Fantastical Creatures and Magical Beasts

Mist drapes the crooked trees of the marshland. Even the sodden ground seems to sigh and gurgle with every step you take. Surely you must be near the serpent's lair. You raise a light by the dark water, which starts to ripple. Suddenly, a monstrous, writhing shape bursts into view. Arching over you, it swings a hideous, fanged head . . . and then another and another . . . People throughout time have told tales of monsters and magical beasts. Some are fearsome - like the many-headed Hydra or the deadly basilisk. Others, like the dazzling unicorn or the dragons of ancient China, carry enchanting powers. Learn more about these and other fantastical creatures that have captivated us since ancient times.

Mist drapes the crooked trees of the marshland. Even the sodden ground seems to sigh and gurgle with every step you take. Surely you must be near the serpent's lair. You raise a light by the dark water, which starts to ripple. Suddenly, a monstrous, writhing shape bursts into view. Arching over you, it swings a hideous, fanged head . . . and then another and another . . . People throughout time have told tales of monsters and magical beasts. Some are fearsome - like the many-headed Hydra or the deadly basilisk. Others, like the dazzling unicorn or the dragons of ancient China, carry enchanting powers. Learn more about these and other fantastical creatures that have captivated us since ancient times.

Children's Literature

In four chapters, Knudsen introduces monsters, focuses on monsters specific to Ancient Greece, expands the coverage to beasts around the world, and reassures the reader that beasts still scare us. A selected bibliography and an annotated list of further reading and websites enables the eager reader to learn more, while an annotated list of three movies and television resources could engage the visual learner. An index makes this part of the "Fantasy Chronicles" series usable as a resource for further research. The writing style is second person, talking directly to the reader. Feeling almost as if one is listening around a fire, the work provides history, culture, religion, fantasy, and reality in a way that encourages critical thinking. Photographs and illustrations attract the eye while text engages the mind. Medusa, unicorns, the labyrinth, basilisks, and more are introduced, and the index enables the Harry Potter fan to learn more about the beasts in Rowling's series. Older readers will enjoy this introduction to fantasy creatures and beasts, while younger readers will view this as a more comprehensive work. Reviewer: Sara Rofofsky Marcus

Shannon Knudsen has written books for young readers about elephants, mayors, the explorer Leif Eriksen, the reporter Nellie Bly, and many other topics. She lives with her cat and her dog in Tucson, Arizona. When she isn't writing, she likes to explore the desert and see how many of its plants and animals she can name.