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The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures
Meet your favourite monsters, fairies, heroes, and tricksters from all around the world!
Enter the enchanting world of mythical creatures and explore the history behind them in this beautifully-illustrated Greek mythology book for children aged 5-9. You’ll meet an incredible cast of mind-boggling fictional animals from all around the world. Say hello to Bigfoot in the forests of North America and learn about the Native American traditions that inspired its story. Voyage to Japan to meet kitsune, supernatural nine-tailed foxes that can turn into humans. Then jump onboard an ancient storm-battered ship to learn why mermaids were the last thing a sailor wanted to see! Learn about the societies that spawned these legendary creatures, from Ancient Greece to the indigenous tribes of Australia, and find out what the beasts tell us about the people who created them.
With magic and mystery in every page, your child can
- Facts behind the myths
- Insights into cultures from around the world and their creation stories
- Stunning full-colour illustrations by Pham Quang Phuc
Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures tells you everything you need to know about supernatural animals great and small. Perfect for fans of Harry Potter and other fantasy tales, this mythology book for children is the only kids’ guide to magical creatures that explores the history behind the mythology in both an engaging and educational way. A must-have volume for children aged 5-9 with an interes in fantasy tale, Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures is filled with supernatural stories that brings the history of mythology and magical creatures to life, and explores the societies that birthed these legendary creatures found in narratives from Ancient Greek mythology, Australian and Native American folktales.
From narwhal tusks inspiring the legend of unicorns, to dinosaur bones creating rumours of dragons, there is an interesting story behind every magical beast. This beautifully-illustrated fantasy book for kids is wonderful for children who like to delve into enchanting stories and magical creatures.
Enter the enchanting world of mythical creatures and explore the history behind them in this beautifully-illustrated Greek mythology book for children aged 5-9. You’ll meet an incredible cast of mind-boggling fictional animals from all around the world. Say hello to Bigfoot in the forests of North America and learn about the Native American traditions that inspired its story. Voyage to Japan to meet kitsune, supernatural nine-tailed foxes that can turn into humans. Then jump onboard an ancient storm-battered ship to learn why mermaids were the last thing a sailor wanted to see! Learn about the societies that spawned these legendary creatures, from Ancient Greece to the indigenous tribes of Australia, and find out what the beasts tell us about the people who created them.
With magic and mystery in every page, your child can
- Facts behind the myths
- Insights into cultures from around the world and their creation stories
- Stunning full-colour illustrations by Pham Quang Phuc
Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures tells you everything you need to know about supernatural animals great and small. Perfect for fans of Harry Potter and other fantasy tales, this mythology book for children is the only kids’ guide to magical creatures that explores the history behind the mythology in both an engaging and educational way. A must-have volume for children aged 5-9 with an interes in fantasy tale, Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures is filled with supernatural stories that brings the history of mythology and magical creatures to life, and explores the societies that birthed these legendary creatures found in narratives from Ancient Greek mythology, Australian and Native American folktales.
From narwhal tusks inspiring the legend of unicorns, to dinosaur bones creating rumours of dragons, there is an interesting story behind every magical beast. This beautifully-illustrated fantasy book for kids is wonderful for children who like to delve into enchanting stories and magical creatures.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2020
47 people are currently reading
971 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,151 books1,999 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
December 12, 2021
Picked this up at a local store. The illustrations are out of this world gorgeous. Bright, colorful, and unique. I love how it shows all these mythical and magical creatures and gives information on where their legends began. It is great to learn a bit and open curiosity leading to kids wanting to research more about topics they really like. Absolutely love it!
February 5, 2022
Ein grober Überblick über verschiedene Fabelwesen und Kreaturen aus verschiedenen Kulturen der Welt.
Die Beschreibungen sind recht oberflächlich, die Illustrationen sind aber dafür umso schöner. Für Kinder auf jeden Fall geeignet, aber auch ich hatte meine Freude mit dem Buch.
Kleiner Kritikpunkt, das Buch stinkt wie die Pest, ich hoffe der Gestank legt sich mit der Zeit🙈
Die Beschreibungen sind recht oberflächlich, die Illustrationen sind aber dafür umso schöner. Für Kinder auf jeden Fall geeignet, aber auch ich hatte meine Freude mit dem Buch.
Kleiner Kritikpunkt, das Buch stinkt wie die Pest, ich hoffe der Gestank legt sich mit der Zeit🙈
December 7, 2022
4.5 stars! This had great little blurbs or profiles for many different characters and creatures in world mythology.
December 21, 2020
The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures // by Stephen Krensky // illustrated by Pham Quang Phuc
This honestly must be the most beautiful children’s book I put my hands on this year, or even ever. Between the subject, the text, and the illustrations, there is nothing I did not like about this book. There is no question of whether this book will end up on my shelf as a physical copy.
The book is split into 8 sections: Our Mysterious World, Good and Evil, Tricksters, Shape-Shifters, Almost Human, Creatures of the Deep, Winged Wonders, and Beasts of the World. Each section starts out with a quick intro that is followed by the creatures and beasts that fall into its category. They each have a page spread dedicated to them that includes their name, an illustration, where in the world they originate from, and a few paragraphs of description.
At the end of the book, you will find an A-Z of Creatures that lists all of them in alphabetical order in case you are searching for a specific one. There, you also find the meaning of their name as well as a quick origin section. This is followed by the Glossary and Index to further assist in a specific search and to decipher the meanings of words that may be unknown to the reader.
I know I already said it above but I have to say it again. This book is stunning. Pham Quang Phuc is an absolutely brilliant illustrator that makes this book such a gift to own. Or to give away. This would be a beautiful present for any child. While the book itself is definitely interesting, the marvelous illustrations with their vibrant colors just take it to a whole different level.
Aside from being a great children’s book, I honestly think this would be a fun and quick resource for writers looking for creatures to include in their stories. There is obviously not enough information about them to base an entire character on them and they would need to do more research to really be culturally accurate but it is a fun reference place to get started.
Did I mention it is beautiful yet?
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This honestly must be the most beautiful children’s book I put my hands on this year, or even ever. Between the subject, the text, and the illustrations, there is nothing I did not like about this book. There is no question of whether this book will end up on my shelf as a physical copy.
The book is split into 8 sections: Our Mysterious World, Good and Evil, Tricksters, Shape-Shifters, Almost Human, Creatures of the Deep, Winged Wonders, and Beasts of the World. Each section starts out with a quick intro that is followed by the creatures and beasts that fall into its category. They each have a page spread dedicated to them that includes their name, an illustration, where in the world they originate from, and a few paragraphs of description.
At the end of the book, you will find an A-Z of Creatures that lists all of them in alphabetical order in case you are searching for a specific one. There, you also find the meaning of their name as well as a quick origin section. This is followed by the Glossary and Index to further assist in a specific search and to decipher the meanings of words that may be unknown to the reader.
I know I already said it above but I have to say it again. This book is stunning. Pham Quang Phuc is an absolutely brilliant illustrator that makes this book such a gift to own. Or to give away. This would be a beautiful present for any child. While the book itself is definitely interesting, the marvelous illustrations with their vibrant colors just take it to a whole different level.
Aside from being a great children’s book, I honestly think this would be a fun and quick resource for writers looking for creatures to include in their stories. There is obviously not enough information about them to base an entire character on them and they would need to do more research to really be culturally accurate but it is a fun reference place to get started.
Did I mention it is beautiful yet?
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2024
4.5 Stars
What a beautiful book! The illustrations are utterly stunning and really bring the beasts, creatures and stories to life. They are so beautiful!
I wanted to read this book to get to know some more mythical and magical creatures and I certainly did! There was such a great array of interesting creatures and I loved learning about new ones as well as seeing my favourites too.
The only reason why I can't quite give 5 stars is that I wish there was a little more information at time. However I understand this is a book aimed at Children and so for that purpose it is such a wonderful and interesting read.
I am so glad I treated myself to this book!
What a beautiful book! The illustrations are utterly stunning and really bring the beasts, creatures and stories to life. They are so beautiful!
I wanted to read this book to get to know some more mythical and magical creatures and I certainly did! There was such a great array of interesting creatures and I loved learning about new ones as well as seeing my favourites too.
The only reason why I can't quite give 5 stars is that I wish there was a little more information at time. However I understand this is a book aimed at Children and so for that purpose it is such a wonderful and interesting read.
I am so glad I treated myself to this book!
May 27, 2022
kitabı yarın bitirecektim ama yanlışlıkla, güncelleme yaparken finishledim. o yüzden bugün okuyup bitireceğim; yorum yazacağım. demiş olsam da daha yeni bitirdim.
gerçekten güzel bir kitaptı, okurken keyfime keyif kattı.
şahane illüstrasyonları vardı her şeyden önce. okuduğum her an keşke basılı olarak elimde olsa diye yakındım.
ikinci olarak, neredeyse tüm canavar ve yaratıkları biliyor olsam bile tüm bunların kategorize edilip sekiz bölüme ayrılması kısmını çok sevdim. bu düzen kitabı sıkıcı olmaktan çıkarmış bana göre. çünkü benzeri türden kitaplar bu tasnif işini kültürlere göre yapıyorlar haliyle benim dikkatim kiminde çok yüksek olurken kiminde aman bitsin ruh haline giriyorum. burada o tekdüzeliği aşmayı müthiş başarmışlardı.
bir gün imkanım olursa alacağım kitaplardan.
gerçekten güzel bir kitaptı, okurken keyfime keyif kattı.
şahane illüstrasyonları vardı her şeyden önce. okuduğum her an keşke basılı olarak elimde olsa diye yakındım.
ikinci olarak, neredeyse tüm canavar ve yaratıkları biliyor olsam bile tüm bunların kategorize edilip sekiz bölüme ayrılması kısmını çok sevdim. bu düzen kitabı sıkıcı olmaktan çıkarmış bana göre. çünkü benzeri türden kitaplar bu tasnif işini kültürlere göre yapıyorlar haliyle benim dikkatim kiminde çok yüksek olurken kiminde aman bitsin ruh haline giriyorum. burada o tekdüzeliği aşmayı müthiş başarmışlardı.
bir gün imkanım olursa alacağım kitaplardan.
September 14, 2020
There's no way I'm not buying a copy of this book for one of my kids for Christmas. The only question is which one, as I think they all would love it. I love it. Just wow. The art is just phenomenally beautiful. It's well organized into sections and it actually contains characters and creatures from all over instead of just the standard Greek or occasionally Norse myths most books mention. Some characters have a variety listed, like the fairy pages that show fairy types of creatures from all different cultures around the world. The text is just enough to give kids interesting information but not so much that it bogs them down or bores them, or gets them to just skip the text and look at the pictures. The colors are vibrant and it's absolutely stunning and a pleasure to read.
Highly, highly recommended.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
Highly, highly recommended.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
Want to read
August 19, 2022Just got this for my (soon to be 6yr old) nephew’s birthday, because you’ve got to start them young. And Dragons are always a good idea. Can’t wait to read this with him!
September 9, 2020
The Book of Mythical Beast by Stephen Krensky was filled with so many mythical beasts from all over the world. The writing was great. Some creatures had longer descriptions than others. I liked that the book had dedicated pages to just witches, or just faeries, etc. It was fun to have them all together, so you can compare myths from around the world. What really made the book are the illustrations by Pham Quang Phuc. They are stunning. This book is perfect for anyone that is interested in mythology.
I received an eARC from DK Children through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.
I received an eARC from DK Children through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.
October 23, 2020
I think this is a truly exceptional, well-researched, and aesthetically designed tome of mythical beasts and magical creatures. The illustrations are beautiful indeed. The descriptions and brief narrations of stories where the creatures are featured were written in a way that it increases your interest towards delving deeper into the individual stories of the beasts.
Moreover, the depiction of the stories give more information on the culture and the people who pass the story from one generation to another. Truly a spell-binding experience to works of the imagination that withstood years of tradition and adventure.
Moreover, the depiction of the stories give more information on the culture and the people who pass the story from one generation to another. Truly a spell-binding experience to works of the imagination that withstood years of tradition and adventure.
January 14, 2022
Really enjoyed this book. Beautiful artwork. I look forward to adding a copy to my shelf!
July 28, 2025
Amazing book! I loved learning about tons of mythical creatures!
July 11, 2022
14-year-old me would have loved this book. The illustrations are so fun and lots of info is packed into a fun, but manageable-for-kids, paragraph.
June 25, 2023
A marvellous, magical and colourful book.it has many weird creatures that I've never seen or heard about them.
September 17, 2021
Wer meinen Blog und somit meine Lesevorlieben kennt, wird wissen, dass ich gern in „mythologischen Welten“ unterwegs bin. Ich habe schon als Kind sehr gerne Mythen und Legenden des Altertums gelesen und bin grundsätzlich sehr empfänglich für diese Thematik. Dieser Hang zur Mythologie scheint auf meine Kinder übergeschwappt zu sein. Woran ohne Frage die vielen Kinderbücher Schuld sind, die es mittlerweile zu diesem Thema gibt. Das erklärt zumindest, weshalb meine beiden größeren Jungs mir das Buch „Magische Fabelwesen und mythische Kreaturen“ (noch während ich es gelesen habe) streitig gemacht haben.
Das ist im Grunde genommen das schönste Lob für ein solches Buch, aber ich möchte doch ein bisschen zu dem Buch erzählen. Dieses Buch ist nämlich etwas ganz besonderes. Es zeigt nämlich sehr viele mythische Figuren und Fabelwesen nicht nur aus den Sagen und Legenden der westlichen Welt, sondern quer durch alle Kulturen aus aller Herren Länder. Einige Wesen werden dem (jungen) Leser vielleicht schon bekannt sein (vor allem, wenn sie durch andere Formate bekannt gemacht wurden, wie z.B. Loki), sehr viele aber vermutlich nicht.
Um nicht den Überblick zu verlieren und um das Buch zu strukturieren, wurden verschiedene Kategorien ausgedacht, mit denen man die Wesen gut gruppieren kann. Und so gibt es z.B. die Kategorie „Gut und Böse“, in der sich Feen, Drachen und Hexen tummeln. Bei diesen Beispielen wird es zusätzlich interessant, weil es manche Wesen in vielen Kulturen gibt. Bei den Drachen werden viele z.B. den Unterschied zwischen den europäischen und chinesischen Varianten kennen.
Neben solchen Übersichten gibt es aber auch viele Einzelvorstellungen, wie der schon erwähnte Loki oder z.B. der Faun. Diese Mischung aus Übersichten einzelner Kreaturen aus unterschiedlichen Kulturkreisen ist ebenso spannend wie diese Einzelvorstellungen. Dazu tragen auch die sehr ansprechenden zeichnerischen Darstellungen bei. Auf jeder Doppelseite werden die unterschiedlichen Wesen sehr farbenfroh und stimmungsvoll in Szene gesetzt. Das geht sogar soweit, dass meine Jungs zuerst durch das Buch geblättert haben, nur um sich die Zeichnungen anzuschauen, nur um dann später sich den Texten zu widmen. Diese sind kurz und knackig und kommen in kindgerechter Sprache schnell auf den Punkt. Meist sind diese Kurzvorstellung ausreichend, um ein Gefühl für die Vielfalt der unterschiedlichen Wesen aus unterschiedlichen Kulturkreisen zu erhalten.
Fazit
Es ist ein sehr schönes Buch, in dem sehr viele unterschiedliche Fabelwesen aus aller Welt vorgestellt werden. Die schönen Illustrationen gepaart mit den treffsicheren Texten haben meine Kinder ebenso angesprochen wie mich selbst. Um ein Gefühl dafür zu kriegen, wie unterschiedlich zum Teil gleiche Wesen in unterschiedlichen Ländern gesehen werden, ist das Buch wunderbar geeignet. Es ist einfach zu faszinierend, diese Vielfalt gebündelt präsentiert zu bekommen.
Das ist im Grunde genommen das schönste Lob für ein solches Buch, aber ich möchte doch ein bisschen zu dem Buch erzählen. Dieses Buch ist nämlich etwas ganz besonderes. Es zeigt nämlich sehr viele mythische Figuren und Fabelwesen nicht nur aus den Sagen und Legenden der westlichen Welt, sondern quer durch alle Kulturen aus aller Herren Länder. Einige Wesen werden dem (jungen) Leser vielleicht schon bekannt sein (vor allem, wenn sie durch andere Formate bekannt gemacht wurden, wie z.B. Loki), sehr viele aber vermutlich nicht.
Um nicht den Überblick zu verlieren und um das Buch zu strukturieren, wurden verschiedene Kategorien ausgedacht, mit denen man die Wesen gut gruppieren kann. Und so gibt es z.B. die Kategorie „Gut und Böse“, in der sich Feen, Drachen und Hexen tummeln. Bei diesen Beispielen wird es zusätzlich interessant, weil es manche Wesen in vielen Kulturen gibt. Bei den Drachen werden viele z.B. den Unterschied zwischen den europäischen und chinesischen Varianten kennen.
Neben solchen Übersichten gibt es aber auch viele Einzelvorstellungen, wie der schon erwähnte Loki oder z.B. der Faun. Diese Mischung aus Übersichten einzelner Kreaturen aus unterschiedlichen Kulturkreisen ist ebenso spannend wie diese Einzelvorstellungen. Dazu tragen auch die sehr ansprechenden zeichnerischen Darstellungen bei. Auf jeder Doppelseite werden die unterschiedlichen Wesen sehr farbenfroh und stimmungsvoll in Szene gesetzt. Das geht sogar soweit, dass meine Jungs zuerst durch das Buch geblättert haben, nur um sich die Zeichnungen anzuschauen, nur um dann später sich den Texten zu widmen. Diese sind kurz und knackig und kommen in kindgerechter Sprache schnell auf den Punkt. Meist sind diese Kurzvorstellung ausreichend, um ein Gefühl für die Vielfalt der unterschiedlichen Wesen aus unterschiedlichen Kulturkreisen zu erhalten.
Fazit
Es ist ein sehr schönes Buch, in dem sehr viele unterschiedliche Fabelwesen aus aller Welt vorgestellt werden. Die schönen Illustrationen gepaart mit den treffsicheren Texten haben meine Kinder ebenso angesprochen wie mich selbst. Um ein Gefühl dafür zu kriegen, wie unterschiedlich zum Teil gleiche Wesen in unterschiedlichen Ländern gesehen werden, ist das Buch wunderbar geeignet. Es ist einfach zu faszinierend, diese Vielfalt gebündelt präsentiert zu bekommen.
September 9, 2020
This book was received as an ARC from DK Children in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I was so impressed by this book that all I wanted to do was read it over and over again. This book would be perfect for a classroom/school project for our teachers and elementary students in our community as they learn the origin of stories behind these infamous mythical beasts and magical creatures. I do have to say my favorite was the kitsune in Japan, these magical foxes that can easily morph into humans and have human developments and emotions. I know our community will respond well to this book and especially if there is a project in the works, it will definitely be well circulated for sure.
We will consider adding this title to our JNon-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
I was so impressed by this book that all I wanted to do was read it over and over again. This book would be perfect for a classroom/school project for our teachers and elementary students in our community as they learn the origin of stories behind these infamous mythical beasts and magical creatures. I do have to say my favorite was the kitsune in Japan, these magical foxes that can easily morph into humans and have human developments and emotions. I know our community will respond well to this book and especially if there is a project in the works, it will definitely be well circulated for sure.
We will consider adding this title to our JNon-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
September 3, 2020
arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I loved this so much! The art was absolutely beautiful. Each page took my breath away and I spent a good amount of time just staring at the illustrations. They were so detailed and colorful! I can just imagine how excited kids are going to be when they get their hands on this.
This was super informative too and in an easy to digest way. We got concise information that was easy to understand and kept me wanting to read more. I loved the fact that a myriad of cultures were shown in here!
Overall, this was a joy to read and I highly recommend this to everyone! If you’re interested in myths and creatures, definitely check this one out!
5/5 ⭐️
I loved this so much! The art was absolutely beautiful. Each page took my breath away and I spent a good amount of time just staring at the illustrations. They were so detailed and colorful! I can just imagine how excited kids are going to be when they get their hands on this.
This was super informative too and in an easy to digest way. We got concise information that was easy to understand and kept me wanting to read more. I loved the fact that a myriad of cultures were shown in here!
Overall, this was a joy to read and I highly recommend this to everyone! If you’re interested in myths and creatures, definitely check this one out!
5/5 ⭐️
August 17, 2021
Gorgeous illustrations, with compellingly told tales/descriptions. Wish some more of the longer pages were dedicated to lesser known mythical creatures as opposed to more popular ones, but lovely overall.
February 24, 2021
Very nice, colorful illustrations and interesting descriptions of mythical creatures from around the world.
December 26, 2021
4.5 stars
June 14, 2023
This book was so freaking cute and adorable. It was cool to learn about all the mythical beasts from around the world. It was beautifully illustrated.
April 13, 2022
Gorgeous illustrations, fascinating cultural and historical insights, and overall fun to read. I read this with my 6 year old son and he wanted to read it over and over. Some of the material is a bit dark for younger children but overall a wonderful door into the history and imagination of many cultures. It led us into many rabbit holes, doing research for more background on some of the entries. I strongly recommend for anyone interested in culture and whimsy.
Many thanks to Dorling Kindersley Limited and NetGalley for the ARC!
Many thanks to Dorling Kindersley Limited and NetGalley for the ARC!
July 26, 2025
My son and I read this together, and both enjoyed it & learned a lot! Never thought I would be intrigued by this stuff, but it’s pretty cool to hear all the folklore and how it all connects!
February 10, 2023
I picked this up for my kids but I really enjoyed it too. The illustrations are beautiful!
January 11, 2022
WOW, amazing colors and illustrations. PERFECT for collections and magical escape. Both kids and adults would loveee this Mythical and Magical book <3 <3 <3
June 11, 2023
Book 97 - paperback - finished: 30th December 2021
A Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures by D.K. Publishing
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
‘You'll meet an incredible cast of mind-boggling fictional animals from all around the world. Say hello to Bigfoot in the forests of North America and learn about the Native American traditions that inspired its story. Voyage to Japan to meet kitsune, supernatural nine-tailed foxes that can turn into humans. And jump onboard an ancient storm-battered ship to learn why mermaids were the last thing a sailor wanted to see…’
The fact that this is recommended for kids ages 7-9 has me howling. I got this for Christmas and I read it while I was isolating after I caught Covid. I loved it.
It’s such a nice introduction to mythical creatures and it was sectioned off really nicely to separate different types of mythical creatures and the illustrations were stunning so I loved that. I knew at least rough things about most of the creatures in the book but some were new like the Itzpapalotl and Taniwha.
I also liked that they had a range of different mythical creatures from around the world and different cultures too.
A Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures by D.K. Publishing
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
‘You'll meet an incredible cast of mind-boggling fictional animals from all around the world. Say hello to Bigfoot in the forests of North America and learn about the Native American traditions that inspired its story. Voyage to Japan to meet kitsune, supernatural nine-tailed foxes that can turn into humans. And jump onboard an ancient storm-battered ship to learn why mermaids were the last thing a sailor wanted to see…’
The fact that this is recommended for kids ages 7-9 has me howling. I got this for Christmas and I read it while I was isolating after I caught Covid. I loved it.
It’s such a nice introduction to mythical creatures and it was sectioned off really nicely to separate different types of mythical creatures and the illustrations were stunning so I loved that. I knew at least rough things about most of the creatures in the book but some were new like the Itzpapalotl and Taniwha.
I also liked that they had a range of different mythical creatures from around the world and different cultures too.
October 19, 2020
The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures was written by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Pham Quang Phuc. It is currently scheduled for release on October 13 2020. In this book readers will meet a cast of mind-boggling fictional animals from all around the world. Say hello to Bigfoot in the forests of North America and learn about the Native American traditions that inspired its story. Voyage to Japan to meet kitsune, supernatural nine-tailed foxes that can turn into humans. And jump onboard an ancient storm-battered ship to learn why mermaids were the last thing a sailor wanted to see. Learn about the societies that spawned these legendary creatures, from Ancient Greece to the indigenous tribes of Australia, and find out what the beasts tell us about the people who created them. From narwhal tusks inspiring the legend of unicorns, to dinosaur bones creating rumors of dragons, there is an interesting story behind every magical beast.
The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures is a decent introduction to a wide variety of creatures of myth, religion, and folklore from around the world. I liked that a wide variety of regions and cultures are included, and think the organization of the creatures is well done. The illustrations are bold and eye catching. They do a great job of illustrating the creatures and habitat in question, and keep the interest of readers. I also liked the information on the legends surrounding common animals, the A-Z listing with short summaries of the creatures included, and the glossary included at the back of the book. I did this some of the information on the listed creatures in their large spreads did a good job of showing how some stories are told around the world, with slight variation due to culture, climate, and other factors. However, some bits were a little too simplistic, varied from what I have previously read on the subject, or left of bits that I always found the most interesting. Since mythology and folklore are among my favorite reading subjects, so newcomers and the children most likely to pick this up might not have have the same reactions. It could also be that I have read so many retellings and variations on some of these stories that I could be holding onto favorite bits from more current takes on the subjects than the author and research done here would have considered.
The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures is a decent introduction to a wide variety of creatures of myth, religion, and folklore from around the world. I liked that a wide variety of regions and cultures are included, and think the organization of the creatures is well done. The illustrations are bold and eye catching. They do a great job of illustrating the creatures and habitat in question, and keep the interest of readers. I also liked the information on the legends surrounding common animals, the A-Z listing with short summaries of the creatures included, and the glossary included at the back of the book. I did this some of the information on the listed creatures in their large spreads did a good job of showing how some stories are told around the world, with slight variation due to culture, climate, and other factors. However, some bits were a little too simplistic, varied from what I have previously read on the subject, or left of bits that I always found the most interesting. Since mythology and folklore are among my favorite reading subjects, so newcomers and the children most likely to pick this up might not have have the same reactions. It could also be that I have read so many retellings and variations on some of these stories that I could be holding onto favorite bits from more current takes on the subjects than the author and research done here would have considered.
July 11, 2021
I don't typically include children's books in Goodreads because they're so short and many, but this one is a larger reference book used for teaching this summer so I thought it was worth noting. I liked the colorful, vivid images since each page felt different. The style was pretty consistent in the bold lines and coloring style, but each creature was rendered as individuals rather than all members of a single party, if that makes sense. I appreciated that most of the creatures were given just a two-page spread, which made it easy to photocopy them as a single double-sided sheet of paper to share with the kids and manageable for them to read. The descriptions included a little globe on the corner of the page to indicate the origin of each creature, a nice large picture, and a few paragraphs that describe its geographic/historical origins, basic personality traits, and a few related famous stories. It's true that some of the images were a bit "scary," but that was appropriate for their stories and none of it was egregious and nightmare-inducing, which is good. The categorizations are a bit odd since there are some overlaps and blurry lines, but I see that this is a hard problem to fix: "Our Mysterious World," "Good and Evil," "Tricksters," "Shape-shifters," "Almost Human," "Creatures of the Deep," "Winged Wonders," and "Beasts of the World." Other books organize by geographic/historical origin, but even that can be dicey at times. It would've been nice to have an appendix that organized the creatures by rough geographic origin though, so that kids can quickly compare them that way. But on each page, they include page references to other creatures that are related to the given creature in some way. The back also includes a nice alphabetized list of the creatures. Some pages, like the ones for "Ghosts," "Dragons," "Fairies," "Vampires," and "Witches" include multiple examples under that given category with just one paragraph and smaller image for each individual. That was effective too.
Overall, I think it's a fine starting point for elementary school kids, whetting their appetites to learn more.
Overall, I think it's a fine starting point for elementary school kids, whetting their appetites to learn more.
February 28, 2021
This book was absolutely extraordinary. From the subjects chosen, to the illustrations, to the text, you were taken on a global journey through myth and legend.
There were 8 chapters in this book, covering creatures such as Winged Wonders, Creatures of the Deep and The Mysterious World. Within each chapter was a selection of mythological beings that fit that description. Many of the creatures in this book I was familiar with, but many more were new to me. That made this book even more interesting and engaging, I got to read myths about so many creatures I had never heard of.
Bake-Kujira was one of my favorite stories. This creature from Japanese mythology is the ghost whale. Said to be the skeleton of a whale killed only for its meat, it haunts the seas and takes revenge on sailors. Like Moby Dick only just a skeleton, not an actual whale. Another was the Rainbow Crow. This creature from Native American legend helped its fellow creatures by bringing fire to them from the Creator Spirit so they could stay warm. Of the creatures I knew, I enjoyed reading about mermaids, unicorns and thunderbirds.
The illustrations in this book were just so vivid, vibrant and amazingly drawn. The colors brought each creature to life in such a creative way. I loved the depictions just as much as reading about them.
In addition to individual creatures there were also groups. For example, the vampires of many different cultures were discussed, as a group, over a two page spread. At the end of the book was a glossary, index and alphabetized list of the creatures discussed.
If you like myths, legends and folklore, explore this wonderful book.
There were 8 chapters in this book, covering creatures such as Winged Wonders, Creatures of the Deep and The Mysterious World. Within each chapter was a selection of mythological beings that fit that description. Many of the creatures in this book I was familiar with, but many more were new to me. That made this book even more interesting and engaging, I got to read myths about so many creatures I had never heard of.
Bake-Kujira was one of my favorite stories. This creature from Japanese mythology is the ghost whale. Said to be the skeleton of a whale killed only for its meat, it haunts the seas and takes revenge on sailors. Like Moby Dick only just a skeleton, not an actual whale. Another was the Rainbow Crow. This creature from Native American legend helped its fellow creatures by bringing fire to them from the Creator Spirit so they could stay warm. Of the creatures I knew, I enjoyed reading about mermaids, unicorns and thunderbirds.
The illustrations in this book were just so vivid, vibrant and amazingly drawn. The colors brought each creature to life in such a creative way. I loved the depictions just as much as reading about them.
In addition to individual creatures there were also groups. For example, the vampires of many different cultures were discussed, as a group, over a two page spread. At the end of the book was a glossary, index and alphabetized list of the creatures discussed.
If you like myths, legends and folklore, explore this wonderful book.
January 27, 2022
Travel around the world and meet some of the most mythical and magical creatures of the legendary world!
The book dives into the world of nearly 105 of these mythic creatures: from vampires, to oceanic creatures, aviator creatures, tricksters, shape-shifters like Jinn and Werewolves, the mostly humanic creatures of Irish and Greek tales, those who represent good and bad including a whole section devoted to Tricksters, and the inexplicable animals who are a part of select countries' origins.
Each section is given highlighted well-told legendary creatures while others showcase multiple international variations of these figures.
One of the cool tidbits about each creature is that you are given a geographical honing on a globe in the pages' upper-left corner. The other cool factoid I appreciate is the "have humans seen this sight?" or how explorers have found real-live animals that appear to be very similar to a mythical creature, such as the Narwhal or the Manatee.
Huge props to Pham Quang Phuc for his incredibly detailed and eye-catching illustrations! Huge props to Stephen Krensky for his simplistic but informative text. Another thing I appreciate about Krensky's text is his ability to leave the question open for Children to ask, "What if" or "Are they real?"
The book dives into the world of nearly 105 of these mythic creatures: from vampires, to oceanic creatures, aviator creatures, tricksters, shape-shifters like Jinn and Werewolves, the mostly humanic creatures of Irish and Greek tales, those who represent good and bad including a whole section devoted to Tricksters, and the inexplicable animals who are a part of select countries' origins.
Each section is given highlighted well-told legendary creatures while others showcase multiple international variations of these figures.
One of the cool tidbits about each creature is that you are given a geographical honing on a globe in the pages' upper-left corner. The other cool factoid I appreciate is the "have humans seen this sight?" or how explorers have found real-live animals that appear to be very similar to a mythical creature, such as the Narwhal or the Manatee.
Huge props to Pham Quang Phuc for his incredibly detailed and eye-catching illustrations! Huge props to Stephen Krensky for his simplistic but informative text. Another thing I appreciate about Krensky's text is his ability to leave the question open for Children to ask, "What if" or "Are they real?"
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