Friday, August 10, 2012

Gruesome Guide to World Monsters by Judy Sierra, Illustrated by Henrik Drescher

Gruesome Guide to World Monsters
by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Henrik Drescher
Candlewick Press, 2005

GENRE: Folklore, Horror, Urban Legend

HONORS: None known

REVIEW: This book features a selection of key figures in myth and legend from around the world, including North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Each gruesome monster has its own entry that includes basic information about the monster’s mythos including its location of origin, a brief history or descriptions, tips for surviving the monster and a gruesomeness rating of 1-5, with five being completely fatal. Each entry is accompanied by a very colorful yet surreal and almost Picasso-esque depiction of the monster described.

OPINION: I liked that this book acquaints readers with folkore and legend from all around the world. The illustrations were descriptive without being overly scary.

IDEAS: This book would make a good inclusion in a lesson about world folklore or used in conjunction with Halloween programming. A librarian could encourage kids to choose a monster and write their own scary story using the monster’s mythos.

No comments:

Post a Comment