This book is full of weird creatures and facts. It's exactly the kind of thing I would have adored as a kid. I like that the book approaches the study as if it were full of fact instead of fiction.

What a cool book about magical beasts! I read the author's previous book about fairies and this was a wonderful follow up! Perfect for those who love magical creatures, it features tons of gorgeous illustrations throughout. I loved how it's presented as a natural history and shows the types of beasts throughout the world and their characteristics. I would recommend this for middle to late elementary school aged children.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

**received in exchange for review. opinions my own**

This is less a story and more like a reference book for mythological creatures. I like that it's illustrated, though IDK how I feel about it being written to an Artemis, etc. in the beginning. I'd have rather there have been a more immersive reader experience or for it to have been formatted/styled like it's nonfiction, to make the world come alive.

Otherwise, I love the profiles for all the creatures.

This is just too beautiful a book to miss out on. It is already on my shopping list on Amazon. Once it is out, I am getting it.

It is packed with information and stunning illustrations. My students and I would love this so much.

This book is fantastic, and the illustrations are gorgeous; it reminds me of JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and the magic vibes are palpable.

A natural history of Magical Beasts is a wonderfully illustrated book of magical beast throughout the world. If your a fantasy lover this books for you. I just found all the history and information of a lot of different magical beast so interesting and fun. I think YA Thur any ages will love the art and the stories in this book. Thank you netgalley

I love Jessica Roux's work, so when I saw she was the illustrator on this, I had to take a look. The book is filled with so many magical beasts, known and not so known, and amazingly ethereal illustrations. Adults and children alike are sure to appreciate it. There's a little story alongside the facts, too, that encourages engagement.

A beautifully illustrated fun book for kids who love fantasy and mythology. It provides descriptions of fantastical creatures of legend from all over the world. A fun read for all ages.

What a charming little storybook! I adored this in every way. From the beautiful artwork to the detailed classifications and taxonomy, this is sure to delight and inspire children and adults alike.

We get to follow the adventures of two zoologist in a light storyline as we read about the various mythological beasts throughout the world. The attention to detail makes this come alive, which creates such a vivid and lifelike experience. You want to jump right along with Dimitros and Artemis to join their adventures. Any animal and fable loving soul will adore the creativity invoked while reading.

I would love to own a physical copy, and I plan on purchasing one when it's published. I'm positive that the lovely artwork would be even more spectacular in person.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC and for the opportunity to review this book. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I received an ARC of “A Natural History of Magical Beasts: From the Notebook of Dr. Dimitros Pagonis” from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Written by Emily Hawkins, this book would not have had as much impact if Jessica Roux hadn’t illustrated it. Few genres, like PB’s, rely heavily on illustration. And while this book was created for a much older audience, the illustrations are a vital key to the book’s success.

Hawkins, however, equally ensured that this book would be a success by focusing on diversity. The author arranged this book into 7 chapters: Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia and Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The book begins with a zoologist named Dr. Pagonis, who is the current President for the Society for the Protection of Magical Beasts. In about 1927, Pagonis contacts a young girl named Artemis Matsouka who lives in Greece. Artemis’ father was once a member of the society, and Pagonis asks Artemis to accompany him on a survey to locate declining beasts. He gives Artemis a book (the one that readers have in their hands) and together they begin traveling the world. Through it all, Artemis takes notes which are found throughout the book.

The book features mammals in all 7 regions. However, instead of just focusing on the mythical animals of each country’s predominant cultures, Hawkins introduces readers to a wide variety of often lesser known indigenous groups. For example, she discusses creatures of the Māori (New Zealand) and Wemba Wemba (Australia); mythical animals of the Zulu, Xhosa, and Fon (Africa); tales from Jordan, Syria, and Iran; and creatures that appear in tribal stories of the Lenape, Wampanoag, and Anishinaabe, among other North American tribes.

What I really love about this book is that in addition to showing readers what some of the mythical indigenous creatures are, she also looks at the current mythology of the dominant cultures in countries around the world. For example, the Drop Bear of Australia and the American New Jersey Devil.

For each of the creatures, Hawkins included the habitat, regions, features, size, diet, and behavior. I was surprised that Hawkins chose to classify the Quetzalcoatl as a dragon! In fact, this actually helped the author, who took great pains to show a variety of different creatures around the world, all belonging to the same “family.” For example, she showed how a number of different dragons at-round the world were related, and even did the same thing for unicorns (after the Alicante, the unicorn-like Qilin from China is my favorite!).

The story ends when both Pagonis and Artemis disappear from a hotel in Jordan. Later, Artemis’ book and papers are “discovered” after they end up in the Central Library of Athens.

Overall, this is a richly illustrated book on mythological creatures. Although the list of included creature’s isn’t comprehensive by any means, this would be a lovely gift for either young children, pre-teens, young adults, and even older people who are mythology enthusiasts. This would also be an excellent introduction to young people who are in other cultures, as the author included numerous indigenous tales.

Fantastic! This book has the feel of an authentic bestiary. Stellar artwork and great layout.

The whole book is presented as a natural history resource. Beasts are classified by habitat, region, features, size, diet and behavior. Even the chapters are divided by geographical regions which lends a further air of authenticity.

Ah, to be a believer again. This book inspires a love for magic and wonder. A must-have for children and for those still young at heart.

If you loved J. K. Rowling's illustrated book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", then there's no doubt you will enjoy this incredible anthology of magical beasts. The visuals are stunning, complex and rich.

The book is a trip around the world, across all continents, to learn about mythical and magical creatures. As an added bonus, the vintage hand-written notes are just so charming, they look as though it was a travel journal given by an adventurous relative.

It's a delight to go through, but I'm sure it'd be even more enjoyable to read as a physical book, because I'm under the impression I didn't get the full experience with the digital format. This kind of intricately made coffee table book deserve to be experienced in real life, to get all the retro vibes.

I love this book! A wonderful mix of stunning watercolors, cryptozoology entries, and a epistolary story of two people on an around the world adventure.

I loved the mix of different elements, and the broad range of cultures shown (Chinese, Xhosa, Camaroon, Peru, and so many others) rather than just the typical European or largely known ones. There were many creatures I hadn't seen or hear of that I was fascinated to read about, and new takes on creatures I'm well acquainted with (Nessie, unicorns, Sasquatch, Phoenix).

The book is divided into sections, but with letters and diary entries to make up the adventure narrative. I personally loved the general science and natural history feel of the book. There is so much detail in these 68 pages that you could find new things each time you go through it. But it doesn't feel cramped or overloaded but instead full of wonder. The book doesn't feel too campy or exaggerated or like they're talking down, but instead the feeling of a personal natural history journal or cabinet of curiosities (serious but awe-inspiring).

This will appeal to young and old with an interest in magical animals or cryptids, and I know I'll be buying a copy for myself (and probably my niece too)!