Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I don't think I can remember the last time I saw a book as gorgeous as this one. It is simply a very beautiful object and a joy to behold. The artwork is stunning - bright, bold and bursting with life. I would've adored and treasured this book as a child - in fact, it's books like this one that started my lifelong love of children's books. Without doubt I will buy this book for my daughter's library and I look forward to sharing it with her.

However, this book is more than just an aesthetically pleasing object. It is a lovely read too. It is presented in a quirky but easily understood manner though I struggled with the font a little. It details folklore and myths of the natural world with sections on trees, flower, birds and more - all accompanied by the aforementioned fantastic illustrations in dazzling colours. There's enough information here to delight and fascinate the most inquisitive of minds and the most fertile of imaginations and to encourage engagement with nature and the world around us. The information is indepth enough to enthrall but still absorbable by young readers. A great introduction to folklore and mythology, I learnt a lot myself!

This is a lovely book that I'm sure will captivate many a little girl or boy (and not so little) for many hours - I want this book for myself as much as for my 7 year old! Beautiful and fascinating, an example of how good children's literature can be.

This is a beautifully illustrated book, perfect for children to dip into. Looking at folk superstitions from round the world in relation to animals, insects, trees, plants etc. and arranged in bite sized anecdotes, I found several familiar stories alongside some fascinating new ones. Interspersed between these are several folktales which were also nicely done. Very enjoyable and a good book to share.

A fascinating and beautifully presented book. This has wonderful illustrations and so much information about different folklore. Great to dip into and one you could look at time and time again.
I think children would really enjoy this in the classroom.

Folklore galore, with beautiful illustrations & timeless tales from around the world to introduce each section. Clear index & glossary make this an ideal blend of Fiction / Non Fiction for the classroom.

This is such a beautiful book the illustrations are stunning and the folklore is really interesting. I love folklore anyway so this was an instant attraction to me but it was better than I expected. I loved seeing how nature brought about so many of the folklore tales that exist today as well as learning some new ones. I loved it

This is a beautiful book, and one which I think will really shine if you can hold it in your hands rather than read it on a screen - even the endpapers are gorgeous! It's packed with folklore to do with animals and plants, some of which is told in longer tales and some in smaller tidbits of superstitions and general notes, and it's fully illustrated with vibrant colours. The bird pages in particular are lovely - and arachnophobes beware, there are some detailed spider pages too. Some of the stories included are a little grisly (the book opens with the story of Gelert, which involves the violent death of a dog) so this might be best for older readers. I would perhaps have liked a short introduction, laying out what the book's aim in collecting these stories was, as it's a bit of an abrupt start, but overall, there's a ton of fabulous content here

I do have one minor issue with the book: though it does make a real effort to bring in a diverse range of cultures and there are plenty mentioned, there's sometimes an assumption of familiarity with Christianity that doesn't occur when talking about other religions and cultures (for example, explaining "Anansi is a trickster character in West African tradition", but just talking about things in relation to Jesus without mentioning who he is or what religion he belongs to). Similarly, sometimes superstitions are presented as the norm without explanation, which depends on location ("Seeing a single magpie is considered bad luck according to the common rhyme... However in China seeing a solitary magpie is lucky" - I feel like this should have stated where the rhyme is "common", since it's obviously not everywhere). It's only a minor niggle, but it makes this feel slightly less inclusive and a bit more like it's looking at non-Christian myths and non-Western superstitions as exotic.

Overall, though, this is a beautiful book and one that will delight kids who are interested in myth and legend.

This book is absolutely beautiful!! I don't think I have seen a book so gorgeous in a long time!
The book is full of the most joyous illustrations. The illustrations are the main point of focus of the book, but you cannot forget about the fantastic information accompanying the drawings. I have learnt so much from reading this book.

I thought this was a book for children, but this book would be perfect for anyone interested in this topic - no matter the age.
I adored this book!!!

I was lucky enough to read an early proof electronic copy - but I have already preordered the hard copy and I cannot wait to read again with the actual book in my hands!

This is a book that I would have absolutely adored as a child. It looks stunning, every page is illustrated, the stories and folkloristic tidbits are diverse in origin, and it was a good call to include a glossary and index.
After reading a few pages, the font started to irritate me a little bit - I think it would have improved readability if the font was a bit 'cleaner'. But that's all the negatives I can think of for this book!