Mythical Beasts and Beings by Lisa Graves takes on monsters, fairies, gods and dragons in this illustrated guide to mythological creatures. Featuring legends from around the world, this collection provides information for fans of mythology, magic and more in short but a lovely volume.

Mythical Beasts and Beings is a basic and brief introduction to a sampling of mythical creatures from around the world. Some I was very well acquainted with through my fantasy reading and mythology research over the years, and some I knew much less about. The included creatures are Mermaids, Hobgoblins, Tylwyth Teg, Ciguapa, Leshy, Gorgon, Imoogi, Nuberu, Morrigan, Kraken, Hulder, Muma Padurii, Valkyrie, Spriggan, Baobhan Sith, Makara, Banshee, Pixie, Sphinx, Kappa, Satyr, and Unicorn. I like that each creature profile included countries of origin, habitat, unusual features, similar creatures, and other important aspects of the myths and how they vary by region or time. THe images used are like lovely painting, with colors and soft lines. I will admit that some of my knowledge of myths and legends surrounding some of the creatures varied from what was presented here, but not in drastic or remarkable ways. I attribute the difference to the lenses in which I have view the creatures and characters through the collections and fiction I have previously been introduced to them.

Since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated by mythology and mythological beings, so this book was right up my alley!

The illustrations are beautiful and have an enchanting style that really fits with the subject matter. The text is also well formatted and organized, making it easy to find exactly what you are looking for.

The way each mythological creature was explained was clear and informative.

I consider myself a mythology buff, yet some of the creatures mentioned were new to me. Amazing, informative read! Loved the pictures and tidbits in the corner. At the end of each entry, there was a list of similar mythological creatures, which I appreciate. Highly recommended for people interested in mythical creatures.

First, I would like to express my gratitude to the dear publisher, for granting this wish and giving me the chance of reading this book.

Ratings:
Overall: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Content: 5/5
Appealing: 5/5
Length: 2/5

Thumbs up to the illustrations and the whole idea of a mythology encyclopedia. As a fantasy and mythology fan, what's better than an illustrated handbook? Readers can read about fun facts and origin stories for each creature, with a whole-page size illustration on the left page. However, the only part that I'm not satisfied with is the length of this book. It is cool, it is beautiful, but it is waaaaaaaaaaaaayyy TOO SHORT. If it is meant to be an encyclopedia or handbook type of book, it should be more complete. I don't believe those included in the book are the only ones in western mythology! Even if they are the only ones, why not include others from mythology from other cultures or countries?

Conclusion: Cool but too short. Interested in buying.

I'd really like to be able to see this book before I decided if I was going to buy it or not. Viewing this one as a electronic copy instead of the actual book left me wondering about the layout and the size of the pictures versus the amount of text. The book is set up like a field guide, where there are pictures and a short description as well as facts about each mythical creature. My students love books about mythical creatures so the interest level is high.

4 helms
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What a great collection of mythical beasts & beings! Beautiful and imaginative illustrations by the author, with a great mix of Eastern, Western and South American mythological creatures. Loved re-reading about the mermaids and unicorns and learning about some uncommonly heard creatures like the Leshy and Hulder. The inclusion of their countries of origin was a great bonus!

Very easy to read as you can just pick any page and start reading! Don’t have to go in order :) The simple format and categorisation is great as it provides both visual and written stimuli without too much information! Great to hold any child’s attention! A beautiful and informative addition to any bookshelf :) Enjoyed my read and also a great read for adults! Who says you need to be a kid to enjoy this!?!

*Thank-you Lisa Graves, Netgalley & Xist Publishing for the ARC

This book is short but full of facts and information and I thoroughly enjoyed it and it will definitely give me a really good basis and grounding to look in to more about the subjects featured. Sat and read it in one sitting and I was gripped! Excellent, fun little read- 5 stars

I bet this book is gorgeous IRL. The illustrations are straightforward renditions of each mythological being. This is an excellent primer for elementary and middle-grade students who may not be aware of the nuances between creatures. At just 32 pages this book gets to the point and lists the Country of origin, habitat, superpowers, creatures it should not be confused with and why, and similar creatures from other countries. If it applies the listing also includes any modern day cameos. As in the Kraken appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean, Moby Dick, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

This text is instructive to the young mythologist: for example, a Satyr should not be confused with a Faun. Fauns are half man, half goat but are not as smart as a Satyrs and a bit more peaceful.

Another fun fact, A Spriggan (Cornish Fairy) is a cousin of the Pixie but only similar to Leprechauns and Sprites.

I would hope that this sparks an interest in kids to read up on the different mythologies as all these creatures have stories written about them.

I read this as a DRC thoughtfully provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. You can read in March 24, 2017

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations really helped bring the myths to life and I learned some stuff even though I thought myself pretty knowledgeable. This was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in mythical beings, though this is aimed at kids. 4 out of 5 stars.

This is a fun little collection for younger readers. Some nice illustrations go along with the descriptions.

Book – Mythical Beasts and Beings
Author – Lisa Graves
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 32
Cover – GORGEOUS!
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – Non-Fiction, Mythical, Supernatural, Informative


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **



This was a great little book! For 32 pages, it packed a lot of information into so few pages and was accessible for all ages. It didn't “dumb it down” for kids, the way some books do, but it wasn't overly complicated and adult, either. It had a perfect balance.

The illustrations were gorgeous and, again, kid friendly.

I loved the way that the stories were fact-checked for authenticity, accurate dates and places, as well as exploring the parts that were impossible to prove by offering folktales instead. It had a great balance of fact and fiction, real and supernatural, while exploring the history, origin and various other aspects of the creature, while showing the various terms used for similar creatures around the world. But, at the same time, the author didn't choose the obvious creatures that most people would. While there were a few very well known – Unicorn, Pixie, Mermaid – there were also the ones that I had never heard of (despite having researched various creatures for a book before) – Ciguapa, Leshy, Makara, Hulder – and so many more. The illustrations that accompanied each creature made it easier for us to understand and imagine what they might have looked like.

There are a few small editing issues and the mention of a game called “telephone” which I've never heard of. I imagine it's something along the lines of Chinese Whispers? Either way, they were two very minor issues and I didn't see any reason to let them have any bearing on my rating.

This is a great, short, read for anyone wanting to learn more about mythical creatures. Whether you're looking for inspiration, facts, alternative terms or the history/origin of the creature; whether it's for fun or research; no matter what your age, you'll find what you're looking for in here.

Nice little overview of mythical creatures from around the world. Grade school and even middle school kids will like this introduction to the make believe creatures! Illustrations were great, not too complicated, just wonderfully presented creatures.

I felt Lisa Graves did a great job in diversifying the mythical beasts she chose to showcase in this novel. There is a great cross spectrum of various cultures covered in this book so you find out how cultures and communities around the world and throughout time chose to explain the unexplainable.

I also liked that in a way she treats the material in a ‘textbook’ format as if these beings exist in reality. She includes pictures, a history about the being, country of origin, features, superpowers, and the creatures that are from other countries and cultures most similar in nature such as a Mermaid being similar to a siren in Greece, a Selkie in Scotland, Ningyo in Japan and so forth.

Graves has a great writing style as she makes the historical accounts sound interesting and realistic. This is a perfect reference for any fantasy writer who needs a basic foundation to help them figure out who they want to cast in their next novel or for kids who need an introduction to mythical beings.

As a parent, a fan of fantasy novels, and as an Irishwoman who grew up being told stories about quite a few of these beings as if they were real I loved the book and felt Graves did a fantastic job. It’s definitely something I’d give my kids to help them learn more about the tales their grandfather tells.

This was so cool! I loved it!!!! I love anything with mythical creatures!