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amethystarchild's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy!
“A Natural History of Magical Beasts” is a lovely picture book. It’s exactly the sort of thing I would have obsessed over as a kid. I’d probably be studying all the entries for the different magical creatures and imagining my own adventures finding them in the wild. The art by Jessica Roux is beautiful and the storyline and entries from Emily Hawkins are engaging and a great mix of fantasy and realism. I especially appreciated that creatures from all over the world are included and that care was made to respect the cultures that they originated from. I will be recommending this book to children at my library looking for books with magical beasts, fantasy, or adventure.
“A Natural History of Magical Beasts” is a lovely picture book. It’s exactly the sort of thing I would have obsessed over as a kid. I’d probably be studying all the entries for the different magical creatures and imagining my own adventures finding them in the wild. The art by Jessica Roux is beautiful and the storyline and entries from Emily Hawkins are engaging and a great mix of fantasy and realism. I especially appreciated that creatures from all over the world are included and that care was made to respect the cultures that they originated from. I will be recommending this book to children at my library looking for books with magical beasts, fantasy, or adventure.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I adored "A Natural History of Magical Beasts by Emily Hawkins and Jessica Roux (Illustrator)." The cover alone is so beautiful, I bet the physical book itself would be even more amazing. I’m a big fan of books like this. I just love flipping through them and soaking in all the gorgeous illustrations. And let me tell you, the illustrations in this one are just next level. They’re so detailed and captivating.
The layout of the book is also on point. It’s like a scrapbook dedicated to magical beasts, filled with cool fonts and fun facts about all kinds of mythical creatures. Seriously, it’s visually appealing and super engaging. I have a feeling that readers of all ages will eat this up. It’s definitely a big hit waiting to happen.
So, in case you couldn’t tell, I’m totally giving this book two huge thumbs up! If you’re into magical creatures or just appreciate stunning artwork, you gotta get your hands on A Natural History of Magical Beasts. Trust me, it’s worth it!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
I adored "A Natural History of Magical Beasts by Emily Hawkins and Jessica Roux (Illustrator)." The cover alone is so beautiful, I bet the physical book itself would be even more amazing. I’m a big fan of books like this. I just love flipping through them and soaking in all the gorgeous illustrations. And let me tell you, the illustrations in this one are just next level. They’re so detailed and captivating.
The layout of the book is also on point. It’s like a scrapbook dedicated to magical beasts, filled with cool fonts and fun facts about all kinds of mythical creatures. Seriously, it’s visually appealing and super engaging. I have a feeling that readers of all ages will eat this up. It’s definitely a big hit waiting to happen.
So, in case you couldn’t tell, I’m totally giving this book two huge thumbs up! If you’re into magical creatures or just appreciate stunning artwork, you gotta get your hands on A Natural History of Magical Beasts. Trust me, it’s worth it!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
morrigan_gaines_writes's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and this is my honest review**
I read this as an ebook, but I would want to buy it as a hardcover. The ebook just doesn't do the illustrations justice and in the ebook format I had to zoom in to read some text.
The illustrations are detailed and gorgeous, some covering both pages. There is a lot of information packed into this book covering mythical creatures from around the world including quite a number that were new to me!
The book is connected through a series of journal entries and letters from a Dr. Pagonis and Ms. Matsouka as they travel in search of the mythical creatures described. Each animal entry is similar to a nature field guide, with information about the creatures habitat, diet, behavior, and how to identify it.
I will be considering getting a hard copy of this book for my kids (and lets be honest for my own perusal as well.) While marketed to a younger audience, I think anyone with an interest in magical beasts would enjoy this book.
I read this as an ebook, but I would want to buy it as a hardcover. The ebook just doesn't do the illustrations justice and in the ebook format I had to zoom in to read some text.
The illustrations are detailed and gorgeous, some covering both pages. There is a lot of information packed into this book covering mythical creatures from around the world including quite a number that were new to me!
The book is connected through a series of journal entries and letters from a Dr. Pagonis and Ms. Matsouka as they travel in search of the mythical creatures described. Each animal entry is similar to a nature field guide, with information about the creatures habitat, diet, behavior, and how to identify it.
I will be considering getting a hard copy of this book for my kids (and lets be honest for my own perusal as well.) While marketed to a younger audience, I think anyone with an interest in magical beasts would enjoy this book.
venus_reads_'s review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
This really was such an immense joy to read!
The backstories and ethology provided for the creatures gives an obvious insight on the amount of effort put into creating this. The writing clearly is very thought-out and super creative as are the illustrations. The art was incredibly gorgeous and elevated the magical feel in this book. I could see this being a wonderful gift even from that alone.
The little letters throughout were such a nice touch that brought the reading experience alive even moreso.
I absolutely loved learning little real-life facts throughout this. (e.g. chitin = metallic substance that gives jewel beetles their shine)
Some favourite pages/creatures featured:
• Tree-Beings (very beautiful full double spread)
• Tommyknocker and Pukwudgie
• Mishepishu (this intrigued me so much, I instantly went down a rabbit hole of information online!! super interesting!)
This was super creative and fun, I know for a *fact* I would've been utterly obsessed with this as a kid and am still completely entralled by it today. Though kids would presumably get more out of this than adults since that's the target audience of course, I can confidently say even interested adults can for sure appreciate this as well.
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The backstories and ethology provided for the creatures gives an obvious insight on the amount of effort put into creating this. The writing clearly is very thought-out and super creative as are the illustrations. The art was incredibly gorgeous and elevated the magical feel in this book. I could see this being a wonderful gift even from that alone.
The little letters throughout were such a nice touch that brought the reading experience alive even moreso.
I absolutely loved learning little real-life facts throughout this. (e.g. chitin = metallic substance that gives jewel beetles their shine)
Some favourite pages/creatures featured:
• Tree-Beings (very beautiful full double spread)
• Tommyknocker and Pukwudgie
• Mishepishu (this intrigued me so much, I instantly went down a rabbit hole of information online!! super interesting!)
This was super creative and fun, I know for a *fact* I would've been utterly obsessed with this as a kid and am still completely entralled by it today. Though kids would presumably get more out of this than adults since that's the target audience of course, I can confidently say even interested adults can for sure appreciate this as well.
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
punandprose's review against another edition
5.0
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 zoologists 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 and imagination 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.
We get to follow the adventures of two zoologists 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 and imagination 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.
mistressviolet's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
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.
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