A Natural History of Magical Beasts

This is one of the coolest books I’ve ever seen! I love folklore and mythology, and this is definitely full of it. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. The layout is smart and easy to read, while still remaining aesthetically pleasing. I absolutely love this little story.

What a cool book about magical beasts! I read the author's previous book about fairies and this was a wonderful follow up! Perfect for those who love magical creatures, it features tons of gorgeous illustrations throughout. I loved how it's presented as a natural history and shows the types of beasts throughout the world and their characteristics. I would recommend this for middle to late elementary school aged children.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

This is just too beautiful a book to miss out on. It is already on my shopping list on Amazon. Once it is out, I am getting it.

It is packed with information and stunning illustrations. My students and I would love this so much.

I love Jessica Roux's work, so when I saw she was the illustrator on this, I had to take a look. The book is filled with so many magical beasts, known and not so known, and amazingly ethereal illustrations. Adults and children alike are sure to appreciate it. There's a little story alongside the facts, too, that encourages engagement.

What a charming little storybook! I adored this in every way. From the beautiful artwork to the detailed classifications and taxonomy, this is sure to delight and inspire children and adults alike.

We get to follow the adventures of two zoologist in a light storyline as we read about the various mythological beasts throughout the world. The attention to detail makes this come alive, which creates such a vivid and lifelike experience. You want to jump right along with Dimitros and Artemis to join their adventures. Any animal and fable loving soul will adore the creativity invoked while reading.

I would love to own a physical copy, and I plan on purchasing one when it's published. I'm positive that the lovely artwork would be even more spectacular in person.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC and for the opportunity to review this book. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Fantastic! This book has the feel of an authentic bestiary. Stellar artwork and great layout.

The whole book is presented as a natural history resource. Beasts are classified by habitat, region, features, size, diet and behavior. Even the chapters are divided by geographical regions which lends a further air of authenticity.

Ah, to be a believer again. This book inspires a love for magic and wonder. A must-have for children and for those still young at heart.

I love this book! A wonderful mix of stunning watercolors, cryptozoology entries, and a epistolary story of two people on an around the world adventure.

I loved the mix of different elements, and the broad range of cultures shown (Chinese, Xhosa, Camaroon, Peru, and so many others) rather than just the typical European or largely known ones. There were many creatures I hadn't seen or hear of that I was fascinated to read about, and new takes on creatures I'm well acquainted with (Nessie, unicorns, Sasquatch, Phoenix).

The book is divided into sections, but with letters and diary entries to make up the adventure narrative. I personally loved the general science and natural history feel of the book. There is so much detail in these 68 pages that you could find new things each time you go through it. But it doesn't feel cramped or overloaded but instead full of wonder. The book doesn't feel too campy or exaggerated or like they're talking down, but instead the feeling of a personal natural history journal or cabinet of curiosities (serious but awe-inspiring).

This will appeal to young and old with an interest in magical animals or cryptids, and I know I'll be buying a copy for myself (and probably my niece too)!

What an absolutely gorgeous book this is! The illustrations are so beautiful!
I love the layout of it, as if it were a research journal of someone who is out searching for these creatures.
The descriptions, facts and info are short and to the point, but still well written and interesting. Perfect for a kid who loves mythology or magical creatures. Or even the adult in your life you also loves these things. overall just a really stunning book!

The pictures are wonderful, colorful and detailed. The descriptions are short, fun, and easy to understand for young children. My kids loved it. I loved the different fonts for titles and descriptions. I love the writi g style and the length of the book. Its simply wonderful if you are curious about magical beasts

This book is SO COOL! Anyone (of any age) interested in magical creatures will fall in love with this gorgeous book. It's full of information on lots of different creatures from many different parts of the world/cultures and there's a fun frame-narrative as this is presented as the notebook of a 1920s zoologist. I expect many kids will become obsessed with this book and the rest of the Folklore Field Guides series. They're the perfect introduction to folklore, myths, and legends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE this book, and will be adding it to my library's collection. This is perfect for anyone, youth or otherwise, who loves fantastical creatures and fantasy worlds. It was written to look like the journal of a 1920s zoologist, which is such a fun way to present the information. I like that it is divided up by the creatures' continent/place of origin, and the illustrations are just lovely. The information is divided up on the page in a really easy to digest way, which is great for children. It is always wonderful to see something that I know will spark the interest of children, and that will certainly make learning fun!

So, long story short, I’m a teacher-librarian and one evening six years ago while working at school, I decided to concoct an elaborate story about seeing a unicorn on the playground. I compiled evidence…went all out. Needless to say, the story lives on and I have many kids fascinated by unicorns. I also have a library elf who moves about at night. So will I purchase this beautiful book of beasts for the library? Absolutely. The introduction is delightful and the spreads are so full of magic. It’s perfect for my older elementary kids who still cling to—seriously or playfully—what I witnessed on the playground all those years ago. ;)

Thank you sincerely for the ARC!

What a cool book! It reminds me of the "-ology" series (Dragonology, Wizardology, etc) that I absolutely loved as a child, and I hope this book could be the same for a younger generation! I liked that it selected some mythical animals from every continent and from multiple folklores - I learned a lot about the mythical creatures of Africa, which I hadn't known before! The illustrations are wonderful and the hints of frame narrative provide a little more fun and mystery to engage the kids. I would recommend that my library get this title, budget permitting!

Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I read this book for free thanks to NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is a beautifully illustrated book to add to any library. I have personally always been fascinated by mythological beasts, and so would have loved to read this as a child. As an early fan of the Harry Potter series, having a book like this to turn to would have been amazing! This feels like a great accompaniment to Fantastic beasts and Where to find them.

Thank you for your beautiful book!

🧚🍀👏 WHAT A WONDERFUL BOOK!!! 👏 🌈 🦄

The best publisher's note of all time 📝

🏹 Centaurs: bizarre bodies 🤭
🏹 How to estimate a centaur's age
🐾 Cerberus = legend only
🦄 A blessing of unicorns and truffles
🐨 Drop Bear = koala's evil cousin
🌳 Trees! And 🦶 Big foot, has big feet!

Magic and wonder within ✨

Weaving together a field guide and exploration adventure, A Natural History of Magical Beasts, tells the story of zoologist Dr. Dimitros Pagonis and pilot/adventure-seeker Artemis Matsouka as they explore the world in search of magical beasts. Each section describes the creatures from a different part of the world, providing historical references, anatomical drawings, and field notes about where they are most likely to be found. Filled with unique quirks that add to its whimsy, the commitment to the field guide structure creates opportunities to dig into mythology of the creatures, such as comparing different subspecies of centaur or the difference between Chinese and European dragons. I could spend hours exploring the pictures and learning about magical creatures from around the world, and I will certainly recommend this book to children who are excited to learn more about mythology or magical creatures.

A gorgeous book with so many wonderful beasts. I love the variety of myths from so many countries that populates this book. The fact that it is designed as if it is a scrapbook makes it feel even more fun. While I am looking at this on my computer, I can only imagine how wonderful it would be in print. A book I can imagine some kids would be absolutely obsessed with and spur on many fun make-believe stories.

Fans of the mythical creatures in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts will love this collection of beasts from around the world. Featuring exotic creatures from the Pukwudgie to the Zaratan, along with familiar ones like the Phoenix and the Basilisk, this book includes lovely illustrations and will make a great gift for aspiring "magizoologists"!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. This is such a beautiful book! Jessica Roux is one of my favorite illustrators and I've been following her work for a while. I love that the book is presented as factual through the eyes of an explorer. Each creature has its own page filled with an illustration and information like the country/region, diet, habitat, size, scientific name, etc. I wasn't familiar with some of the magical beasts, specifically those found in Australia, Africa, and the Caribbean. I think that's what set this book apart from others for me-- It does a great job of being diverse and inclusive. The page layout packs a lot of information without feeling cluttered. It's easy to follow the side stories and notes through a differentiation in the backgrounds. This would make a great gift for a child or an adult that reads a lot of fantasy and has an interest in mythology and folklore.

Artwork, page layouts, and borders make this an enjoyable read which bursts with information and beauty. The adventure begins on April 30, 1927 with Dr, Dimitri Pagonis of the Society for the Protection of Magical Beasts, and Artemis Matsoukis, his fearless pilot, as they set out on a journey to investigate the apparent decline and disappearance of magical beasts. Various typed and scribbled massages are taped to the illustrations, and provide details about appearance habitat, region, diet, behavior of the magical beasts. There are rabbit and rooster lookalikes, dragons from every continent, familiars beasts such as Nessi, Sasquatsh, Yeti , the Basilisk, and the Phoenix. Legends attest to the fact that Indigenous Peoples of the world respected the magical beasts. Trolls are also chronicled as to their role in keeping the environment healthy. This is a magical journey which will stroke the imagination of fantasy readers of all ages. Absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you to Frances Lincoln Children's Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, and Netgalley, for the digital arc.