Bigfoot and Yeti

April 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-Rather than focusing on more general myths and legends, ABDO's mixed-quality series offers a peek into specific monsters and mythical beasts as they appear in world mythologies. By necessity, each of the books is somewhat brief, rather than delving into any topic in depth. Unicorns is the best of the set, narrowing its focus primarily on the Medieval romantic unicorn, providing small anecdotes about earlier appearances of unicornlike creatures in mythology, and leading into modern depictions of unicorns in popular fiction. Bigfoot and Yeti and Werewolves do an excellent job with their subject material, despite some minor flaws. Vampires misses out on some great early Eastern European folklore, focusing primarily on literary vampires instead, and claims Hindu goddess Kali as a vampire, which seems a stretch. Dragons focuses too much on creatures that might have been mistaken for dragons and not enough on the actual folklore. Textbooklike exercises included in the books help highlight Common Core connections, but unless the volumes are used in the classroom, readers are likely to skip over this feature completely. As titles within this series vary, purchase accordingly.

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Treating cryptozoology as a real science, this slim volume discusses characteristics of these creatures, investigations into their existence, similar legends around the world, and Bigfoot's continuing popularity. The short, simple sentences; wide leading between lines of text; and photos make this an approachable book on a high-interest topic, but failure to treat the subject with skepticism is disappointing. Reading list. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

April 1, 2014
Grades 3-6 It's known by many different namesBigfoot to Sasquatchand there have been reported sightings all over the world, from Tibet to the Pacific Northwest, but there remains no conclusive evidence proving its existence. So what is it about this creature that continues to fascinate? This entry in the new Creatures of Legend series offers a good introduction. Accessibly written, this volume contains topics ranging from Identifying Bigfoot and Yeti to Separating Fact and Fiction. The colorful layouts incorporate sidebars and visuals, including maps, photos, and drawings. Throughout, Anderson avoids drawing conclusions, instead presenting possible explanations and theories for sightings and, using direct address, invites readers to make their own inferences. Supplementals include more information about Bigfoot Around the World, a short glossary, some additional resources, and an index.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)