How to Train Your Dragon is a series of twelve children's books written by British author Cressida Cowell. Set in a fictional Viking world, the books chronicle the coming-of-age adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a young Viking who is not your typical hero. Rather than being naturally strong or fierce, Hiccup relies on his intellect, empathy, and ability to speak the dragon language Dragonese to overcome challenges. The series begins with Hiccup and other boys from the Hairy Hooligan tribe capturing and training their own dragons as a rite of passage, leading him to bond with a small, stubborn dragon named Toothless.
The first book was published in 2003 by Hodder Children's Books in the United Kingdom, with Little, Brown and Company handling the American editions. Cowell both wrote and illustrated the novels, filling them with her distinctive, energetic drawings. The series concluded in 2015 with the twelfth and final installment. The books are notable for their unique blend of humor, heart, and adventure, as well as their deeper themes of growing up, the loss of innocence, and the complex relationship between humans and nature.
By the time the series was complete, it had sold over seven million copies worldwide and had been translated into numerous languages. The books' popularity established them as a modern classic of children's literature, praised for their clever subversion of traditional heroic tropes and their poignant, bittersweet conclusion that sees the dragons eventually leave the human world.