Hilda's Book of Beasts and Spirits

by Emily Hibbs

Deep in the library is a book that tells of giants and elves, woffs and deer foxes, and all manner of creatures from the Wilderness to the center of Trolberg. Those who wish to learn will glean all the knowledge they need from Hilda’s own copy of this fascinating compendium of beasts and spirits.

For fans of Netflix’s hit animated Hilda series, this gorgeous guide to creatures from tiny to giant will keep young adventurers spellbound, with a behind-the-scenes bestiary that teaches Hilda fans everything they’ll want to know about the fauna of Trolberg, featuring trivia and brand new art! A perfect companion book to Hilda’s Sparrow Scout Badge Guide.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Childrens, Middle Grade, Comics

80 pages, Paperback

Published February 7, 2023

Reviews

[Leonie]

This book is a nice (but somewhat unnecessary) addition to the Hilda novels.
The art style is very pretty, but I had an issue with the font. I had to read the ebook on my phone and the font was so small that it was barely legible, even when I zoomed in as much as possible. Then there were some light blue texts that were especially bad to read. On the other hand the texts weren’t all that interesting either, I was really more focused on the art.


[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

[emma zackarina.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful encyclopedia of all the funky creatures in the Hilda universe. The illustrations are wonderful and I loved Hilda's own little doodles and annotations. 

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are so stunning, and it also gives a bit more context Abt these creatures and also Hilda herself.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

What an absolutely gorgeous book!

I love the Hilda graphic novels, the Netflix adaptation, and the tie-in novels, so when I saw there was a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them-style book of creatures, I was all in.

This book did not disappoint. The illustrations are phenomenal. I really enjoyed the aesthetic. My initial concern was that it would just be screenshots from the show, but instead there is a great mix of images from the show, gorgeous original artwork, and even some fun sketches from Hilda herself (definitely don't go writing in library books, but let's be real, no one can tell Hilda what to do).

The book is organized into sections that include Towering Terrors, Secretive Souls, Almost Human, Under the Water, Up in the Air, and Below the Ground (with a bonus section of Hilda's "Tips for Spotting and Protecting Animals and Spirits").

Whenever a book is put into the hands of someone who is not the original creator, things can get a little hairy. However Emily Hibbs, Jason Chan P.L., and Sapo Lendário all did a spectacular job capturing the essence of Hilda and her world. It starts out introducing the giants in a similar fashion as Luke Pearson did in the original graphic novel and expands from there.

The only tip I would give is that I'd suggest having watched both seasons of the show before jumping into this book. There are various references to Hilda's adventures. While it's easy to follow along, it's more meaningful if the reader gets the references (also that way you avoid minor spoilers for the show).

A great book filled beautiful artwork, interesting information, and lots to love for Hilda fans. Looking forward to getting ahold of Hilda's Sparrow Scout Badge Guide for a different approach to the Hilda universe.

[Sabina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dobrodružství malé modrovlasé holčičky Hildy mě neuvěřitelně baví. Nejraději mám samotné komiksy, ale popravdě, cokoliv k Hildě vyjde, vítám s otevřenou náručí. Hilda uvádí Tvorové a Netvorové je taková encyklopedie světa Hildy, nebo jak napsala sama autorka, jedná se o oficiální lexikon rozličných tvorů a netvorů z městečka Trolberg a jeho okolí. Je nádherně celobarevná a ilustrovaná, a ačkoliv se kreseb chopilo jiné duo, než v komiksech nebo příběhových knihách, drželi se originálu.

Kniha je rozdělena na šest kapitol: Potměšilé příběhy, Tichošlápci, Blíženci lidí, Pod vodou, Ve vzduchu a Pod zemí. Dozvíte se informace o známých tvorech jako jsou čarodějky, nebo bájný Kraken, ale také o tvorech, které znáte pouze z Hildy. Například o Hafíkách, Poleňácích nebo Liškoloušcích.

Tvorové a netvorové je kniha z Hildiny knihovničky, ve které nechybí několik jejích postřehů a poznámek. Kniha rozhodně nesmí chybět v knihovničce žádného fanouška. Věděli jste, že může být i maličkatý obr? Nebo že obryně Grýla byla takový předobraz čarodějnice z Perníkové chaloupky? A dozvíte se také proč byste nechtěli poznat Vánoční skřítky. A skvělá je rozhodně kapitola o Domácích skřítkách.
Celá recenze: http://kniznipristaviste.blogspot.com...

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a companion piece to the Netflix series, which I have seen maybe an episode or two of, though I have read and enjoyed all of the graphic novels. But I have always liked bestiaries and similar collections of monsters and creatures, so seemed worth a read. This was an enjoyable enough work, but it felt rather thin. There's obviously a fair bit of overlap between the graphic novels and the show, so many of the creatures were familiar; and for those, it felt like this work added little that was not already described in the primary work, and I assume this is the case for creatures unique to the show as well; needless to say, I feel like a companion work should go a bit beyond what is already known, or what is the point?

This thinness can be further seen in how this book is presented as an in-universe object, a work that Hilda has supposedly acquired and written in. But the voice of the primary writing is hardly different from Hilda's voice (even if she occasionally critiques the book), there's no in-universe author listed, and Hilda's notes and sketches fill space that would otherwise be conspicuously blank. None of this is to say that the book is bad, just that it is nothing particularly special either.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you never heard about Hilda, you should definitely give yourself some time to watch the full series on Netflix. I have a feeling it is still widely unknown and not many people were actually into it like I was. Especially if you love Nordic countries or generally speaking Nordic folklore. The inspo is clear, but Hilda is more than that; it's captivating, personal development, friendships, family interactions, and brace yourself for the last episode of the last season. This small but effective encyclopedia gives some small insights of Hilda's world, a prologue to watch the series or read the original comic books. It was a very pleasant read and it gave me peace of mind. Bravo Luke Pearson!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sé que yo no soy el público destinado para esta historia, pero no importa porque amo mucho a Hilda y su mundo, no he tenido oportunidad de acabar la serie de Netflix ni he podido leer los comics pero es una de esas historias que sana a mi inner child 🥹
Por desgracia cuando lo compré no vi que era la versión en tapa blanda, pero aún así sigue siendo muy bella, amo el arte con acuarelas y los detalles de las criaturas, lo encontré demasiado corto xd pero de nuevo es un libro para niños entonces no me puedo quejar mucho en eso.

[Rae V · Rating 5 out of 5]

From falling in love with the art style of Hilda in the show, I knew when I saw this book I had to get it! What a fun and easy read showcasing the different species in Trolberg. I like the added touch that this is a “serious” documentation of species, with Hilda’s handwriting putting in “helpful” tips and info as well.
My personal favorites are the Nisse, Elves, Tide Mice, and of course the Deerfoxes!

[Desertorum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures. Text is fun but not very deep. I was left wondering about the nisse named Tontu. Since nisse means tonttu (in nordic folklore), is the name from that, and is there a typo. Or is it just a name, and nothing to do with nisse/tonttu-thing...

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute tie in to accompany the Netflix series. I have just started on the graphic novels but if you've watched the second series this contains no spoilers!

[Gv · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the visual style however the content is somewhat disappointing: no new information added compared to the books and series, so it feels quite unnecessary.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorites because it has a lot of interesting and imaginative characters.

[Robin Deeznuts · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read the comics or watched the series this is a great book to read. If not then watch the series xd. Funny and an amaizing addition to my collection.

[voiceless · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was lovely to read more about the creatures and more details they havent mentioned in the series, though just 4 stars because i wish they included more creatures from season 3

[Mel Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeously illustrated, charmingly written (with commentary from Hilda!), and delightfully imaginative. A lovely reminder to take time with nature and the community around you.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning book. The series on Netflix is one of my absolute favorite comfort shows to watch. When I found out about this book I knew that I had to get it.
It has beautiful illustrations and there is great attention to detail, from mentioning different characters that there are to including some of Hilda’s notes and sketches. I loved being able to find out about the different creatures that reside in this world, and it helped me appreciate the world-building that there is in Trolberg. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any Hilda fan that there is.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book for the Hilda series and this time we are exploring Beasts and Spirits!!


Last year my husband gave me Hilda’s Sparrow Scout Badge Guide (review here) and this year he gave me Hilda’s Book of Beasts and Spirits aka the guide to all beasts and more of Trollberg and beyond. Thanks to my husband! So happy to expand my collection of Hilda books!

In this book we will encounter all sorts of beasts and spirits from the Trollberg and surrounding areas. We read about Trolls, about deerfox (and the special one in Hilda’s life), about the Kraken, about witches (and how Frida is now becoming one), about the elves and the giants. It is full to the brim with information and I just had so much fun reading about all the creatures. See what the book itself has to tell us about the creatures. And then the notes by Hilda and the illustrations (plus photographs) just made it even more personal and fun. Hilda has a lot more experience at times with the creatures, she knows several fun tidbits that the author from the book didn’t know. From what the Lindworm likes to rules of Elf Poker. It was just so much fun to read, sure, there was nothing new as I have seen the show and read the books, but that didn’t bother me.

The illustrations in this one were once again top-notch. I really love the style both from the guide and the ones accompanying Hilda’s notes. I had such a a laugh at the Barghest on the car.

Just like the other book this one has hand-written notes by Hilda in the colour of her hair! Along with that illustrations! And I just love it. Any colour would have been fine, but her hair colour is just such a personal and fun touch!

All in all, I would highly recommend this book to all. Make sure you watched the series though because while the book itself without Hilda’s notes is spoiler-free, Hilda’s notes make it very spoilery.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Bookwalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another expansive Hilda Companion Book, this time about the wonderful and terrible creatures of Hilda’s World, including the ones that get little screen time.

This book, while mostly facts from the Episodes, includes details that could only be guessed at in the series. It is not exhaustive, but it offers just enough detail to allow for any Hilda fan to fill in blanks that couldn’t be filled in just by the series.

Finally, the illustrations were absolutely gorgeous and maintained the whimsy of the show’s art style. (I would recommend the physical copy over an Ebook version to experience them fully, though.)

I’m definitely glad I bought this book and will certainly consult it again.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through Edelweiss.