Master Lionel, dear, they've come to fetch you to go and be King.

And with that, even though Lionel is just a small boy, he is crowned King.

Now, Lionel's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was not only King but a wizard as well, a wizard who loved books. When Lionel explores the palace library, he opens a huge volume entitled The Book of Beasts, only to let loose a spectacular red Dragon in all its fury. The red Dragon terrorizes the people in Lionel's kingdom. Determined to be brave, Lionel returns to The Book of Beasts and "with a fluttering of wings and a stamping of hoofs" sets free the amazing Hippogriff. Together the mighty Hippogriff and King Lionel close the book on the red Dragon.

Detailed illustrations accented with vivid shades of red and gold re-create this imaginary kingdom, along with the beasts, both good and evil, who dwell within.