“Sometimes things just happen in a strange way. Firstly, many people asked if the little dragon from ‘Ex Libris’ could be cast separately as a small sculpture. He became ‘Rex Libris’. Secondly, someone challenged me to make a series of small dragons that were completely unique but could be shown together as a group. And I love a challenge.

I realized that the designs had already been created. For years, during book signings, I would make little fantasy dragon drawings for the children who wanted their books signed. These sculptures are a reflection of those children’s drawings. Each dragon represents a gift. —Michael Parkes