We’ve seen the world of Dungeons & Dragons become its own whole and complete thing in recent years; not just a way for folk to express themselves, but the decades of lore and storytelling have become more and more codified in a way that is accessible and navigable. Yet still flexible enough to work as a tool for storytelling rather than a barrier.

The Practically Complete Guide To Dragons is not a traditional roleplaying supplement; it contains no new rules or ideas. Instead, it’s a storytelling book for younger readers, filled with many illustrations and large fonts. (If you want a book on dragons with stats, check out the excellent Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons.)

The Practically Complete Guide To Dragons is a stocking filler book designed to fit nicely on the shelf next to your D&D Player’s Handbook. It’s a lot larger than the Young Adventurer’s Guides, even though this is essentially one of those: a lore-heavy, fun-focused book aimed at new gamers that contains no actual game content. The guide will tell you how to identify a dragon (the shinier and nicer they may be) and how to fight a dragon (don’t). It also tells you what to do if you meet a dragon with many heads. (Run Away.)

The illustrations in this book are lovely, and this is an excellent treat for your fantasy-loving younger family member who might not have the concentration to sit down and play a TTRPG. This feels more like the sort of book an illustrator or animator would use as a reference for getting the dragons from Dungeons & Dragons correct rather than a book that will help you play a game.

Fun, but not for everyone.