEVICE

Since dragons have been the same characters for so many years that it is definitely refreshing and delightful to see how the modern dragon creators simply turn the table, reversing the fate, and evoke special, mostly humorous effects. The classic example will be that reluctant dragon who prefers poetry to fighting and being "accepted into the society" to laying waste of the country side. (Graham, The Reluctant Dragon). The readers do not even have to understand this story on its social satire level; it can be enjoyed purely for the cleverness in shifting recognizable characteristics of a dragon. Other picture book dragons such as Alexander's dragon<, (Holabird, Alexander and the Dragon) or Custard the Dragon (Nash, Custard the Dragon), so timid and pitiful to be comical, can be viewed from this angle, too.

TO CONTROL NATURE

In the olden days, when people did not have power to overcome the many destructive whims of Nature (symbolized by dragons), dragons were depicted as frightening foes. Now that humans can more or less keep nature under control, the fear for dragon has vanquished with the fear for Natural disasters. Take the dragons in Beware the Dragons (Wilson) for example. These dragons have been responsible for the fog over the bay: which is undoubtedly the dangerous natural phenomenon that Tildy has to "beware" of.

Tildy's explanation of the dragons' behavior and the her people's acceptance of these former monsters can be viewed as human's understanding of natural phenomena and keeping them under control. It is even stated that the fog will no longer be feared since now the people have befriended the dragons.

NOSTALGIC NOTIONS OF TIME PAST

If dragons symbolize Nature, and modern humans are farther removed from Nature, it is possible that the nostalgic notion toward Nature may soften the images of these past monsters. Dragons also are from a long lost past, times of glory and romance. Once dragons are associated with the distant history when Nature existed side by side with people, their menace disappears and in its stead something desirable, even sweet, materializes. The most common dragon characteristics is fire-breathing. This trait has been preserved in many of modern children's picture books. However, instead of causing damages, it has become these new dragons' prized specialty, appreciated greatly by others. In The Popcorn Dragon by Thayer, Dexter the little dragon uses this "talent" to pop corn and share the delicious food with his other animal friends.

In World Famous Muriel and the Scary Dragon (Alexander), the "scary dragon" uses this fire-breathing specialty and serves as the "Royal Steam Heater". In The Dragon Nanny (Martin), it is the dragon fire from Cinder that saves Nanny Nell Hannah from being harmed by the royal guards (humans!) Even the terrible habit of human devouring can earn resect and appreciation for dragons, like the short-lived appreciation for Custard the Dragon (Nash, Custard the Dragon.)

THE POWER OF IMAGINATION

Another possible angle is to view dragons as entirely products of human imagination since there is no scientific evidence of the existence of "real dragons." This notion is clearly illustrated in Matthew's Dragon (Cooper), The Little Girl and the Dragon (Minarik), and There's a Dragon in My Sleeping Bag (Howe.) In the first two stories, both dragons come from story books. They bring these two children exciting adventures and go back to their dwellings in the "other dimension": the dimension of imagination. In Howe's story about sibling relationship, the element of imagination is even more obvious since the dragon is put in the convention of imaginary friends: except for Alex, who conjures up the dragon, no one else can really see this creature. Whether these dragons are benign or otherwise does not change the fact that they come from the wonderful world of fantasy. It is a celebration of the power of imagination.

ACCEPTANCE OF THE DARK SIDE

This angle is a complex one. It is a blend of a book review I chanced upon and of some other sporadic readings of modern child psychology. In the extensive book review of the book A Landscape with Dragons: Christian and Pagan Imagination in Children's Literature by Michael D. O'Brien, Anastasia Bowles summarizes the argument of this work in great detail. Interestingly, this review is entitled: "How the Dragons Got So Friendly" (Alberta Report/Western Report, 9 May 1994.) Ms. Bowles states that Mr. O'Brien alerts Christians to the danger of the fading of dragons (and other monsters) as symbols of "truly evil forces" in children's culture. It appears that this book discusses mainly fantasy works for older readers from the stand point of the ruling secular ideology of the Catholic church. Mr. O'Brien's observation of the modern dragons is relevant to the current discussion. He points out that the use of classical symbols had been over many centuries to supply graphic expression and concrete forms for unseen supernatural presences. They were used in fairy tales to represent the unseen force of evil. With the softening of that image, we (humans) are altering our understanding of the supernatural truths they represent.

The first question comes to mind is whether, under the influences of modern science and psychology, humans still believe that there is an absolute, external evil force to be extinguished. It seems that the notion that every person has a dark and evil side is prevailing, including every child. We have acknowledged that children are not just innocent little beings, that sometimes they have dark impulses (think about Max in Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are) that should be guided towards a tamer, better temperament, but not necessarily "destroyed" since this destruction might cause damage to the wholesomeness of a balanced being. If dragons are not external evil forces that can or shall be completely destroyed, the only way to deal with them is to tame, befriend, and coexist with them.

The important aspect here is the child's acknowledgement of the dragons (his/her own dark impulses) and the coexistence (dealing and accepting) with them. The confrontation of the child and the dragon, and the consequent friendship between the two beings can be found in many such story books. Alexander and the Dragon (Holabird), World Famous Muriel and the Scary Dragon, and Beware the Dragons (Wilson) can be interpreted from this angle.

The dragon symbolizes Alexander's fear of darkness and by befriending this dragon, Alexander is no longer wary of the dark. The image of him and the dragon sleeping side by side on his bed can be seen as the reconciliation of the Brave Alexander and the Fearful Alexander.

The Bad Dragon Muriel has to conquer is a personification of the one vice shared by almost all children -- the resentment of bathing. Its bad behavior is simply a form of throwing tantrum. To solve this problem (to tame this dragon,) one only has to give it a good scrubbing down and a bath every Saturday. A child reader will identify with Both Muriel: the brave, the smart, and the understanding one, and the Dragon: the bad-tempered, helpless, and misunderstood one.

Tildy meets the dragons outside of Spooner Bay, not heeding her mother's warning or the sign of bad weather, namely the dragon fog. Her disobedience gives her the exciting, although at first frightening, experience to meet with the dragons. Once again, these dragons are misunderstood creatures who shed tears of loneliness when they find out that Tildy is not there to visit them. The sign of danger, the fog created by the breath of dragons, and the dare-devil act that defies common sense, eventually bring Tildy, the village people, and the dragons, great happiness and harmony. Here the readers will find that the occasional disobedience and some valor might result in great pleasure. Tildy is basically following her pleasure-seeking instinct from the beginning to the end and her reward is a hoard of giant live toys.

PEOPLE IN DRAGON SUITS

There are also many picture books simply featuring "people in dragon suits." One example is Nelly's Garden by Slote. It features vaguely dragon-shaped creatures that resemble humans in every other aspect -- wearing clothes, having family outings to the beach, enjoying the changes of seasons, and so on. The story (if there is any) does not gain extra layers of meanings by having dragons as its main characters.

CONCLUSION

Of course there are also books featuring dragons that do not fit in any of the above categories. New dragons keep popping up in children's picture books. Possible new angles to interprete them and other traditional characters such as witches, monsters, and stepmothers, against the backdrop of modern society should be explored. To consider the transformation and symbolic meanings of a dragon, is to consider oneself. Questions such as "Why aren't we afraid of these characters any more?", "Why the traditional views of them have become unacceptable in our world?", and "What do these characters symbolize in the past and in the present?" might yield a deeper understanding of our children and our human selves.