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Tales
Monstrous Tales: Stories of Strange Creatures and Fearsome Beasts from around the World
Monstrous Tales is a collection of traditional folktales about bewitching and bloodthirsty creatures.
Translated and transcribed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these tales celebrate the diversity of—and surprising resonances among—folklore traditions around the world.
Welcome to a world of magical adventure: a mysterious wolf pursues a bridegroom through a dark forest, a princess is trapped in a monster's body, and a dragon is coming with a storm in its wake.
• The tales come alive alongside spellbinding contemporary art by Chinese illustrator Sija Hong.
• Each story transports readers to a different enthralling world.
• Part of the popular Tales series, featuring Tales of Japan, Celtic Tales, and Tales of India
As readers roam from Japan to Nigeria and Ireland to Guyana, they'll witness deadly pacts, heroic feats, and otherworldly journeys.
Features tales from Australia, China, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Sioux Nation, Guyana, Iceland, India, Inuit Nunangat, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Philippines, Pueblo of Isleta, Scotland, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, and Ukraine.
• A special illustrated edition, complete with an embossed, textured case and a ribbon marker
• Perfect gift for fairy tale and folklore lovers, fans of monsters and creatures, collectors of illustrated classics, adults and teens alike, and bibliophiles
• A visually gorgeous book that will be at home on the shelf or on the coffee table
• Great for those who enjoyed books like Through the Woods by Emily Carroll; The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke; and Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth by Carol Rose
Translated and transcribed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these tales celebrate the diversity of—and surprising resonances among—folklore traditions around the world.
Welcome to a world of magical adventure: a mysterious wolf pursues a bridegroom through a dark forest, a princess is trapped in a monster's body, and a dragon is coming with a storm in its wake.
• The tales come alive alongside spellbinding contemporary art by Chinese illustrator Sija Hong.
• Each story transports readers to a different enthralling world.
• Part of the popular Tales series, featuring Tales of Japan, Celtic Tales, and Tales of India
As readers roam from Japan to Nigeria and Ireland to Guyana, they'll witness deadly pacts, heroic feats, and otherworldly journeys.
Features tales from Australia, China, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Sioux Nation, Guyana, Iceland, India, Inuit Nunangat, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Philippines, Pueblo of Isleta, Scotland, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, and Ukraine.
• A special illustrated edition, complete with an embossed, textured case and a ribbon marker
• Perfect gift for fairy tale and folklore lovers, fans of monsters and creatures, collectors of illustrated classics, adults and teens alike, and bibliophiles
• A visually gorgeous book that will be at home on the shelf or on the coffee table
• Great for those who enjoyed books like Through the Woods by Emily Carroll; The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke; and Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth by Carol Rose
160 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2020
44 people are currently reading
1101 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 25, 2022
I am basing my rating purely on the art, or on this book as an art book, for reasons I will describe in the review below.
I totally got Monstrous Tales based on the cover and illustrations. They are so vibrant, bringing each folktale to life, and I was glad to see one of the Buso-Monkey (Philipppines). I've been staring at Sija Hong's art forever, so this was a must-have for me!
As for the stories themselves, they were all available on public domain and collected and translated from all over the world. I'm actually a former translator (Chinese-German represent!), so I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go behind such an underappreciated art.
That said, some of these stories were translated back in the 1860s, some a few years ago, so there's a bit of inconsistency in style and quality. Some stories have footnotes, others just blast through and tell things as is while expecting you to keep up, etc. It's fun to learn about but isn't always fun to read. But because it's basically a collection of stories that had been written/translated anywhere between 1800 and 2019, I feel unworthy lol, giving 200+ years of writing & translations a rating.
But, overall, I enjoyed Monstrous Tales. The stories are fun to read and learn about, but my rating is based on the art. I will definitely continue to stare at Hong's art in the future.
I totally got Monstrous Tales based on the cover and illustrations. They are so vibrant, bringing each folktale to life, and I was glad to see one of the Buso-Monkey (Philipppines). I've been staring at Sija Hong's art forever, so this was a must-have for me!
As for the stories themselves, they were all available on public domain and collected and translated from all over the world. I'm actually a former translator (Chinese-German represent!), so I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go behind such an underappreciated art.
That said, some of these stories were translated back in the 1860s, some a few years ago, so there's a bit of inconsistency in style and quality. Some stories have footnotes, others just blast through and tell things as is while expecting you to keep up, etc. It's fun to learn about but isn't always fun to read. But because it's basically a collection of stories that had been written/translated anywhere between 1800 and 2019, I feel unworthy lol, giving 200+ years of writing & translations a rating.
But, overall, I enjoyed Monstrous Tales. The stories are fun to read and learn about, but my rating is based on the art. I will definitely continue to stare at Hong's art in the future.
October 24, 2020
Such beautiful illustrations! Unlike other books in the series this one features stories from all over the world, and I found myself tremendously enjoying the compare and contrast between different cultures. Even though the stories all have monsters they aren’t scary - sometimes the monsters are even nice! (like the sweetest and most exasperated Ogre ever) One of my favorite collections in this series :)
December 5, 2021
Really fun and great illustrations. Some of the stories really seemed to have no moral. Wish women in fairytales had more to do that be married off. Princess and the ghouls was the exception.
February 14, 2023
Ehrlich gesagt habe ich mir unter dem Titel etwas mehr Tier- und Fabelwesen vorgestellt, aber die Interpretation ist ziemlich weit gefasst. Trotzdem finde ich die Zusammenstellung gelungen, denn die Märchen kommen aus aller Welt (z. B. Syrien, die Türkei, Finnland, Frankreich, Guyana und die Philippinen) und waren mir größtenteils unbekannt. Weniger gelungen ist die Vereinheitlichung der Texte. Da die Märchen alle aus rechtefreien Quellen stammen, unterscheidet sich ihr Stil manchmal sehr, was einerseits ok ist, weil das die Unterschiede zwischen den Ländern und ihren Erzähltraditionen unterstreicht, aber andererseits hätte hier im Lektorat mehr geglättet werden können, so dass nicht in einem Text erläuternde Fußnoten auftauchen, im nächsten Fremdwörter in Klammern erklärt werden und wieder in einem anderen unbekannte Begriffe kommentarlos stehen bleiben. Ein Augenschmaus sind dafür die Illustrationen von Sija Hong. Lasst euch nicht vom Cover verunsichern, es spiegelt leider so gar nicht wider wie schön Hongs Stil und Farbwahl sind.
October 20, 2021
Spooky stories from different parts of the world. I love how the author picks stories from unique places. There are not a ton of folktales from Ireland or France, the typical Eurocentric stories. You get to read a story from Ghana, Native American tribes, and the Philippines. I love this book!
August 27, 2021
Overall, a really fun read. Really enjoyed experiencing different regions’ takes on monsters. I will say the last section housed my favorite story but also my two least favs (by far).
November 23, 2020
Beautiful illustrations, unique stories I've never read before.
March 7, 2022
3.5 stars!
Like with most collections of this type it is a great pleasure to get a glimpse of a culture through a fantastical story. The fact that this is such a diverse collection allows for a nice variety of creatures to be spotlighted, from the more familiar such as ogres, dragons, and ghosts to ones that are so unique to the particular culture. The Nya-Nya Bulemba from South Africa, the Draiglin' Hogney from Scotland and the Buso-Monkey from the Philippines are just a few that were fascinating to come across for the first time. But despite how interesting some of these creatures and their respective tales were the highlight for me was the illustrations by Sija Hong. These are some of if not the best illustrations I've seen in a collection like this. The colors are vibrant and the art style has a very ethereal quality to it; Hong did a fantastic job with not only illustrating each story but choosing what particular scene of each tale to highlight.
That being said, in terms of personal enjoyment this collection was overall good/ leaning more towards a mixed bag. There is a varying quality to the translations; some flowed smoothly and then others felt a bit more stilted and awkward. In addition, this book would definitely benefit from more footnotes. I found it odd that a few had footnotes but then the rest didn't. Considering that not everyone will have the proper knowledge of each culture its easy to be confused when coming across a particular term or phrase that is unfamiliar. I'd also like to note that in the last story, A Dragon's Favour, there are footnotes but they're weird in that they aren't even helpful. But yes, my major gripe would have to be the lack of footnotes and the sparse contextualization.
Its an entertaining collection nevertheless and I definitely could see myself not only revisiting these tales but also fawning over the gorgeous artwork.
Favorite Tales:
The Demon's Daughter (Syria)
The Three Chests: The Story of the Wicked Old Man of the Sea (Finland)
The Princess and the Ghouls (India)
The Bird of Sorrow (Turkey)
Like with most collections of this type it is a great pleasure to get a glimpse of a culture through a fantastical story. The fact that this is such a diverse collection allows for a nice variety of creatures to be spotlighted, from the more familiar such as ogres, dragons, and ghosts to ones that are so unique to the particular culture. The Nya-Nya Bulemba from South Africa, the Draiglin' Hogney from Scotland and the Buso-Monkey from the Philippines are just a few that were fascinating to come across for the first time. But despite how interesting some of these creatures and their respective tales were the highlight for me was the illustrations by Sija Hong. These are some of if not the best illustrations I've seen in a collection like this. The colors are vibrant and the art style has a very ethereal quality to it; Hong did a fantastic job with not only illustrating each story but choosing what particular scene of each tale to highlight.
That being said, in terms of personal enjoyment this collection was overall good/ leaning more towards a mixed bag. There is a varying quality to the translations; some flowed smoothly and then others felt a bit more stilted and awkward. In addition, this book would definitely benefit from more footnotes. I found it odd that a few had footnotes but then the rest didn't. Considering that not everyone will have the proper knowledge of each culture its easy to be confused when coming across a particular term or phrase that is unfamiliar. I'd also like to note that in the last story, A Dragon's Favour, there are footnotes but they're weird in that they aren't even helpful. But yes, my major gripe would have to be the lack of footnotes and the sparse contextualization.
Its an entertaining collection nevertheless and I definitely could see myself not only revisiting these tales but also fawning over the gorgeous artwork.
Favorite Tales:
The Demon's Daughter (Syria)
The Three Chests: The Story of the Wicked Old Man of the Sea (Finland)
The Princess and the Ghouls (India)
The Bird of Sorrow (Turkey)
January 31, 2021
Monstrous Tales: Stories of Strange Creatures and Fearsome Beast from Around the World will take you literally around the world – starting in Japan and ending in China, with 19 stops along the way, including the Pueblo of Isleta, the Philippines, Guyana, and Syria. T and I were both delighted to read stories that were completely new to us! And longer than in our other compendiums. (That's saying something. I only share a fraction of the monster books we read.)
With complex language and a high level of detail, Monstrous Tales transports the reader to terrifying forests, deep lakes, and menacing spirit lands. While the tales themselves were new to us, many themes and devices common to myth and fairytale appeared; T predicted (rightly) what would happen at different points, such as the youngest son overcoming the giant that killed his brothers in a Scottish tale.
Noteworthy also is the artwork. Fantastical illustrations by Sija Hong accompany each story, enticing readers to imagine and wonder what is to come. Hong's art is rich in color and detail, drawing the viewer in before he has even begun to read. Rich best describes all aspects of Monstrous Tales. It has our seal of approval.
A side note: This fits well with our monster atlases for teaching geography. He's learning cardinal directions, oceans, and continents, and we also locate the countries of origin for the stories we read. Our system is working out pretty well. Now that we've added new monsters and countries to our knowledge base, I bet he'll be creating some new monster illustrations and LEGO creatures in the coming days!
Note: A review copy was provided by Chronicle Books upon request for the purposes of review.
With complex language and a high level of detail, Monstrous Tales transports the reader to terrifying forests, deep lakes, and menacing spirit lands. While the tales themselves were new to us, many themes and devices common to myth and fairytale appeared; T predicted (rightly) what would happen at different points, such as the youngest son overcoming the giant that killed his brothers in a Scottish tale.
Noteworthy also is the artwork. Fantastical illustrations by Sija Hong accompany each story, enticing readers to imagine and wonder what is to come. Hong's art is rich in color and detail, drawing the viewer in before he has even begun to read. Rich best describes all aspects of Monstrous Tales. It has our seal of approval.
A side note: This fits well with our monster atlases for teaching geography. He's learning cardinal directions, oceans, and continents, and we also locate the countries of origin for the stories we read. Our system is working out pretty well. Now that we've added new monsters and countries to our knowledge base, I bet he'll be creating some new monster illustrations and LEGO creatures in the coming days!
Note: A review copy was provided by Chronicle Books upon request for the purposes of review.
December 31, 2020
This is an anthology of tales about various monsters from many different cultural traditions, from all around the wide world. Overall I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. While some stories are more memorable and engaging than others, there is a certain sense of timeless charm and wisdom woven into these tales. Some have some very surprising instances that turn the stories on their head and certainly many of these fly in the face of modern “show don’t tell” rules of writing, though i say this is all for the better. There was also a rather surprising amount of gender reversals occurring through out many cultures in this collection, in particular, and one of my favorite, “the princess and the ghouls” where an abandoned princess becomes the hero of the tale, dressing like a man, and doing various heroic acts which wins her fortune and fame as well as various betrothals to various noble ladies. One instance, yet hardly the only one in this anthology, of such gender reversal. To many wonderful stories herein to mention them all but I also particularly liked “the three chests: the story of the wicked old man of the sea”, “the man whale”, nya-nya bulembu or the moss green princess”, and-oh, to many great tales to mention indeed. Now, there is a lot of canibilisim, eating children, murder, mayhem, wickedness and worse in these tales-I probably would NOT recommend this for very young readers. That said, I’d recommend on a nice cold night you heat a nice warm drink of your choice, light your candles, and read this book-and be prepared to be enchanted and whisked away by these tales of horror from around the world.
November 18, 2024
I read this one aloud to my 11 yo slowly, a story at a time. The art and the quality of the book as an object made it a pleasure to read, but the writing quality was more uneven. I didn’t realize until about 30% into the book, when I chanced to look at the backmatter, that these stories are not retold but just lifted without alteration (I think) from various other collections, most of them published in the 19th century.
Also, a big CW for cannibalism : my 11 yo was ok with most of the stories but “Unktomi” was a little intense for both of us. So if you are reading this with a child, you might want to preview just to make sure it’s right for your child or at least to have a little warning.
My 11 yo especially liked “Nya-Nya Bulembu; or, the Moss-Green Princess” (a South African Cinderella story); The Mermaid’s Lake”, and “A Dragon’s Favour”.
My favorites were “The Blood Drawing Ghost” (in which a feisty heroine decides she doesn’t need to win the favor of a man who would trick her) and “The Princess and the Ghouls” (a story from India in which a princess impersonates a male soldier and has the sort of adventures male fairy tale heroes often have).
Also, a big CW for cannibalism : my 11 yo was ok with most of the stories but “Unktomi” was a little intense for both of us. So if you are reading this with a child, you might want to preview just to make sure it’s right for your child or at least to have a little warning.
My 11 yo especially liked “Nya-Nya Bulembu; or, the Moss-Green Princess” (a South African Cinderella story); The Mermaid’s Lake”, and “A Dragon’s Favour”.
My favorites were “The Blood Drawing Ghost” (in which a feisty heroine decides she doesn’t need to win the favor of a man who would trick her) and “The Princess and the Ghouls” (a story from India in which a princess impersonates a male soldier and has the sort of adventures male fairy tale heroes often have).
June 6, 2021
The illustrations are absolutely stunning but most of the stories seem to be bad, shallow translations from a very long time ago. No one did any research, context for a lot of the cultural stuff seems to require research but cursory Google searches yield nothing much of the time. I don't have a problem doing some of the lifting while reading and I don't think an author necessarily has to cater their writing to a certain audience. This collection of stories, however, was compiled specifically for a general Western audience and therefore at the very least a glossary or footnotes should have been provided.
One story (the last one in the book) has footnotes that make no sense to providing any insight to the story (which is one of the few that's fleshed out just enough to stand on its own). They feel like notes some university student put in while reading it for a class.
For how gorgeous and thoughtful the illustrations are, someone should have put the absolute slightest bit of effort into edits and extra information.
One story (the last one in the book) has footnotes that make no sense to providing any insight to the story (which is one of the few that's fleshed out just enough to stand on its own). They feel like notes some university student put in while reading it for a class.
For how gorgeous and thoughtful the illustrations are, someone should have put the absolute slightest bit of effort into edits and extra information.
June 22, 2022
Well-
I got what I asked for. This book is full of stories you have never heard about monsters and creatures from multiple countries and had some wonderful artwork as well as stories that may not have the same " moral " tone that we might expect but often are just food for thought or maybe urban legends that became myths.
I think this is a great book for people who want fairy tales gone wild or have grown tired of what the Grimm Brothers have given us already. The cultural shift and understanding each story is really fascinating and I feel like you could use this in an anthropology class and get some great perspective even. So academically, I love it. Aesthetically, I love it.
But alas, the wording can be a bit choppy or devoid of character probably due to translation and that does draw some of the magic away, so only four stars this time.
I got what I asked for. This book is full of stories you have never heard about monsters and creatures from multiple countries and had some wonderful artwork as well as stories that may not have the same " moral " tone that we might expect but often are just food for thought or maybe urban legends that became myths.
I think this is a great book for people who want fairy tales gone wild or have grown tired of what the Grimm Brothers have given us already. The cultural shift and understanding each story is really fascinating and I feel like you could use this in an anthropology class and get some great perspective even. So academically, I love it. Aesthetically, I love it.
But alas, the wording can be a bit choppy or devoid of character probably due to translation and that does draw some of the magic away, so only four stars this time.
December 10, 2022
"Once upon a time..."
Monstrous Tales is a collection of folktales from around the world, all centering on the theme of monsters and strange creatures.
These books by Chronicle Books are just such a delight! I love learning about folklore from around the world, and these books are the perfect introduction. And I really do think that you get a huge insight into the ways a country thinks and its values through its folktales. I especially love how different they view what a monster is. Is it a strange creature or a man? Is a monster always evil or just really fair in its dealings? If you have ever thought about giving these books a go, then I cannot recommend them enough!
Monstrous Tales is a collection of folktales from around the world, all centering on the theme of monsters and strange creatures.
These books by Chronicle Books are just such a delight! I love learning about folklore from around the world, and these books are the perfect introduction. And I really do think that you get a huge insight into the ways a country thinks and its values through its folktales. I especially love how different they view what a monster is. Is it a strange creature or a man? Is a monster always evil or just really fair in its dealings? If you have ever thought about giving these books a go, then I cannot recommend them enough!
September 18, 2022
Monstrous Tales is a collection of traditional folk tales from around the world, beautifully illustrated by @sijahongart
Overall it was an interesting and enchanting read, giving a glimpse of various cultures around the world, including Ghana.
If you enjoy reading about dragons, ogres and other monsters like me, you will really enjoy this one! Some of the stories do seem incomplete or pointless but I would blame it on the translation.
Overall it was an interesting and enchanting read, giving a glimpse of various cultures around the world, including Ghana.
If you enjoy reading about dragons, ogres and other monsters like me, you will really enjoy this one! Some of the stories do seem incomplete or pointless but I would blame it on the translation.
September 9, 2023
There are some really great stories in here, but also some that seemed a bit nonsensical to the point that I wonder about the editing/proofreading that was done in the making of this book.
But the book is worth it for the beautiful illustrations and the few interesting stories from several different cultures
But the book is worth it for the beautiful illustrations and the few interesting stories from several different cultures
September 22, 2021
Me encantaron las historias tan variadas, donde la interpretación de "monstruo" depende mucho del contexto cultural. Siempre soy fan de leer historias de todo el mundo.
Las ilustraciones son magníficas y se adaptan perfecto a los diferentes estilos.
Las ilustraciones son magníficas y se adaptan perfecto a los diferentes estilos.
November 11, 2022
This is the type of book I would have searched out and read as a child.
The full plate color illustrations by Sija Hong begin each story.
The monsters come from several different cultures and countries.
The full plate color illustrations by Sija Hong begin each story.
The monsters come from several different cultures and countries.
January 8, 2023
This was a beautiful book. Though the stories were there to accent the beautiful artwork where usually it's the other way around. That being said my favorite stories in this book were, " The Goblin Pony", "Nya Nya Bulembu" and "The Princess and the Ghouls".
June 30, 2025
Most of the stories in here were really good. There was only 2 I did not like. A few stories added footnotes to try to clarify terminology, but I didn't find them very helpful and they were sometimes more confusing.
November 3, 2020
What a wonderful book full of amazing stories from all over the world!
April 14, 2022
much darker than i expected tbh
December 29, 2022
This anthology has such a wide array of stories from all around the globe.
January 6, 2023
It's truly eye-opening to read lore from around the world. A good read for those interested in discovering old lore.
February 12, 2023
I enjoyed getting to know these fairytales and I loved the illustrations within the novel.
February 26, 2025
Loved it, so much fun.
January 21, 2025
The Chronicle Books Tales series is a curated collection that pairs contemporary artists with themed public-domain folktales. By keeping everything in the public domain, the quality of the tales varies greatly from book to book. This entry, due to the varied sources, is better than some of the other entries. Like all of the books in this series, what really sets it apart is the art. Sija Hong's illustrations are the most beautiful and least folk-like of all the entries I have read thus far.
March 17, 2023
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
The illustrations were absolutely stunning, and I appreciated the diverse array of stories. As with all anthologies I’ve read, I had some favorites and some I wasn’t as partial to, but overall it was an enjoyable read!
The illustrations were absolutely stunning, and I appreciated the diverse array of stories. As with all anthologies I’ve read, I had some favorites and some I wasn’t as partial to, but overall it was an enjoyable read!
November 20, 2022
This collection of fairytales from around the world is pure brain candy.
A wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon or two.
A wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon or two.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews