From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8–While the information on this collection of humanlike and beastlike creatures from myth and fantasy literature might be titled an encyclopedia, its not a true reference book. Students wont unearth much that they can use for reports on vampires, satyrs, or lake monsters besides a paragraph-or-two-long description of the creature and a sidebar (without any bibliographic information) offering some sample juvenile or YA-oriented books, movies, or TV shows in which it has appeared. Very few historical figures or authors are mentioned, and the cultures from which these various mythical figures sprang are not always acknowledged. The minuscule article on the roc, the giant bird of Arabian Nights fame, doesnt even mention that the tales of this creature originated in the Middle East. The book is filled with full-color photos, some reproductions, and a jumble of other illustrations ranging in quality from decent to barely so-so. Purchase this as a browsing item–pure and simple–for young people with an interest in fantasy.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Booklist
This highly visual presentation introduces readers to fantasy characters within their habitats and genres. Students in fourth through eighth grades will enjoy browsing this one-stop guide to the creatures and people of folklore and fantasy. More than 50 types of characters are arranged in nine chapters covering topics such as "The Little People," "Mysterious Animals," and "Ghosts and Spirits." "The Little People," to take one example, includes sections on "Elves and Fairies," "Traps and Tricks," "Celebrated Fairies," "Household Helpers," "Harmful Little People," "Underground" folk, and "Gremlins." Each section consists of an introductory paragraph in larger, italicized font and several additional paragraphs adding specific details or information. Well-captioned illustrative materials as well as text boxes directing readers to popular books and movies starring the specific fantastical creature complete each two-page spread. More than 400 color photographs and illustrations significantly enhance the layout and presentation.
A useful list of creatures by area of the world, a glossary, and an index conclude the work. Fantasy writer Jonathan Stroud provides an entertaining foreword, and the encyclopedia's author discusses the trickiness in definingfantasy in her introduction.
Student fans of the fantasy genre will find this tool exceedingly browsable, and school and public libraries will want to purchase reference and circulating copies. Shauna Yusko
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
