There are some rather unusual creatures included in this bestiary---the Simurgh, Vegetable Lamb, Gulon, Catoblepas---but, alas, the copy I read was missing at least one of its pages. ( )

Disappointing, in my personal opinion. Simply a catalog, with 1-3 paragraph articles and pretty pictures. I would have liked more dramatic pictures, more details, and more critters.

I'm not sure the basilisk and cockatrice should be lumped together - the best note I found online has one being the converse of the other (kinda like a liger and tigon).

I am pleased to learn about some mythological characters that are new to me. The tree goose from Scotland, that she spells clayk, I could only find as claik. But the vegetable lamb is based on a real fern, and there's some interesting info. and pix about that. ( )

This is one of those older books that is a trip-upon treasure in a library. The beautiful illustrations and fabulous creatures within pages capture not only the eyes but the imagination but yet it is one of those books that I fear will eventually disappear especially with the newer Harry Potter fantastical animal guide at the forefront.

The book is done two pages per creature with the lead page being a page-long description of the creature, the history of it and sometimes where it is found. It goes over habits that it was known for, what people history would use it for and even several different sub-types or color variations.

Again the pictures are beautiful on the opposite page. Bright, colorful and detailed they fit straight along with the medieval like capitols.

The only thing is this is definitely a beginner's guide for not all the information was correct or some of the most important information was missing from the animal given. Will be a good encourager for the beginning fantasy fan. ( )

This enchanting picture-book catalogue of the world's mythological creatures presents fourteen fabulous beasts, with a double-page spread - one page of text, and one colorful illustration - devoted to each. Here the reader will encounter the unicorn, rarest of all beings, with its extraordinary horn, and attraction to young maidens. Here is the dragon, "compounded of earth, air and fire," sometimes fierce, and sometimes friendly. Here too is the famed Pegasus, that winged horse of Greek mythology; the immortal Phoenix, eternally consumed and reborn in flame; the fierce Griffin; and the deadly Basilisk.

Less well-known, at least to this reader, were creatures such as the Barometz, the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, whose legend may be an attempt to explain the cotton plant; the Swedish Gullon, a gluttonous forest-dweller with the body of a dog and the face of a cat; or the Catoblepas, a shy Ethiopian beast with the head of a dog and the body of a buffalo. Also profiled are the Persian Simurgh, who features so prominently in the tale of Prince Zaal; the fire salamanders of Europe and Asia; the Roc, those massive birds of Madagascar; the Mimick Dog, with its incredible ability to sound like other animals; and the Clayk, the Tree Goose that hatches from tree-grown melons.

A well-known children's literature scholar, who has explored the worlds of folklore and fantasy in her essays, collected in Don't Tell the Grown-Ups: The Subversive Power of Children's Literature, Alison Lurie delivers a delightful sampling of creatures in Fabulous Beasts. The accompanying artwork by Monika Beisner is colorful and expressive, emphasizing the magic and enchantment of the topic under discussion. All in all, a wonderful title for readers with an interest in the creatures of myth. ( )