Where Dragons Soar: And Other Animal Folk Tales of the British Isles

Where Dragons Soar gathers animal folk tales from across the British Isles, bringing together dragons, lake monsters, talking or scheming creatures and beasts entwined with local history. Familiar legends sit alongside less widely known accounts, including the Hartlepool monkey mistaken for a French spy, the Loch Ness Monster and two dragons said to lie beneath Caernarfon.

The collection ranges beyond mammals to include fish and birds, with stories from places such as the Isle of Man. Among its selections are the fox Scrapefoot’s encounter with bears, a fisherman’s wife revealed as a seal, the Black Dog of Peel and the Derbyshire Werewolf. Pete Castle presents these traditional narratives in a storyteller’s voice, supported by illustrations and a broad geographical sweep.