This book deserves a moment of silence to appreciate how beautiful it is!

Mythopedia is exactly what it sounds like: a small encyclopedia of different mythical beasts and beings. The book is split according to world setting and I appreciated both the abundance of stories included as well as the diversity of their cultural and geographical origins.

Despite it's slim size, every single page was adorned with an abundance of vivid illustrations, which aided the descriptions and folk tales that accompanied them. Every single mythological being was afforded a helpful description and a full page illustration, as well as an extra delightful little story for some.

I found this to be both informative and interesting, but it was also the most singularly beautiful book I have ever seen. I first read this in e-arc form, but already have my physical copy pre-ordered and a space ready to display it upon my shelves.

Interesting book covering a range of myths from different parts of the world. Beautiful illustrations that add to the story and help young readers to imagine how they looked.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

Mythopedia is a book with a collection of myths focused on the animals and creatures of a lot of cultures. The book is split into sections of continents which makes it easier if you want to read a more specific culture. This book has to be the most beautiful book I have ever seen as it is full of colour and the art is amazing! The stories are interesting and precise which will definitely help the younger readers and as each story is roughly around one to three pages long, it doesn't all have to be read like a novel- it can be picked up pretty much anywhere and read in any order.

This book is aimed at children but it can be read by any age group, I definitely recommend this to parents who want to educate their children about different cultures beliefs.

Rating- 5⭐

Would I read it again:
Yes!!

Would I recommend it:
Yes, especially to visual people who are interested in Myths

I loved the artwork in this book and loved learning more about creatures from other mythologies. I had expected a lot of Greek/Roman, Norse and Celtic creatures, but was pleasantly surprised to see so much more creatures I had not even heard of before. I highly recommend this to people who love mythology and love to learn more about the ones other than the four 'big' ones.

From the West African fable of Anansi the Spider, to Tanuki, the sweet but troublesome racoon-dog of Japanese folklore, this encyclopedia of mythical creatures covers legends, tales and myths from around the world.


Covering the world when it comes to the tales in this book, Mythopedia certainly reads as a child friendly collection of stories from mythology that are pleasure to read. From the Grootslang of South Africa to the Pegasus from Ancient Greece this book crosses continents and never stops being an interesting read.

These stories combined with the incredible artwork are a sight to behold. The art ties in beautifully and represents these mythical creatures perfectly. The chinese Qilin from myth and the art work for Anansi have such impact in this book however throughout the art is captivating and beautifully portrays each creature in the book - really just look at the art in this book, it’s incredible.

Though I think for a child it may seem wordy in places, this is a beautiful book that tells the stories perfectl accompanied by such sophisticated artwork. If you’re looking for something for a child about mythology they want to keep forever, this is the book for you.

It has been a long time since I read such a beautifully illustrated book. This book will become an instant favourite for anyone interested in mythology, legends, tales, myths and culture in general. And I especially liked how this book is not for a particular age group but for all the family members to enjoy.

I believe this book will open so many doors for all readers who want to learn more about human nature and cultures all around the world. And this would make a perfect gift!

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc of Mythopedia.

Mythopedia is a beautifully illustrated children's encyclopedia of mythical creatures from all across the globe, split into different continents, giving the reader an introduction to different cultures mythologies. The book provides the reader with the creature's origin and a brief story of what they've done for the world in their respective mythos. A good number of these mythical creatures are also given a double-page spread, telling a specific story of the being. Alongside the beautiful storytelling, there are breathtaking illustrations, enabling the reader to truly picture these mythical beings, which can be difficult with some of their bizarre descriptions!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading the tales of where all of these mythical creatures came from and stories of what they've done for the world, and the illustrations made for a beautiful reading experience. I think readers of any age interested in mythology would be able to take something from this book, it definitely introduced me to some creatures I hadn't heard of before!

Stunning illustrations and beautiful storytelling - high four-star rating from me!

This book is beyond stunning!
The illustrations are absolutely incredible, but more than that I love the detailing and effort that has gone into every single mythical beast.
Travelling around the world, we see an insight into lots of amazing mythical creatures. I liked that every one has a double page spread with a beautiful picture and then a informative story about it. About half of the beasts have a second double spread with a tale about the creature- how Thunderbird saved the tribe from starvation, how the Norse Gods tricked Fenrir and restrained him, how a kumino hid as a families beloved little sister. These stories brought the myths to life.
I highly recommend this book, and I will be buying myself a hardback copy once it is available!
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a truly incredible book! It has a wide variety of myths from around the world and exactly what I’ve been looking for to use to teach! It has information and descriptions of a number of mythical creatures from around the world with truly beautiful and extremely detailed illustrations. This is a book I will definitely be using in September with my new class. It’s inspiring!

A selection of interesting myths perfectly blending with vivid and striking illustrations that leap off the page.

Thank you to #NetGalley for letting me read this gorgeous book. The artwork inside is breathtakingly beautiful with vivid colours. I poured over some of them for ages. The myths themselves are interesting and I liked the inclusion of both the fact files and the stories. It was also good to see a huge range of countries being included. I liked that they were divided by location and think this would link well to some Geography.
Overall, a beautiful book with really interesting stories.

This is now one of my favourite mythology collections I've read to date. The art and illustrations are so breath-taking and striking, honestly some of the most beautiful, bright, bold and colourful, eye-catching, stunning art I have ever seen in a book! I would die to get hold of these illustrations in individual prints!

Not only that, but it shows prominent myths and legends from every continent, detailing a summary and origin story of each. It's so easy to follow and organised, showing a gorgeous map of the world and sections flowing from the West to the East, starting with The Americas and finishing at Oceania, so you can read about each continents key mythology. Each myth is show cased in 4 pages, or 2 double spreads, showing a page length illustration, a concise summary, and a double-page view of its origin story. Very insightful and informative, I have picked up some myths I wasn't aware of, and it shows familiar myths which are most-well known but may not know the origins. I know this is listed as Children's non-fiction but I would strongly recommend it to all ages. I have already pre-ordered a physical copy because I loved it that much and want to marvel at this gorgeous book physically!

What a beautiful book! The illustrations really stand out as they are so richly detailed and gorgeously coloured.
The content is divided up into continents, and introduces us to a selection of mythical creatures from each region - some quite famous and plenty I've never heard of before. They are explained easily and concisely, without shying away from some of the more gruesome and grisly details (which is a good thing!)! Some of the descriptions are followed by a short story about the creature from the relevant folklore. These stories are a fantastic addition, and as with the descriptions they are easy to follow but true to the mythology.
It's lovely to find a book that is both stunning to look at and interesting to read, and although it might be a bit scary for some youngsters, I can imagine it being a lasting favourite for many children of all ages (and adults!).

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley. This in no way influences my opinion of the book.

actual rating - 3.75

The illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning! I love h0w bright they all are and the fact that an equal amount of attention seems to have been given to the landscapes as they are as beautiful as the mythical beasts. I also love how it was organised into different continents and it was made very clear where stories originated from.

I can see this being great for an older child or a young teenager and sparking an interest in them to know more about these different cultures and their mythologies.

I really wish there was some sort of pronunciation guide for the different mythical beasts as I would struggle to pronounce a lot of them and I can see children/young teens struggling with that as well.

I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Mythopedia by Good Wives and Warriors was exceptional. There was a wide variety of mythological creatures from every continent and many religions. There were so many creatures that I had never heard of before and that was a great surprise for me because I have read a number of these books like this one. It was very well researched. Each creature was given two pages one with an illustration and one with a description. Some of them were followed by a popular story about the creature and it was fun to read their tales.
The illustrations... they were stunning. Full page depictions of every mythological being with bright engaging colors. The art took this book to the next level.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of mythological creatures and I will definitely be buying this book for our library.

5 stars

Wow wow wow!!! The art work is gorgeous. This is one I’m going to pre order because I just NEED to see and own the art work physically.

The mythology was well compiled. Some I recognized and recalled, others I learned more about, and the others were first time reading about. This was just so entertaining, interesting, and thoughtful. If interested in starting to read mythology I highly recommend this as pictures and short concise page of overall myth formatted smartly makes understanding/comprehension really accessible.

My favorite section was Asia’s mythology.

Again the ARTWORK. PLEASE SUPPORT THESE TALENTED ARTISTS!!!

Nice title with a large variety of readable myths from all over the globe. There is good representation from a large variety of cultures with engaging bright, colorful illustrations complimenting them. Recommended for public libraries as well as schools. This would be a nice gift for an upper elementary or middle schooler who has an interest in mythology.

This book is stunning. Let’s just get that out there straight off the bat. This book is gorgeous. From the cover you can see the care and artistry that went into creating Mythopedia, and that continues throughout the rest of the book, too. Each page is richly designed and illustrated, with each mythological creature getting a full colour, fully illustrated two page spread - often in a style pertaining to the creature's culture and country of origin. I can only imagine just how incredible it will look as a physical copy, but let me tell you that the digital version did not disappoint.

The stories and creatures, too, didn’t let me down. There are countless creatures in here that I previously didn’t know about and it’s only made me want to expand my mythological reading. I really liked how the ‘basic’ creatures weren’t covered in this and the spotlight was given to Aztec, Native American, Aboriginal creatures that you don’t often find in mainstream media. I for one learnt a lot from reading this book. Certain creatures also have a little story accompanying the basic facts and pictures about them, furthering my interest in cultures I’ve yet to explore and setting a nice basis for future research.

I wish there was more to this book - I would happily sit with a 400 page version of this, pouring over all the mythical, wondrous creatures from across the globe - but for an introduction to mythology I really cannot complain. There’s honestly nothing about this I can fault, as it’s so beautiful and informative. Definitely a must read for myth nerds of all ages.

Thanks to #Netgalley, #Laurence King Publishing Ltd and the author for providing me with a copy of #Mythopedia in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book it is stunning. The illustrations are beautiful and the stories are well written. I know very little about myths and this book will be so helpful when trying to decide what these creatures look like. I will definitely be buying a hard copy of this book.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley, this has not influenced my review.
A beautifully Illustrated book of Myths and Legends in short story form.
I received an e copy ARC of this book and am truly gutted that it is not the hard copy :( - I will be buying this as soon as it is published so I can hold and stroke each adorably illustrated page.
It is an encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures and their legends. The book features the beasts and legends from the Americas, Europe, Asia - all over the world. The stories are short enough to browse but fully of enough detail to understand the story. Some I had heard of and plenty I hadn't. This book would make a beautiful gift, a book to read to younger children or one to read as an adult. A beautifully magical read.