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A review by lattelibrarian
Atlas of Monsters and Ghosts by Lonely Planet Kids
3.0
I'm not too sure how I feel about this one. I liked it, that's for sure. I liked the design, the fact that it's so big, the fact that it has sections broken down by continents. I loved the color and the illustrations. But there were some things that didn't quite sit with me, and it concerns me that some of the things that I remarked were a little outlandish, and how outlandish other entries might be...
For example, the ghosts of the Salem Witches. I live in Boston and have spent many a day trip in Salem. I've visited countless witch museums, tours, and artifacts. And none of them have mentioned witch ghosts, and I felt like the small entry really downplayed the fact that it was femicide. So if that was incorrect, what else in here was incorrect? And I know that this is for children and they might be playing it up a little bit, but when there are so many things that go bump in the night--like the Winchester House, for example, which really is crawling with ghosts, I see no reason to get the facts wrong on these witches.
It also felt strange that some monsters and ghosts had a "How to Beat It" section, and many others didn't. Certainly there must be a Wikipedia article out there that shows you how to "beat" these monsters and their like. Especially when this isn't my first Monsters/Ghosts atlas rodeo which have a little more detail to them. (Also, as a side note, the inclusion of Tokyo Ghoul in an entry felt a little weird to me?) Being as big as this book was (maybe a foot tall), I was a little surprised by the amount of white space there was, that could have been filled by either more illustrations or more information.
Overall, I did enjoy it, though I wonder about the veracity of some entries. Beyond the fact, obviously, that these ghosts and monsters aren't necessarily real.
Review cross-listed here!
For example, the ghosts of the Salem Witches. I live in Boston and have spent many a day trip in Salem. I've visited countless witch museums, tours, and artifacts. And none of them have mentioned witch ghosts, and I felt like the small entry really downplayed the fact that it was femicide. So if that was incorrect, what else in here was incorrect? And I know that this is for children and they might be playing it up a little bit, but when there are so many things that go bump in the night--like the Winchester House, for example, which really is crawling with ghosts, I see no reason to get the facts wrong on these witches.
It also felt strange that some monsters and ghosts had a "How to Beat It" section, and many others didn't. Certainly there must be a Wikipedia article out there that shows you how to "beat" these monsters and their like. Especially when this isn't my first Monsters/Ghosts atlas rodeo which have a little more detail to them. (Also, as a side note, the inclusion of Tokyo Ghoul in an entry felt a little weird to me?) Being as big as this book was (maybe a foot tall), I was a little surprised by the amount of white space there was, that could have been filled by either more illustrations or more information.
Overall, I did enjoy it, though I wonder about the veracity of some entries. Beyond the fact, obviously, that these ghosts and monsters aren't necessarily real.
Review cross-listed here!