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erikasarutobi's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
It was nice reading fairy tales from different countries but the stories wasn't spooky as it was advertised even if it was for children's fiction since most of the stories had a happy ending. I guess the only spooky thing are the amount of deaths if you want to count that.
As for the artstyle, it was nice and the colors chosen were pleasing to the eye.
Overall, I feel a tad disappointed but then again that was my own expectations and for forgetting this was a children's fiction.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.
It was nice reading fairy tales from different countries but the stories wasn't spooky as it was advertised even if it was for children's fiction since most of the stories had a happy ending. I guess the only spooky thing are the amount of deaths if you want to count that.
As for the artstyle, it was nice and the colors chosen were pleasing to the eye.
Overall, I feel a tad disappointed but then again that was my own expectations and for forgetting this was a children's fiction.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.
aimeedarsreads's review
5.0
You might wonder why your child’s home, school, or public library needs another book of fairy tales and fables, a fair sentiment given the number of volumes on the subject. However, A World Full of Spooky Stories stands out for a few reasons. For me, illustrator Madalina Andronic, who has worked with Angela McAllister on other books, transforms this into a bona fide work of art. Her drawings are colorful, detailed, and amazing and do such an excellent job reflecting the essence of the narrative.
The book’s collection of spooky tales also will thrill young readers who will be frightened in what I think is a fun instead of haunting manner. The tales reflect their original, darker plots and include battles, cemeteries, and death, but these are much tamer than that found in most of today’s entertainment. A final praiseworthy attribute of the collection is the diversity of source material. While there are some traditional fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood, most of the stories are rarer and come from countries around the world. In “The Enchanted Apple Tree,” a story from France,” an old woman named Misery cheats death. Russia’s “Vasilissa the Beautiful” pits the kind daughter of a merchant against the feared Baba Yaga in her house set on chicken legs. The collection includes tales from Egypt, Brazil, Japan, Tibet, Iran, Greece, and more. Most of the stories emphasize honesty, kindness, and cleverness, giving rewards to those who embody those virtues and punishments to those who do not.
This beautiful volume will be a treasured book that guardians can share with their children and read over and over again finding new delights with each pass.
Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book’s collection of spooky tales also will thrill young readers who will be frightened in what I think is a fun instead of haunting manner. The tales reflect their original, darker plots and include battles, cemeteries, and death, but these are much tamer than that found in most of today’s entertainment. A final praiseworthy attribute of the collection is the diversity of source material. While there are some traditional fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood, most of the stories are rarer and come from countries around the world. In “The Enchanted Apple Tree,” a story from France,” an old woman named Misery cheats death. Russia’s “Vasilissa the Beautiful” pits the kind daughter of a merchant against the feared Baba Yaga in her house set on chicken legs. The collection includes tales from Egypt, Brazil, Japan, Tibet, Iran, Greece, and more. Most of the stories emphasize honesty, kindness, and cleverness, giving rewards to those who embody those virtues and punishments to those who do not.
This beautiful volume will be a treasured book that guardians can share with their children and read over and over again finding new delights with each pass.
Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
amalia1985's review
5.0
Confession time. Once August knocks on our door and long before my summer holidays are completed, I begin to think of Halloween reads, Halloween decorations, Halloween films and pretty much Halloween everything. This beautiful volume is a perfect addition to the autumnal festive atmosphere (and yes, I am hasty and weird…) of the most wonderful time of the year and an exciting choice for the fairytales/myths aficionado.
Tales of the woods and the water. Enchanted places, farms and fields, oceans and frozen lands. Stories of spirits, graveyards and the strangers at the door, from every corner of the world. Absolutely beautiful illustrations by Mandalina Andronic. They reminded me of the decorative pictures found in Medieval manuscripts and made the book a pure joy to read.
The reader finds classics like Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and Rumpelstiltskin from Germany, Vasilissa the Beautiful from Russia, the Scottish tale of Tam Lin and the Elf Queen, the Seal Wife, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. But the real treasure of this collection lies in lesser - known gems a few of which I’ve chosen to present you:
Yara: A spirit of the forest lures young men on the eve of their wedding. A tale from Brazil.
The Cold Lady: A sad wintry tale from Japan.
Morag and the White Horse from Scotland.
The Dance of Death: A tale of a young girl’s foolishness from Canada.
The Water Witch: A French tale of transformations and the intelligence of a brave girl.
The Enchanted Apple Tree: A tale from Flanders. An old lady called Misery, who tricked Death, bargained with him and gained immortality. If you’ve ever wondered why there is still such an awful misery in the world, you’ll find one of the answers in this tale.
The Blacksmith and the Devil: ‘’If I respect God, I ought to respect the Devil too’’, said an old blacksmith. But his son had a different idea...A very interesting tale from Russia.
The Blind Man and the Demons, an eerie tale from Korea.
Old Nick and the Girl: A battle of dances, running races and wits, from Norway.
Herne the Hunter, a haunting tale from England.
Counting Out the Bodies: A funny tale of misunderstandings from Bermuda.
The Giantess and the Stone Boat, an Icelandic tale of an unfortunate queen.
Esteban and the Ghost, a humorous tale from Spain.
The Old Ogre: The story of a brave mother from Tibet.
These are only a handful of the beautiful tales, legends and didactic myths included in the collection. My only gripe is that I would have loved to see tales from the Balkans. Greece, Serbia, and Romania have given birth to some of the darkest tales and yet the Balkan region was totally overlooked…
Angela McAllister has included a handy Sources section and overall, she has done a marvelous job. Many of the stories don’t have a traditional happy ending and I loved that. Life itself isn’t a particular friend of happy closures, after all. Having said that, I am not certain that young children will be able to fully comprehend and appreciate the themes of the stories but middle-graders will definitely adore them. The writing is vivid and not simplified and I intend to use the volume for my classes.
This is a book that is pleasing and special both in terms of writing and aesthetics. A brilliant work by two very talented artists.
Many thanks to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com
Tales of the woods and the water. Enchanted places, farms and fields, oceans and frozen lands. Stories of spirits, graveyards and the strangers at the door, from every corner of the world. Absolutely beautiful illustrations by Mandalina Andronic. They reminded me of the decorative pictures found in Medieval manuscripts and made the book a pure joy to read.
The reader finds classics like Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and Rumpelstiltskin from Germany, Vasilissa the Beautiful from Russia, the Scottish tale of Tam Lin and the Elf Queen, the Seal Wife, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. But the real treasure of this collection lies in lesser - known gems a few of which I’ve chosen to present you:
Yara: A spirit of the forest lures young men on the eve of their wedding. A tale from Brazil.
The Cold Lady: A sad wintry tale from Japan.
Morag and the White Horse from Scotland.
The Dance of Death: A tale of a young girl’s foolishness from Canada.
The Water Witch: A French tale of transformations and the intelligence of a brave girl.
The Enchanted Apple Tree: A tale from Flanders. An old lady called Misery, who tricked Death, bargained with him and gained immortality. If you’ve ever wondered why there is still such an awful misery in the world, you’ll find one of the answers in this tale.
The Blacksmith and the Devil: ‘’If I respect God, I ought to respect the Devil too’’, said an old blacksmith. But his son had a different idea...A very interesting tale from Russia.
The Blind Man and the Demons, an eerie tale from Korea.
Old Nick and the Girl: A battle of dances, running races and wits, from Norway.
Herne the Hunter, a haunting tale from England.
Counting Out the Bodies: A funny tale of misunderstandings from Bermuda.
The Giantess and the Stone Boat, an Icelandic tale of an unfortunate queen.
Esteban and the Ghost, a humorous tale from Spain.
The Old Ogre: The story of a brave mother from Tibet.
These are only a handful of the beautiful tales, legends and didactic myths included in the collection. My only gripe is that I would have loved to see tales from the Balkans. Greece, Serbia, and Romania have given birth to some of the darkest tales and yet the Balkan region was totally overlooked…
Angela McAllister has included a handy Sources section and overall, she has done a marvelous job. Many of the stories don’t have a traditional happy ending and I loved that. Life itself isn’t a particular friend of happy closures, after all. Having said that, I am not certain that young children will be able to fully comprehend and appreciate the themes of the stories but middle-graders will definitely adore them. The writing is vivid and not simplified and I intend to use the volume for my classes.
This is a book that is pleasing and special both in terms of writing and aesthetics. A brilliant work by two very talented artists.
Many thanks to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com
easyqueenie's review
2.0
My penultimate Halloween read was another collection of short stories. A World Full of Spooky Stories by Angela McAllister promises 50 tales “to make your spine tingle” and includes traditional folk tales from all over the world. Each story comes complete with illustrations and a note about its country of origin.
It was interesting to learn about the myths and traditional stories from around the world and to note how similar many of them are to the traditional tales of Western culture—it’s hard not to compare China’s “The Maiden in the Pagoda” to Rapunzel or Russia’s “Vasilissa the Beautiful” to Cinderella. The book is divided into eleven sections which roughly group the stories by location and/or theme with titles such as “Into the Woods,” “Strangers at the Door,” and “Frozen Lands.”
Despite the interest from the global nature of the stories within its pages, this book ended up being a bit of a letdown. This was because, while interesting, none of the stories it contained were what I would consider to be “spooky.” While I wasn’t expecting anything overly terrifying from a book like this, none of the stories contained here seemed even a little spooky. Even tales I recognized and knew to be scary seemed to have been sanitized. Baba Yaga came across as more a grumpy old dear than a terrifying witch and the Scottish Water Horse was little more than laughable.
As a book of folk tales and interesting international mythology, this is a great little primer, but as a book of “spooky stories,” you’re better off looking elsewhere.
It was interesting to learn about the myths and traditional stories from around the world and to note how similar many of them are to the traditional tales of Western culture—it’s hard not to compare China’s “The Maiden in the Pagoda” to Rapunzel or Russia’s “Vasilissa the Beautiful” to Cinderella. The book is divided into eleven sections which roughly group the stories by location and/or theme with titles such as “Into the Woods,” “Strangers at the Door,” and “Frozen Lands.”
Despite the interest from the global nature of the stories within its pages, this book ended up being a bit of a letdown. This was because, while interesting, none of the stories it contained were what I would consider to be “spooky.” While I wasn’t expecting anything overly terrifying from a book like this, none of the stories contained here seemed even a little spooky. Even tales I recognized and knew to be scary seemed to have been sanitized. Baba Yaga came across as more a grumpy old dear than a terrifying witch and the Scottish Water Horse was little more than laughable.
As a book of folk tales and interesting international mythology, this is a great little primer, but as a book of “spooky stories,” you’re better off looking elsewhere.
reading_between_reality's review against another edition
2.0
Short 1-2 page “spooky” stories. Little artwork and small writing. Each story is from a different place in the world which is neat. I will say I was a little unimpressed with the stories. Some were just that, stories, and not “spooky” in the slightest, even for kids. But, maybe some would still enjoy reading these stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
easyqueenie's review against another edition
2.0
My penultimate Halloween read was another collection of short stories. A World Full of Spooky Stories by Angela McAllister promises 50 tales “to make your spine tingle” and includes traditional folk tales from all over the world. Each story comes complete with illustrations and a note about its country of origin.
It was interesting to learn about the myths and traditional stories from around the world and to note how similar many of them are to the traditional tales of Western culture—it’s hard not to compare China’s “The Maiden in the Pagoda” to Rapunzel or Russia’s “Vasilissa the Beautiful” to Cinderella. The book is divided into eleven sections which roughly group the stories by location and/or theme with titles such as “Into the Woods,” “Strangers at the Door,” and “Frozen Lands.”
Despite the interest from the global nature of the stories within its pages, this book ended up being a bit of a letdown. This was because, while interesting, none of the stories it contained were what I would consider to be “spooky.” While I wasn’t expecting anything overly terrifying from a book like this, none of the stories contained here seemed even a little spooky. Even tales I recognized and knew to be scary seemed to have been sanitized. Baba Yaga came across as more a grumpy old dear than a terrifying witch and the Scottish Water Horse was little more than laughable.
As a book of folk tales and interesting international mythology, this is a great little primer, but as a book of “spooky stories,” you’re better off looking elsewhere.
It was interesting to learn about the myths and traditional stories from around the world and to note how similar many of them are to the traditional tales of Western culture—it’s hard not to compare China’s “The Maiden in the Pagoda” to Rapunzel or Russia’s “Vasilissa the Beautiful” to Cinderella. The book is divided into eleven sections which roughly group the stories by location and/or theme with titles such as “Into the Woods,” “Strangers at the Door,” and “Frozen Lands.”
Despite the interest from the global nature of the stories within its pages, this book ended up being a bit of a letdown. This was because, while interesting, none of the stories it contained were what I would consider to be “spooky.” While I wasn’t expecting anything overly terrifying from a book like this, none of the stories contained here seemed even a little spooky. Even tales I recognized and knew to be scary seemed to have been sanitized. Baba Yaga came across as more a grumpy old dear than a terrifying witch and the Scottish Water Horse was little more than laughable.
As a book of folk tales and interesting international mythology, this is a great little primer, but as a book of “spooky stories,” you’re better off looking elsewhere.
ghostlightbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was a cute volume of scary stories that I feel you could read every Halloween if you wanted to. I thought the illustrations were beautiful and I loved how it was truly 'a world' as it included stories from many different places. I think if I owned this I would pick it up again and again throughout the year whenever I needed a little spookiness.
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