Here There Be Dragons

Dragon-lovers and maybe even dinophiles will unite to celebrate Yolen's (the Dragon's Blood trilogy) virtuosic poems and stories about dragons. Some new, others previously published, the entries cover a spectrum of genres: tales of heroic battles, romance, fantasy, science fiction (one story is set on another planet), occasional blood and guts, a story of Chinese origin, an ancient story retold (Merlin is a dragon) and even borscht-belt humor (`` `Is that all you can say?' asked the dragon. `I tell you I am The Dragon and all you can answer is oh ?' ''). Yolen introduces each selection, supplying its genesis and adding invitingly personal anecdotes (e.g., her son had a tattoo made from an illustration for the poem ``The Making of Dragons''). An older reader's companion to Jack Prelutsky and Peter Sis's The Dragons Are Singing Tonight (Children's Forecasts, Oct. 11). Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 10-up. (Nov.)