Reviewed by Jeanne
Cryptids are hot! It
seems that creatures and critters are showing up everywhere, not just in the
deep woods. There’s even a children’s
board book series about some young versions, and I am sorry I didn’t snap up
that copy of Mothman Baby when I saw it at the store. I was later
informed that there are books featuring Yeti Baby, Bigfoot Baby, Nessie Baby,
and more.
I have become more intrigued by cryptids of late due to seeing
so many images of them, mostly locally.
When this book came in, the illustrations reminded me of some of the
artwork I’ve seen at HollerHouse, both in use of color and technique, so of
course I had to check it out.
As the title indicates, the book is about more than just
cryptids. Entries include the Betty and
Barney Hill UFO Abduction, Slender Man, the Enfield Poltergeist, and the
Catacombs of Paris. Each topic has its
own section accompanied by eye-catching illustrations and, in some cases, a
story or poem. I admit I was disappointed
that the Flatwoods Monster wasn’t included, but there were still plenty of interesting
and informative entries. Naturally, I
read the ones I was most intrigued by first, then moved on to some of the
others.
The text describing each entry is somewhat brief, so there
aren’t a lot of details. I do like that
the author sometimes offers explanations or a debunking (that classic photo of
Nessie, now widely accepted as a hoax, for example) and the interesting assortment
of topics, some of which I’d never heard of before. “The Island of the Dolls” is one such: located near Mexico City, there hundreds of
dolls in various conditions are on display, many hanging from trees.
Accompanying the informational text is a usually short,
somewhat creepy vignette about the entry.
Personally, I didn’t find that this added a lot; I would have preferred
more information rather than fiction, but that’s just me.
The artwork is striking.
While not to everyone’s taste, I enjoyed the vibrant and a bit off-the-wall
take on some of the stories.
While this might not be the first place I’d go to learn about
a particular creature or place, it’s certainly an enjoyable browsing book.
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