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Ologies #6
MONSTROLOGIE
A second major volume by the esteemed Dr. Drake — a lavish exploration of fantastical beasts, from yetis to unicorns
Do krakens really lurk below the ocean waves? Do griffins command the air above? In a fascinating new discovery sure to rival the ground-breaking DRAGONOLOGY, the intrepid Dr. Ernest Drake turns his inquisitive gaze from dragons to other so-called mythical creatures. Included are:
* a removable letter from Dr. Drake
* multiple foldouts, flaps, and pull-outs
* textured "samples," including sea serpent skin and a feather from a winged horse
* sundry booklets — including riddles to tell a sphinx
* a cabinet of curiosities containing yeti fur, a hippogriff feather, and more
For anyone who has ever wondered whether legendary beasts still wander among us, this lush look at an astounding array of creatures offers everything a true believer would want to know.
Do krakens really lurk below the ocean waves? Do griffins command the air above? In a fascinating new discovery sure to rival the ground-breaking DRAGONOLOGY, the intrepid Dr. Ernest Drake turns his inquisitive gaze from dragons to other so-called mythical creatures. Included are:
* a removable letter from Dr. Drake
* multiple foldouts, flaps, and pull-outs
* textured "samples," including sea serpent skin and a feather from a winged horse
* sundry booklets — including riddles to tell a sphinx
* a cabinet of curiosities containing yeti fur, a hippogriff feather, and more
For anyone who has ever wondered whether legendary beasts still wander among us, this lush look at an astounding array of creatures offers everything a true believer would want to know.
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First published January 1, 2008
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1490 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 14, 2019
This (fiction) compendium of monsters charts the discoveries of the intrepid explorer, Dr. Ernest Drake, who sailed the world in search of seemingly mythical beasts. His record includes beasts of the earth, water, air, and semi-human creatures found around the world, drawing from the mythology of myriad cultures and presenting his findings as fact.
The illusion is heightened by his efforts to separate fact from fiction. "The purple, man-eating, burrowing giant worm known as the Mongolian death worm," for example, is fake according to Dr. Drake, but the Arabian Unicorn is undoubtedly real. The result is a book designed to tickle the imagination, complete with fold-out maps, envelopes, and other tangible items - such as unicorn hair, sea serpent skin, and spell-casting paper - lending an authentic feel to a book of imagined creatures.
Best of all, Monsterology closes with a message on proper conduct for aspiring monsterologists and the importance of conservation.
The illusion is heightened by his efforts to separate fact from fiction. "The purple, man-eating, burrowing giant worm known as the Mongolian death worm," for example, is fake according to Dr. Drake, but the Arabian Unicorn is undoubtedly real. The result is a book designed to tickle the imagination, complete with fold-out maps, envelopes, and other tangible items - such as unicorn hair, sea serpent skin, and spell-casting paper - lending an authentic feel to a book of imagined creatures.
Best of all, Monsterology closes with a message on proper conduct for aspiring monsterologists and the importance of conservation.
If I have communicated anything in this book, I hope above all that it has been something of wonder not only of these fabulous beasts but of all the beasts, birds, and fishes that inhabit the Earth. The world if full of amazing beasts and monsters far beyond our ken. They flash through the air and slither through the seas, crawl through the earth and lurk in the woods. But I don't expect you to believe me. Open your eyes and see for yourself. All anyone ever has to do is go out and look!
October 16, 2016
My son loves this book but never before have we read it from cover to cover. That is no small feat as the text is tiny and the book is absolutely jammed with facts. An interactive encyclopedia of monsters divided into sections and complete with "specimens", samples, sketches, and illustrations on every page. Tons of fun for elementary-aged kids into unique monsters. This book purports that they are real and presents evidence, habitat information, attack styles, etc. Very impressive presentation and quite well done. 5 stars.
July 16, 2010
I love this book. It is in the same format as the other Ologie books but this one is done up for monsters. How much more fun can that get. I love they way they do this up like a scrapbook/journal. There is a lot of "samples" from the creatures that the author finds especially in the back, there is a section dedicated to the samples found. If you love monsters and/or the Ologie books, I would highly recommend this one!
August 18, 2011
I think it's a true book about monsters. I thought it was wonderful. It has pictures and parts of the amazing beasts for you to feel and examine. It 's a really great book.
January 17, 2016
Though I think I enjoyed this ology more than the others, I was a little disappointed with the short amount of information given on each creature. There was much more information in the other books.
November 19, 2017
A magical and fantastic book. It is so full of creativity that every page of the book amazed me. Grab a copy to see what I mean.
October 19, 2016
Delightful. It's a guidebook by a fictional natural historian who traveled around the world to observe monsters in their native habitats. It sorts the monsters by type of habitat or physiological structure so it's easy to navigate. It even included mythological creatures I hadn't heard of before, like the Nue, Japan's version of the chimera. It has plenty of beautiful watercolor and ink illustrations and specimens for the reader to touch are attached on nearly every page.
The only downside is that it has very few examples from the Americas or Africa, relying instead on European and Asian creatures.
I would have loved this as a little kid.
The only downside is that it has very few examples from the Americas or Africa, relying instead on European and Asian creatures.
I would have loved this as a little kid.
November 9, 2012
Really neat, clever concept, beautiful illustrations. The book is a faux textbook for budding monsterologists and explains how to seek monsters in the wild and care for orphaned baby monsters (i.e., "Unicorns should be fed pomegranate juice until they are five months old"). It very cleverly teaches kids some history, biology, geography and mythology. Each section also includes a homework assignment that might stimulate some real-world learning (i.e., "Begin your study of monster medicine by researching common cat and dog ailments").
July 16, 2016
This book is not to be and should not be mixed up with the actual monster book from Harry Potter, that may eat little fingers; this book can answer, do monstrous krakens really lurk below the deep ocean waves? Do soaring griffins command the air above? A fabulous tome for those who love legendary beasts that still wander among us, this lush and luxurious look at an astounding array of creatures offers everything a true believer would want to know. I love all the ephemera, the tuck in notes and samples and letters!!! A must read and a collectors item.
June 26, 2010
This is a great installment in the "Ology" series. While Eygptology is still my favorite, Monsterology will definately entertain any child. It contains tons of lift-the-flaps, things to feel (ever wonder what unicorn's hair felt like?), and oodles of mini-books to read along with the main story. This book is as detailed as any of the previous installments and is a must for any fan of the series.
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July 8, 2021I will (most likely) not be rating all of the "ology" books I will be reading, because that would end up being a lot of ratings lol (especially since I also checked some out from the library). After I read all of them, I might go back and rate some of the best and worst.
But, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
4.5 - 5 stars
But, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
4.5 - 5 stars
January 22, 2009
This whole series is amazing. They are very interactive is almost as if you cannot put them down. You have to touch them and play with them even if you can't read the text the book seems appealing to kids of all ages.
September 17, 2011
A very interesting book with everything from commonplace myths to those less known about. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys mythology. My only regret is that because of how many species there are and how short the book is, it couldn't go into greater detail about the races.
April 15, 2012
Awesome interactive book to keep kids busy for hours! A quick review and lots of photos on my blog Guiltless Reading
February 8, 2016
This is a beautifully crafted book and one of a series I'm proud to collect for my daughter, who is 5 now, though I know she will enjoy this for years to come. Very imaginative and interesting and we love the "evidence" collection within.
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September 30, 2010ooooo lots of cool stuff
July 29, 2011
A beautifully illustrated guide to monsters through the slightly biased perspective of Dr Drake. I suspect there may be some factual inaccuracies within the text, but overall a most informative read.
April 18, 2013
Another great ology! All of these are so interesting and well layed out.
June 7, 2013
loves the scrapbook style of this book. Fun to read.
August 9, 2013
Just as good as Dragonology Ernest Drake ROCKS!!!!!!
December 18, 2013
I've only read two books in this 'ology' series, but I have to say I really like them! It's neat reading a detailed sort of scientific journal...about mythical creatures!
February 20, 2016
Monsters I love it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2016
just dope ! love the illustrations, the letters inside the maps ! everythings is cool in this book
May 29, 2019
The illustrations in Monsterology are incredible, as with all the books in the Ologies series. This was the book that first brought creatures of mythology into my life, and the descriptions and stories about said creatures were extraordinarily useful for bringing the illustrations to life.
The creatures and the information are a bit scattered throughout the book due to its scrapbook design, but that helps to make the book seem more "real". There isn't much information per creature, but that isn't too big of an issue. Overall, Monsterology is fantastic and a must have for someone fascinated by mythology, monsters, and fantasy.
The creatures and the information are a bit scattered throughout the book due to its scrapbook design, but that helps to make the book seem more "real". There isn't much information per creature, but that isn't too big of an issue. Overall, Monsterology is fantastic and a must have for someone fascinated by mythology, monsters, and fantasy.
October 10, 2022
This was a highly entertaining book that discussed many common mythological monsters, as well as those that are still commonly talked about today such as kraken's and sea serpents.
The book was part textbook style, talking about the creatures lives, diets, health and more, and part travel guide where the monsterologist discusses his travels looking for these monsters. The information is quite detailed, and interesting to read.
The illustrations are drawn and look to be colored in pastel or colored pencil. They are soft around the edges, but detailed and highly colored. A fun book if you love monsters, and want to learn more about them.
The book was part textbook style, talking about the creatures lives, diets, health and more, and part travel guide where the monsterologist discusses his travels looking for these monsters. The information is quite detailed, and interesting to read.
The illustrations are drawn and look to be colored in pastel or colored pencil. They are soft around the edges, but detailed and highly colored. A fun book if you love monsters, and want to learn more about them.
January 4, 2019
“The ardent student of nature soon learns that those creatures we name foul and terrible monsters are in truth the most fabulous beestes awaiting amaz’d discoverie.”
A fun look at different beasts from myth and legend. It’s like a field guide to select creatures with notes, diagrams, illustrations and even “skin samples”.
It has a gorgeous cover (hardback edition) and can provide hours of “what if?” fun.
I would have liked more folklore and cited sources, though.
Still a great way to learn about legendary creatures you might not have come across before.
A fun look at different beasts from myth and legend. It’s like a field guide to select creatures with notes, diagrams, illustrations and even “skin samples”.
It has a gorgeous cover (hardback edition) and can provide hours of “what if?” fun.
I would have liked more folklore and cited sources, though.
Still a great way to learn about legendary creatures you might not have come across before.
September 1, 2024
Books with physical fun bits are always on my mind because I grew up with Monsterology. Do I understand that this is supposed to be a children’s book series? Yes! Do I still love this book and want to collect all of the ology books? Also yes!
May 27, 2020
I love it at my school library I read it every time...!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2022
Clever, interactive, and beautifully illustrated
April 25, 2022
Es el mejor manual de criaturas majicas
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews