I’m a natural-born sucker for fantasy. Bring that same fantasy, things that should be impossible, to real life, and I am all yours. I have this fascination for impossible creatures. Some call them cryptids, some monsters, others just figures and characters from folklore and mythology. I call them culture. That’s why I decided to get my hands on Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World, by Rachel Quinney.
Cover to Cryptids, Creatures, and Critters by Rachel Quinney [Andrews McMeel]
- Price: $19.99
- Dimensions: 5.9″ x 8.9″
- ISBN: 9781524889838
- Publish Date: 6/18/2024
- Pages: 208
- 5/5 stars
From Mothman to the Mongolian Death Worm, Shellycoat to Simurgh, Nessie to even Ningyo, this charming and creative collection of cryptids will fascinate readers for years to come.
Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World features 90 different creatures from around the world, each with their own researched description and full-color illustrations. The book is divided into three sections: cryptids, folklore, and mythology. It features popular cryptid favorites, such as Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster, and some lesser-known cryptids, such as the Enfield Horror and the Montauk Monster. For folklore, there are kelpies, selkies, cat sidhe, and grimalkins, along with the dobhar-chú and the vampiric pumpkin! In mythology, you’ll find Medusa, sphinx, Pegasus, and the bukavac!
The book is fun for newcomers to cryptozoology, folklore, and mythology but is also fun for those who are well-read about the creatures in the book. While written by Rachel Quinney and mainly illustrated by her, there are twelve guest artists featured within the book, too.
From Creatures & Critters [Andrews McMeel]
Although I was familiar with several of the creatures included, there was a lot I was discovering for the first time. There is a lot of information for an introductory book, providing context, references, and accounts that made the reading engaging. It is not a comprehensive book by any means, but it does work nicely as a starting point for those interested in the subject.
The balance between the known and less-famous creatures was one of the highlights of this book, providing some sense of comfort by including figures I grew up with, others I found when I was a teenager and college student, and providing insight into others I either only knew by name or had no idea about.
The art was also an impressive element due to the details included in all of them. Although some creatures, such as the Manananggal, have graphic descriptions, the book keeps a family-friendly aesthetic as much as possible while also remaining faithful to the images. This, the bright colors, and the trigger warnings, make it a safe reading for most readers; definitely not for children, however.
What interested me the most about it is that each description allows you to see how the cryptids, folklore, and mythology of each culture invited you to see the world from their eyes. There is cosmology, spirituality, and a critical eye whenever there are elements of a foreign influence, mostly Christian, that have been inserted in or change the stories including its beliefs in them.
It is a book that takes you back to a time when it was easier to believe in the impossible, when you were scared of the night and the monsters it could come with, but also with the magic of innocence. Both images and text take you on a trip through different cultures, points of view, feelings, and ideas that it’s easy to develop a level of appreciation and understanding.
From Cryptids, Creatures & Critters [Andrews McMeel]
As a Witch, I have seen folklore as a source of inspiration for my craft, my spells, rituals, and ideas. As an adult, still with that interest since childhood, I see this book as a valuable addition to those interested in exploring figures outside Western spirituality and popular belief. From the Philippines to Japan, Iraq to the Balkan, and through several states here in the US, it allows you to explore freely and respectfully, providing an attractive first point of contact that helps readers explore the surface.
Not only that, the symbolism is as rich as you would expect it to be. Addictive, short yet powerful, it is an impressive volume that allows you entry into different worlds, old and new ones alike, to explore to your heart’s content.
The author would like to thank Andrews McMeel for providing a review copy of this book.
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