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pleasejustletmeread's review against another edition
5.0
Måske ikke super dybdegående, men favner bredt og rummer MANGE forskellige væsner fra fantasylitteratur og sagn og myter fra forskellige dele af verden.
shieldbearer's review
4.0
This book's main strong point is its beautiful illustrations, many of which were done by John Howe. It really brings the encyclopedia to life. While the encyclopedia is definitely intended for children, it does not shy away from some dark content- ie, child eating witches- although it never gets explicit. One or two of the illustrations may be frightening- such as a growling black dog with red eyes- but it is never explicit or inappropriate. There's a nice variety of creatures and myths from all over the world. However some of the sections in the book are too short- one of which only has a single entry. This, and the fact that it doesn't particularly go into depth on many of the creatures, is one of the things keeping it from being a comprehensive reference book for writers. That said, the book is equipped with a list of creatures by location, a glossary and an index, which make it a decent reference book.
One particularly notable feature- and one I haven't seen in any other such books- is that every category has a list of movies and books that feature the particular creature or phenomenon covered on that particular page. Some of these, frankly, do not fit very well. For example, "Spirited Away" is listed as a recommendation for a film about an Eastern Dragon although anyone who's seen the film knows that a dragon never actually appears. (A spirit takes the form of a dragon. That is not the same thing.) Also, the Neverending Story film is put under the recommendation list for Western Dragons even though Falkor is quite clearly an Eastern Dragon. For this, as well as a few other flaws, I have to give this book four stars instead of five. However, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves fantasy. It would make an excellent gift for a young child, too- the book is light on text and the beautiful illustrations alone will keep any child entertained. And, as probably intended, if the creatures actually capture their imagination, the child might be encouraged to read.
One particularly notable feature- and one I haven't seen in any other such books- is that every category has a list of movies and books that feature the particular creature or phenomenon covered on that particular page. Some of these, frankly, do not fit very well. For example, "Spirited Away" is listed as a recommendation for a film about an Eastern Dragon although anyone who's seen the film knows that a dragon never actually appears. (A spirit takes the form of a dragon. That is not the same thing.) Also, the Neverending Story film is put under the recommendation list for Western Dragons even though Falkor is quite clearly an Eastern Dragon. For this, as well as a few other flaws, I have to give this book four stars instead of five. However, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves fantasy. It would make an excellent gift for a young child, too- the book is light on text and the beautiful illustrations alone will keep any child entertained. And, as probably intended, if the creatures actually capture their imagination, the child might be encouraged to read.
swaggyxbomb's review
4.0
This book is visually pleasing and beautiful, it contains so many facts about the fantasy world, interesting creatures and legends with a perfect resume of its creation and origin. This book was definitely a fun experience!
annette45's review
5.0
I loved this book!!! It is a very nice book with beautiful pictures and some good, helpful information.
timraapie's review
3.0
Loved this book as a kid, reading about all the different mythological creatures and beings from all over the world.
doomluz's review
4.0
My sister left this book at home so I was reading through it. It's pretty good for a kid's book
willowy's review
5.0
This is one of my favorite books on fantastical creatures. It has some lovely illustrations and tales of creatures from unicorns to goblins to poltergeists. It has folklore from all over the world and even had a few things I didn't know about. It also lists movies and books that feature said creatures, which is great.
I reccomend it especially for kids. Its informative and a little spooky, and a great source for all things strange.
I reccomend it especially for kids. Its informative and a little spooky, and a great source for all things strange.
thelibraryofsarah's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this! It presents these stories and creatures from various cultures in a “it’s up to the reader to decide if it’s true!” Kind of way, which was fun.
readawaytherain's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable read despite several very obvious editing errors that the Dutch translation contained (such as a dubble passage, a passage that wasn't translated...).
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