This beautiful picture book for older children is a menagerie of bizarre and mysterious beasts from mythologies all over the world. It explains the origins of some creatures you have heard of (the phoenix, the mermaid, the dragon) as well as some that might be new to you like the Japanese elephant-tusked Baku who eats your bad dreams, the giant crocodile Cipactli with mouths on all of its joints, and the terrifying swallowing monster from Lesotho – the Khodumodumo.
In addition to the fascinating information, compelling ink and watercolour illustrations create ethereal and yet vivid manifestations of each imagined creature. This book would be a perfect companion-read to Katherine Rundell’s ‘Impossible Creatures’ – for those who want to delve a little deeper into the world of mythical beasts.
Thanks to Pushkin Children’s for the ARC.
Swimming in Books 