Medieval Monsters and Other Creatures (Timothy Ide, MidnightSun)
Medieval Monsters and Other Creatures, written and illustrated by Timothy Ide, is a nonfiction deep dive into weird and wonderful creatures that filled medieval imaginations—especially in Europe—presented A to Z. With whole spreads devoted to prominent creatures (dragons, giants and fairies), many monsters will likely be familiar, while Ide also introduces lesser-known examples such as Hyakume (covered head-to-toe with unblinking eyes) and Panotti (people with ears so large they could be used as wings). As indicated by the reading list at the back of the book, Ide’s research is mainly focused on European sources, meaning some depictions of creatures said to live in other regions (such as Libya or India) are sourced from this point of view, and reflect cultural assumptions from this time and place, such as in the depiction of the Blemmyae, ‘a strange tribe of headless humans from Africa’. In terms of its organisation, the book is approachable, with each creature’s information presented as a snippet on the page. The alphabetical presentation allows for a fantastic mix of types of creatures, while allowing easy dip-in-dip-out reading. Ide’s illustrations give so much detail to look for, rewarding re-reading favourite sections to discover more in each scene. From epic battles to fairgrounds, towns and oceans, there is an appealing variety to Ide’s scenes and great insight into medieval life and cultural beliefs in Europe—with the caveat that some of the content of the book also reflects the limitations and issues that are found in these sources. Medieval Monsters will suit readers who love intricately illustrated nonfiction and are looking for a step up from dragons or unicorns. Ages 7+.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Clare Millar is a writer, editor and children's bookseller. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews
