The Big Book of Monsters

The Big Book of Monsters
By Hal Johnson
Illustrated by Tim Sievert
Workman Publishing, 2019. Informational.

We know them, we love them, we still have nightmares about them - these are the monsters of classic literature. Young readers, may not be familiar with the stories behind these monsters, but they will know their names - Frankenstein, Mr. Hyde, Dracula and others who continue to scare us even today. This modern beastiary, has plot summaries for 25 spooky monsters from international folklore with plot summaries and basic details for each.

There are a lot of books like this, but there has never been a book quite like this. Filled with non sequitur and tangential details, the world of these monsters comes to life by subtly arguing that these monsters - spanning from antiquity to post-modernism - are metaphors for the fears of their times. Lurid illustrations in goozy reds, slimy greens, and ghoulish purples round out this compendium of horrifying origin stories. Perfect for Halloween or middle-grade horror fans year round.

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