Fantasy Encyclopedia [Hardcover]

Judy Allen (Author), Richard Hook (Author), John Howe (Illustrator), Patricia Ludlow (Illustrator), Nicki Palin (Illustrator), Jonathon Stroud (Foreword)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

With a foreword by the award-winning fantasy author Jonathan Stroud, and
illustration by some of the world's best illustrators including John Howe, the
Fantasy Encyclopedia is a spectacular one-stop guide to the creatures and people of folklore and fantasy. From goblins and fairies to dragons and Dracula, this encyclopedia covers them all with sparkling, readable text and stunning illustrations. Discover how the magic of stories throughout the centuries has kept these creatures alive in traditions and cultures around the world. Using a highly visual approach, featuring more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this book will introduce readers to each fantasy character within its habitat and genre. Cross-reference boxes direct readers to popular books and movies starring these fantastical creatures. This is a must-have for any fantasy enthusiast!

Editorial Reviews

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.

From 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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher; First Edition edition (October 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753458470
• ISBN-13: 978-0753458471
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Science Fiction & Fantasy
  • #54 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Children's
  • #55 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Literature

More About the Author

Judy Allen is an award-winning author whose novel Awaiting Developments won the Whitbread Children's Novel Award. Judy Allen and illustrator Tudor Humphries created Kingfisher's award-winning Backyard Books series and many other successful books, including the Reading Rainbow selections Tiger and Seal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good artwork but it isn't worth the money., June 4, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Fantasy Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

This book is okay, but there could have been a little more information in it on (the pictures are huge and take up most of the page space). That being said, the artwork is great, but it doesn't compare to books like the Spiderwick Field Guide and Dragonology. If you're looking for something a little more complete, and something that is worth 25 dollars, don't buy this book.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!!!, November 21, 2005

By 

floridagal "Megan" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fantasy Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

This book is spectacular! With color pictures on every page, it illustrates nearly every creature of fantasy imaginable, from the Baba Yaga to the Cockatrice. Kids and adults of all ages will treasure this book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, May 22, 2007

By 

Jabberwocky "Parent/Librarian" (Arkansas, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fantasy Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

Fantasy Encyclopedia
by Judy Allen

Fantasy Encyclopedia is meant for Grades 4-8 students and library use. You'd expect a full-color large-format fantasy encyclopedia to be a wonderful library edition. But this book is disappointing in its scope and in its depth. The book is a guide to the creatures and peoples of fantasy, mythology, and folklore. Over 50 character types are covered in 9 chapters.

The chapters cover "The Little People," "Mysterious Animals," "Ghosts and Spirits," etc. Each major section in a chapter has a few introductory paragraphs followed by illustrations with captions. This by itself is not so bad, but the book then adds plugs for popular movies and books in which the creatures appeared. So you get disgenuine references to Narnia, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. You don't get a real feel for how these creatures are used in fantasy. You do get the sense that references to Narnia, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings are placements. A more thorough treatment of the subject would have included much more detail and a better cross section with much better sampling.

Hopefully a revised and significantly expanded edition is in the works.