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The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters
Make room in your suitcase for this monstrously entertaining guide to fantastic creatures around the world — and how to elude them.
I did not make any of this up.
Do you know why you should have baby teeth handy when visiting the Midwest? Or why you should bring a cucumber with you when swimming in Japan? How good are you at solving Russian riddles? From Boston to Bejing, from Moscow to Mali, any place you visit has its own terrifying tales of very real creatures. Complete with handy "gruesomeness ratings," this guide offers all the important facts on some sixty-three folkloric monsters and how (if possible!) to survive an encounter with them. Meticulously researched by Judy Sierra and illustrated in grotesque detail by Henrik Drescher, here is the ultimate resource for any world traveler, armchair or otherwise, hoping to make it home alive.
I did not make any of this up.
Do you know why you should have baby teeth handy when visiting the Midwest? Or why you should bring a cucumber with you when swimming in Japan? How good are you at solving Russian riddles? From Boston to Bejing, from Moscow to Mali, any place you visit has its own terrifying tales of very real creatures. Complete with handy "gruesomeness ratings," this guide offers all the important facts on some sixty-three folkloric monsters and how (if possible!) to survive an encounter with them. Meticulously researched by Judy Sierra and illustrated in grotesque detail by Henrik Drescher, here is the ultimate resource for any world traveler, armchair or otherwise, hoping to make it home alive.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2005
2 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 29, 2012
“The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters” is an excellent book about monsters that is presented in a travel guide format. Judy Sierra and Henrik Drescher both work together on this project and therefore, created a book that is a combination of horror and comedy.
“The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters” details various encounters of some of the most dangerous and gruesome monsters around the world. The book describes the monsters’ habits, where they live, survival tips when encountering them, and how dangerous they are to the traveler. There are sixty-three monsters mentioned in this book and only one monster in this book is known to be just frightening, not dangerous. These are the summaries of some of my favorite monsters:
ROLLING HEAD
The Rolling Head’s gruesomeness rating is five skulls, which means that it is a fatal monster. It lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and this monster came about when a man accidentally cut his finger with a knife. When the man licked the blood off his finger, he enjoyed the taste of blood so much that he started eating his entire body, leaving only his head. The head now rolls around and eats unsuspecting people in his path. The survival tip is not available for this monster.
SIGBIN
The Sigbin’s gruesomeness rating is three skulls, which means that it is a very dangerous monster. It lives in the Philippines and it looks like a beagle, but its hind legs is higher then the front part of its body. The Sigbin can fly using its long ears, but watch out for its intestinal gas, for it is very fatal and will kill anyone who stands downwind of the Sigbin. The survival tip is to not stand downwind of a Sigbin and that if a person learns the right magic spells then he or she can fly a Sigbin.
Judy Sierra’s masterful storytelling of describing various monsters around the world is both excellent and morbid at the same time. Sierra goes into great detail about each monster and also gives a clear survival tip to each monster whenever one encounters them. Henrik Drescher’s illustrations are equally special in this book as he draws each monster in a childish yet nightmarish way. It was as if the illustrations came out of someone’s nightmare and they are trying to describe the nightmare by drawing out the images portrayed in the nightmare.
Parents should know that this book may be too disturbing for younger children because of its horror content. Most of the monsters in this book eat humans or make them go insane and that may scare younger children. The monster that will probably scare younger children the most would be the Curupira, since this monster sucks out people’s organs for disobeying a rule and that would lead children into thinking that someone will kill them if they break the rules.
“The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters” is an excellent travel brochure-like book for people who want to learn more about the monsters around the world and how to survive their encounters. This book is a true treat for both kids and adults, but adults may want to steer their younger children away from this book if they are afraid of monsters.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
“The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters” details various encounters of some of the most dangerous and gruesome monsters around the world. The book describes the monsters’ habits, where they live, survival tips when encountering them, and how dangerous they are to the traveler. There are sixty-three monsters mentioned in this book and only one monster in this book is known to be just frightening, not dangerous. These are the summaries of some of my favorite monsters:
ROLLING HEAD
The Rolling Head’s gruesomeness rating is five skulls, which means that it is a fatal monster. It lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and this monster came about when a man accidentally cut his finger with a knife. When the man licked the blood off his finger, he enjoyed the taste of blood so much that he started eating his entire body, leaving only his head. The head now rolls around and eats unsuspecting people in his path. The survival tip is not available for this monster.
SIGBIN
The Sigbin’s gruesomeness rating is three skulls, which means that it is a very dangerous monster. It lives in the Philippines and it looks like a beagle, but its hind legs is higher then the front part of its body. The Sigbin can fly using its long ears, but watch out for its intestinal gas, for it is very fatal and will kill anyone who stands downwind of the Sigbin. The survival tip is to not stand downwind of a Sigbin and that if a person learns the right magic spells then he or she can fly a Sigbin.
Judy Sierra’s masterful storytelling of describing various monsters around the world is both excellent and morbid at the same time. Sierra goes into great detail about each monster and also gives a clear survival tip to each monster whenever one encounters them. Henrik Drescher’s illustrations are equally special in this book as he draws each monster in a childish yet nightmarish way. It was as if the illustrations came out of someone’s nightmare and they are trying to describe the nightmare by drawing out the images portrayed in the nightmare.
Parents should know that this book may be too disturbing for younger children because of its horror content. Most of the monsters in this book eat humans or make them go insane and that may scare younger children. The monster that will probably scare younger children the most would be the Curupira, since this monster sucks out people’s organs for disobeying a rule and that would lead children into thinking that someone will kill them if they break the rules.
“The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters” is an excellent travel brochure-like book for people who want to learn more about the monsters around the world and how to survive their encounters. This book is a true treat for both kids and adults, but adults may want to steer their younger children away from this book if they are afraid of monsters.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
September 24, 2017
Very amusing book - Great illustrations! (I especially loved the one of the Taua!) It's obviously meant for young children, but as an adult interested in cryptozoology (creatures from folklore), I found it very interesting. I had only heard of a few of the "monsters" depicted!
January 13, 2015
I just did not care for the illustrations-they just turned, and just me off to the content of the book. I adore the publisher, and have numerous books by them. Maybe I just like the cutie ones,
October 23, 2022
Folklore from around the world contains tales of monsters and imagined beasts. Some are based in reality, some are cautionary tales, and some just are. Unfortunately, if you want to know any of these reasons or backgrounds, The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters is not the book for you.
The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters divides monsters of the world geographically by continent, starting in North America and continuing to South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific (yes, there's no differentiation between the Asia and Pacific chapter). While each monster's country of origin is provided, there's no other background for the cultural significance of these monsters or how they might have come about, or even their uses and frequency in society.
Instead, the book contains descriptions and "Survival Tips." These "tips" are cheesy at best, and definitely inconsistent. Some include complete avoidance, some include very obscure actions you can take to prevent meeting the monster, and some include ways to fend off the monsters. Often, the author also notes that there is no known way to escape or evade the monster in the first place.
The only way I'd consider using this in a classroom is as the beginning of a research project (maybe around Halloween for a showcase). Students could pick a monster and research the cultural significance of that monster and create a presentation of their choosing or with more specific presentation guidelines. I would probably recommend this for fifth or sixth grade students at the youngest. The text is fairly dense and students would need to have the skills to integrate sources. However, there is no works cited or further reading list, just a brief and vague afterword.
One thing I do enjoy about this text is the illustrations. They are bold, colorful, and detailed to match the text very well. I wish there was a bit more background to them, but I think they fit well with the style of the book.
I did "rescue" this one from the curriculum library's withdrawals, and I'm not sure what I want to do with it in the future. If I have friends who are teaching in older classrooms I might give it to someone, but I definitely wouldn't use it in younger classrooms because of the lack of context as well as the dense text.
The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters divides monsters of the world geographically by continent, starting in North America and continuing to South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific (yes, there's no differentiation between the Asia and Pacific chapter). While each monster's country of origin is provided, there's no other background for the cultural significance of these monsters or how they might have come about, or even their uses and frequency in society.
Instead, the book contains descriptions and "Survival Tips." These "tips" are cheesy at best, and definitely inconsistent. Some include complete avoidance, some include very obscure actions you can take to prevent meeting the monster, and some include ways to fend off the monsters. Often, the author also notes that there is no known way to escape or evade the monster in the first place.
The only way I'd consider using this in a classroom is as the beginning of a research project (maybe around Halloween for a showcase). Students could pick a monster and research the cultural significance of that monster and create a presentation of their choosing or with more specific presentation guidelines. I would probably recommend this for fifth or sixth grade students at the youngest. The text is fairly dense and students would need to have the skills to integrate sources. However, there is no works cited or further reading list, just a brief and vague afterword.
One thing I do enjoy about this text is the illustrations. They are bold, colorful, and detailed to match the text very well. I wish there was a bit more background to them, but I think they fit well with the style of the book.
I did "rescue" this one from the curriculum library's withdrawals, and I'm not sure what I want to do with it in the future. If I have friends who are teaching in older classrooms I might give it to someone, but I definitely wouldn't use it in younger classrooms because of the lack of context as well as the dense text.
May 4, 2011
Judy Sierra presents short descriptions of more than 60 monsters from around the world, telling readers their location, "gruesomeness rating," description and a survival tip if you're lucky. As she writes in her introduction, "From Alaska to Argentina, and from Nigeria to New Zealand, the woods and water holes are teeming with bizarre and fascinating creatures who are eager to meet tourists and travelers. The bad news is that few tourists and travelers ever live to tell about them." Her descriptions are deliciously disturbing, with just the right amount of blood for 4th and 5th graders. For example, the Cannibal Baby in the Rocky Mountains, lures unwary victims to its cave with the sound of a baby's cry.
"When someone picks up the innocent looking baby, it wails even louder. Those who do not know better put a finger or a knuckle into the baby's mouth to make it be quiet. In an instant, the cannibal baby sucks all the flesh off the person's bones."
Sierra's descriptions are wonderfully detailed, and Drescher's colorful illustrations will evoke many laughs and squeals. I can just see kids incorporating either drawings or descriptions into their own stories. Readers will love learning that the raksasa from India have green or blue faces, with "tusky yellow teeth and matted hair." While the raksasas can look like ordinary people, their fingers are "attached backwards to their hands." My only regret is that Sierra does not include any source material for her work, or recommendations for children to learn more about this rich folklore. But kids won't mind - they'll simply eat this collection up.
"When someone picks up the innocent looking baby, it wails even louder. Those who do not know better put a finger or a knuckle into the baby's mouth to make it be quiet. In an instant, the cannibal baby sucks all the flesh off the person's bones."
Sierra's descriptions are wonderfully detailed, and Drescher's colorful illustrations will evoke many laughs and squeals. I can just see kids incorporating either drawings or descriptions into their own stories. Readers will love learning that the raksasa from India have green or blue faces, with "tusky yellow teeth and matted hair." While the raksasas can look like ordinary people, their fingers are "attached backwards to their hands." My only regret is that Sierra does not include any source material for her work, or recommendations for children to learn more about this rich folklore. But kids won't mind - they'll simply eat this collection up.
August 1, 2014
This book is definitely recommended for children who are mature enough to understand the ideas of made up monsters and creatures from stories and/or folktales. Judy Sierra researched the tales of monsters that were created to keep children away from exploring dangerous places or people. Some of the illustrations and descriptions are slightly gruesome. I would recommend this book to kids in middle school or maybe upper elementary. I don't necessarily enjoy the content, but it may interest boys and it would be interesting to research the history behind each monster story.
May 19, 2017
This book is like crack (or in my case frappuccinos) for kids.
"Can you check out that monster book again?"
"Please, can you get the monster book ?"
"I NEED to read the monster book again!"
Only - don't read this to young children, because they may ask with scared, wide eyes if you're certain that this book is fiction.
"Can you check out that monster book again?"
"Please, can you get the monster book ?"
"I NEED to read the monster book again!"
Only - don't read this to young children, because they may ask with scared, wide eyes if you're certain that this book is fiction.
May 22, 2021
I'm always on the lookout for spooky kids books and this one is great! It is definitely gross and gory and probably too scary for some kids but the right kids will LOVE this. (I was the right kid) There were tons of folklore in here I hadn't heard of too, so that's fun.
August 6, 2018
I'm so jealous; I wish I'd written this book.
February 5, 2019
The Gruesome guide to world monsters teaches aboaut some of the most horryfing monsters of the countries culture.
May 13, 2024
Between the art, the ranking system, the categorizing of world areas, and the lore, this was a great beginning resource to finding new monsters to inquire further about from around the world. It reminded me of the Book of Yokai I read not too long back, and I loved it. It's a pretty straightforward and shorter read, and has beautifully crafted art. Definitely recommend for Folklore and Urban Legend lovers.
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June 22, 2010Judy Sierra, storyteller and folklore expert, has collected a number of different monsters from folktales and legends around the world in a guide that all children who love monsters will enjoy. Entries include details such as where the monster comes from, a description of the monster, survival tips, and a gruesomeness rating, which tells you how dangerous the creature is reported to be. Although the entries are brief, Henrik’s surreal illustrations often show monsters actively attacking their victims and create terrifying and creepy images to complement the text. As these are taken from folklore around the world it might be a useful tool for school teachers who are looking for a hook for some of the reluctant students involved in cultural studies. A word of warning: some of these creatures are very gruesome! Parents, teachers, and librarians will want to be aware that the description of what these creatures can be very intense, especially when coupled with Henrik’s illustrations. An example is the Snee-nee-iq , a monster from the lore of the Pacific Northwest, that hunts at night for children who won’t go to bed and carries them off to be smoked over a fire to save them to be eaten later. The book will fascinate monster lovers big and small and can be used in studies of folklore and different cultures. Contains: Intense descriptions and illustrations of gruesome and violent behavior. Recommended for ages 6 and up.
September 15, 2008
Sure to scare the bejeez out of all kids. Great loopy art accompanies guide notes to some of the world's fascinating folklore inspired creatures. Good to know that when in Scotland, one should avoid anything "glowing in the gloaming". Amusing notes of caution and survival abound such as surviving the Aniwye, a giant skunk creature found in the great lakes region: "if you hear the sount of giant teeth crunching the roof above your bed, exit immediately." Ya think? Kids will be enthralled.
April 30, 2008
Okay, so my son who is in elementary loves this book. He cannot get enough of reading about these monsters around the world. He took it outside to show his friend and they recreated imaginary scenarios as they played all afternoon. It is really interesting, unique, and witty with a touch of humor for a field guide to world monsters. Must read for kids of all ages.
June 20, 2010
I'm impressed by the research that must have gone into this book; I had only heard of two or three of the monsters before. The text and illustrations were equally gruesome and entertaining. I think I need a copy of this.
March 24, 2012
New favorite book - just AODRE the artwork. Illustrated by Henrik Drescher, the monsters are so spontaneous and creative, I could spin 100 journalling lessons off them. LOVE IT so much that I'm adding it to my personal library.
June 2, 2012
Glorious and gruesome illustrations. Field guide to the "real life: tales of ghouls, globins, and the likes from around the world. Reads like a travel guide. Could be a nice Halloween book or incorporated into folktales lesson for middle schoolers.
January 17, 2008
fantastique!
May 1, 2008
how to give your kid nightmares.
i dont know which is better: the illustrations or the writing. amazing book that needs to be part of your permanent collection.
i dont know which is better: the illustrations or the writing. amazing book that needs to be part of your permanent collection.
November 8, 2010
I don't think these monsters are real because I haven't seen any of them, not even the ones in the North America section of the book. The drawings in this book are AWESOME.
November 11, 2015
Nice collection of worldwide folkloric (or are they??) monsters accompanied by some sweet illustrations.
January 25, 2017
What a fun collection of monsters from folklore around the world! Complete with what they do and how to avoid them!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews