Customer Reviews

The Illustrated Guide to Mythical Creatures

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The binding a paper used in this book are very nice and heavy. The illustration on the other hand, leave something to be desired. They are cheap cgi. The chimera is just different pictures of animals hastily slapped together in a program and stuck on the page. Some may like the cgi, but I find it looks like it came out of a bad arcade game from 10 years ago. If you want to learn some things about mythological creatures, you can do this with this book. If you are looking for an illustrated guide to mythology and might be interested in using some of the images in and art project, find it somewhere else.

I was very excited to receive my copy of An Illustrated Guide to Mythical Creatures... and I was not disappointed. This concise book is full of wonderful images and informative text about creatures from myth, legend, and folklore from all over the world.

The illustrations presented in this book are what really stand out for me. David West has created beautifully detailed 3-D computer generated images. Each page is filled with CG images depicting creatures from myth and legend and the heroes that fought them. The 3-D graphics are put to especially good use in creating the chimera, creatures with body parts from various animals. In addition to the CG images are examples of more traditional art such as classic paintings, wood prints, sculpture, and temple murals depicting creatures of myth throughout history.

The information in this book gives the reader a good base of knowledge for creatures of myth, legend, and folklore. Not only are there several different types of creatures mentioned; but, there are specific examples and the country from where the legend originated. I'll give you one little teaser that I found very interesting: The Hsigo, a winged monkey from Chinese folklore, serves to warn of coming drought. Sound familiar? This legend may have inspired the flying monkeys from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In this guide, there are mythical creatures based upon legends from all over the world. Native American, Hebrew, Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Hindu, Japanese, English, South American, Australian, African, and Russian, to name a few.

This is the perfect place to start your adventure in reading myths, legends, and folklore. With the specific legends and regions that they come from listed in the book, readers will refer to this guide again and again as they read other books about these mythical creatures. This a perfect book for kids who are interested in monsters and fantasy. Adults can also appreciate the illustration and information as much as I did.

Best quality: The combination of computer generated images and the historical art from each country.

Worst: I was left wanting more. It would be great to see companion editions. Maybe a guide to each countries myths, legends, and folklore. Now that would be exciting!!

Stories of mythical creatures have been handed down from generation to generation, since the beginning of time. But where did these legends originate, and who are these fantastic beings? The Illustrated Guide to Mythical Creatures provides a wonderful journey through the past, stimulating the imagination.

This beautifully illustrated reference work is broken up into categories of dragons, flying creatures, chimera, half-human and half-beast, giants, shape-shifters, demons, and others. Within each category, the various mythologies, religious beliefs, and legends are shared with the reader, accompanied by pictures of what these creatures might have looked like.

If you are fascinated with these unusual and unique beings, you'll find the Illustrated Guide to Mythical Creatures a comprehensive and interesting resource. I highly recommend it for children and adults.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Creatures of myth and legend are to be found in the cultural histories and popular beliefs of every human civilization ever recorded. In "An Illustrated Guide To Mythical Creatures", the spectacular artwork by David West perfectly illuminates the engagingly informative and descriptive commentary of Anita Ganeri. Within the pages of "An Illustrated Guide To Mythical Creatures" are to be found images of dragons, serpents, worms, chimera, water beasts, giants, all manner of flying creatures, shape-shifters, demons, ghouls and ghosts. Enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary and an index, "An Illustrated Guide To Mythical Creatures" is a thoroughly enjoyable browsing experience and a welcome, highly recommended addition to personal and community library Mythology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

I liked this book. It had a large assortment of creatures and great illustrations. Good value