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March 2018 Book of the Month | Myth Match is more than a wonderful guide to mythical creatures, because there are different ways to read this handsomely illustrated book. You can carefully flip up the divided pages to study the array of fantastic beasts presented: a dragon, the aboriginal Goorialla, the Manx Arkan Sonney, all are depicted in fascinating full-colour detail and in close-up. But flip the pages again – left hand and right hand sides – to create your own army of extraordinary creatures: the half page format allows you to mix the creatures together, e.g. giving heads that breathe fire chicken’s feet and the tail of a squirrel. The mind-boggling permutations are almost endless. Each new creation is guaranteed to look strange but beautiful thanks to the gorgeous artwork. A great way to learn about mythical creatures, from all cultures, and fun too.
Following up the excellent A Year Full of Stories, Angela McAllister has travelled the world again to collect together wonderful folktales, this time with an animal theme. There are tales of tigers, pandas and jackals, of buffalos, bears and coyotes, as well as cheetahs, warthogs and ostriches, all of them told in the direct, robust prose of the best storytellers. Great for reading on your own and just the right length for bedtime, each story will capture the reader’s or listener’s imagination, and quite often leave them with something to think about too. Aitch’s watercolour illustrations highlight the stories’ individuality, but give them a universal feel too and it’s as lovely to look at as it is to read.
In a Nutshell: Spine-tinglingly timeless fairy tale A deliciously dark tale of soul eating sisters, and a girl who dares venture into the eerie unknown. Best devoured by the light of the moon (if you dare…) In the beginning, there were two sisters, born minutes apart. Two more female mouths to feed in hard times, when it might have been better to have the strong hands of sons. But not only that; different from others their age, the sisters were abandoned by their parents, and turned out to be soul eaters… Alys was only a child when the soul eaters came to her village and claimed all the adults. In their new home, the surviving children are ruled by a superstitious fear of the soul eaters, and they adhere to the counsel of their creepy nursery rhymes. But Alys is preoccupied by something more. She senses that she’s not like the other survivors, and wonders why she feels connected to the creatures that killed their parents, and to The Beast. As in all the best fairy tales, a creeping sense of fear and curiosity is evoked as Alys is drawn into the fforest to discover the truth for herself, where she wrestles the very concepts of good and evil. From the atmospheric opening, to Alys’s ordeals in the depths of the fforest as she journeys from childhood to womanhood, this is an exquisitely eerie reading experience. If you enjoyed the timeless tale-ness of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, or The Sleeper and the Spindle, or the otherworldly edge of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, this is well worth venturing into. ~ Joanne Owen
Winner of the 2018 Blue Peter Awards - Best Book with Facts Have you ever wondered what exactly does go bump in the night? From mysteries like Shackleton's ghostly companion to the Loch Ness Monster and friends, read the amazing evidence about these mysterious cases and make up your own mind. Things are not always what they seem - until they are, then you might wish you had never asked!
December 2016 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: beasts, magical beasts, in words and pictures | This very handsome book, wonderfully illustrated by some of the top artists of today, is a must-have for anyone fascinated by the magical creatures that appear in so many favourite children’s stories. It features a host of exotic beasts, from giants and centaurs to harpies, werewolves and the basilisk, each one gloriously illustrated in full colour over double pages. Award-winners Helen Ward and Gary Blythe make merpeople and unicorns truly magical, while David Wyatt’s dragon – in a stunning gatefold – is a masterpiece of fiery menace. The text that accompanies each image tells legends and stories about the creatures, and includes quotes from authors such as Dante and Homer. Part information-book, part story collection, it’s a book to treasure. ~ Andrea Reece
With superhero films filling the cinema there has never been more interest in mythology and the Norse gods are certainly stranger than most. But although this comic style retelling looks like pure Marvel and DC and the exciting illustrations are indeed from the pen of a renowned comic artist, this is actually a very true representation of the mythology. The story of Baldur is enormously significant since his death marks the first event of Ragnarök and the beginning of the end for the gods. We learn that this has been prophesised and of the lengths that Odin and Frigg go in order to prevent his death and how Loki outwits them at every turn, but in the end his punishment is so severe the world shakes with his pain. With glossary, character profiles, writing prompts and discussion questions this is a useful classroom resource for any study of Norse Mythology. Highly attractive and engaging, it will also appeal to comic fans and reluctant readers.
The world we live in is truly amazing, and across its continents, oceans and skies are all kinds of fabulous places and astounding sights. Almost 100 of them are described in the bright, information-filled pages of this book. Natural wonders featured include the Namib Desert, Mount Thor and the Sundarbans mangrove forest as well as Black Holes, ball lightening and hurricanes. They’re all brought to life through photographs, key facts and figures, attractively presented, and all graded for awesomeness. So too are the human creations listed, which include the Colosseum, the Millau Viaduct and Voyager 1. Perfect for dipping into and full of information they’ll rush to share, this will fascinate kids, and should inspire them too. ~ Andrea Reece
The Odyssey, Homer’s second epic adventure, tells the story of Odysseus as he travels home from the war in Troy. His adventures on his travels include his meetings with the Cyclops and with the dangerous sirens who lure boats onto the rocks among many others before his finally reaches home bringing peace to all. Odysseus’s wanderings and the many dangers he faces are beautifully captured in Alan Lee’s atmospheric illustrations.
A stunningly illustrated edition of Homer’s classic adventure story which has been vibrantly retold by the late Rosemary Sutcliff who adds her own story-telling magic to Homer’s original. The stories which led to the Greek’s siege of Troy, which include The Golden Apple, The Death of Achilles, The Wooden Horse and The Fall of Troy among many others, seamlessly weave the worlds of gods and men into one strand. Alan Lee’s illustrations evoke the heroism of the human Greek warriors – and their cruelty – while also bringing the shadowy gods convincingly to life.
If vampire fever is driving you mad in your house and you've got children who are too young to read Stephenie Meyer's series or the huge array of Twilight look-alikes then perhaps this is the book for them? What do you know about vampires? Do you want to know more? Do vampires really drink blood? Can they ever appear in daylight? This book will attempt to address and answer some of the questions surrounding these dark, mythical creatures. Not only will you learn the truth behind the myths, you will find out about vampires around the world and how to distinguish between real-life stories and literary legends. As well as important facts, this book also includes practical advice on both identifying and avoiding these dangerous beings. Read about what to do if the worst happens and you find yourself face to face with a blood-sucking fiend!
Tapping into the current zeitgeist of all things vampire the subject is tackled with originality and flair. It's a terrific book that will be pored over by younger children in the family who are too young to read the plethora of teen vampire fiction. In it you can get stuck in to the origins, the nature and the stories surrounding vampires. In typical Ology fashion, this special facsimile edition is full of fold-out notes, letters, booklets, photos and even some strands of vampire hair. Hours and hours of entertainment will be found on the pages of this terrific book. To view all the Ology titles together click here Publisher’s Note: The publisher would like it known that there is little evidence to support the sensational stories of blood drinkers enscribed within these pages. However, due to the recent surge in interest in vampires and their relationship with humans, it was felt that this work might be of some merit in providing an alternative view of their origins and nature. We have, therefore, released this special facsimile edition of the book for believers, sceptics and soothsayers alike.
From the creators of the worldwide bestseller Dragonology comes the essential resource for all fans of dragons. There’s a lifetime of knowledge within the pages of this book from the past-master of dragons. There’s a guide to species of dragons, the biological make-up of dragons as well as their habits and habitats and much more besides. This edition is beautifully illustrated and sumptuously designed to ensure hours and hours of entertainment. A message from the Publisher:In recent years we have been fortunate enough to become custodian of the life’s work of a certain Dr. Ernest Drake, Victorian dragonologist extraordinaire, and has republished many volumes for today’s readers to great acclaim. This compendium appears to have been first published for a limited audience in 1912, and contains a summation of Drake’s many years of research into live dragons. Whilst every effort has been made to reproduce the book in its original form, it must be noted, albeit with considerable regret, that the publisher has been unable to find any dragons still in existence and therefore cannot verify the many interesting facts about them contained herein.
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