MYTHOLOGY LAND: 12 classic legends reimagined, beautiful Yule gift!

MYTHOLOGY LAND: 12 classic legends reimagined
CLAIRE COCK-STARKEY (Illus. Pham Quang Phuc)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$35.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Mythology Land is a large-format gift book filled with classic myths and exquisitely illustrated maps for children to pore over.

Mythology Land opens the gates to the magical lands of all the characters and creatures of myth.

These expertly retold stories are perfect for bedtime, and each tale is followed by an exquisitely illustrated map of its world. You can drop into Midgard and explore the land of the giants with Thor, run from Baba Yaga in the Deep Dark Forest, and follow the Yangtze river to see which animal will win the great race. What wonderful things will you find along the way?

Beautiful, stylish, and vibrant illustrations adorn each page, as the text transports readers to faraway lands of mystery, fantasy, and magic—and the level of detail in the maps of these lands means this title will be lovingly pored over time and time again.

The stories include:

Rama & Sita (Hindu)

The Great Race (Chinese)

The Trojan Horse (Greek)

Quetzalcoatl Brings Food to the World (Aztec)

The Great Maui (Polynesian)

Thor and the Land of the Giants (Norse)

The Tale of Blodeuwedd (Welsh)

Baba Yaga (Slavic)

Anansi and the Sky God (Ghanaian)

The Story of Isis and Osiris (Egyptian)

The Grateful Crane (Japanese)

The Legend of Sedna (Inuit)

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A beautiful exercise in retelling a variety of cultures' myths. I felt drawn in to these retellings, and greatly appreciated the artwork. It's another case of how much you spend versus how much you get...it's a bit more than most but it really looks it.

A few spreads as examples:

Luxe items like this book are excellent gifts because they look more expensive than their actual cost. I'd choose the tree book because it's guaranteed to look lovely, where the tablet the book is viewed on will make a huge difference.

SECRETS FROM THE NORTH POLE: Discover the magic of Christmas, special gift book for a very special giftee

SECRETS FROM THE NORTH POLE: Discover the magic of Christmas
SASKIA GWINN (illus. Daria Danilova)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$30.00 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: A charmingly illustrated volume about the magic of Christmas and the inner workings of the North Pole. Featuring a beautiful gold-foil-embossed cover and ribbon marker, this is a book for families to treasure in the run up to the festive season.

Christmas has been shrouded in secrecy for years . . . but what really goes on at the North Pole in the run up to the big day?

Every year without fail, Santa Claus packs up his sleigh and soars across the night sky pulled by his reindeer to deliver presents to children all over the world.

But spreading Christmas magic is no small task and lots must happen to make sure everything is ready for the most special time of the year.

Join Santa’s Head Elf, Ivy Everjingle, as she reveals secrets from the North Pole. From how Santa’s suit is designed and the magic of reindeer flight, to the many different jobs of the Christmas elves and the magic of believing.

This is the ultimate festive compendium to capture the magic of Christmas. Perfect for families to enjoy together in the run up to the big day and spark joy at the most magical time of the year.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Truly a beautiful, well-made, thoroughly luxurious in its details, fantastically engaging story about how the Yuletide gifting season must be made. It's clearly a fantasy, and just as clearly the logical truth behind the impossibilities that underpin the festive season.

Ideal for your independent reader, the one who can sit right down with a book to take it all in...and this is one I think you'll want to thumb through yourownself. I mean, look:

the man himself

his duds

the house that keeps him warm

the reindeer

elf magic! it all makes sense!

I was impressed and delighted by the aesthetic of the book, delighted by the story's careful aim between fantasy and plausibility, and generally knocked out by the art.

A great St. Nicholas Night gift for the very special new reader in your life to savor.

The FLOOFS BRAVE THE WILD, great way to transition a lap-reader

The FLOOFS BRAVE THE WILD
PENELOPE O'NEILL
Frances Lincoln Children's Books (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$15.99 paperback, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Join the Floofs on a wild day out in nature, where every mishap becomes a mini adventure. The Floofs Brave the Wild is full of laughs, heart, and outdoor fun—perfect for readers just starting to explore books on their own.

The Floofs are back—and this time, they’re heading into the wild. Join this lovable group of friends as they set off on new adventures filled with fun, friendship, and plenty of surprises. The Floofs Brave the Wild is the second book in the full-color graphic novel series made for young readers ready to explore something new.

From forest hikes and snowy slopes to secret places hidden in nature, the Floofs never shy away from a challenge. Whether they’re outrunning avalanches, helping a very special giant, or learning to open up about big feelings, they always face the wild together.

With three short, standalone stories, this is the perfect read for children building confidence—or anyone who loves dipping into a world full of heart, humor, and a little bit of magic.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A lovely set of stories, all standing alone, for your first or second grader...say a very bright six-year-old through maybe eight or so...to get used to the way stories are told, gain confidence comprehending vocabulary word in context, and getting a charming dose of reassurance and confidence in the natural world. The Floofs manage all the events that come their way. It's a message your newly-hatched social being, the school-age world being what it is, could really use a little reassurance about.

Because there are three separate stories, this is a terrific tool to get the lap-reader to transition into independent reading comfortably...adult reading one story, then kid reading one to adult, then kid left to read the third...because the characters stay the same, the messages are all supportive and positive in framing, and nothing more complicated happens in one than in the others.

Terrific also for the kid who's got some anxiety about The Great Outdoors, since everything takes place there. Lots of good support for coonfident problem-solving, too.

Well worth it, gifting party! Not the biggest fan of the art, though....

Little People, BIG DREAMS: CHRIS HOY; STEVEN SPIELBERG

CHRIS HOY: Little People, BIG DREAMS series
MARIA ISABEL SÁNCHEZ VEGARA (Illus. Edita Hajdu)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$15.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Discover the life of Sir Chris Hoy, the cycling champion who became an inspiration to millions.

Little Chris grew up in Scotland with a passion for bikes and adventure. He loved riding his BMX, dreaming of becoming a racing champion. But school wasn’t always easy—Chris had dyslexia, which made reading and writing a challenge. However, he never let it hold him back.

With determination and hard work, Chris became one of the greatest track cyclists of all time. He won six Olympic gold medals and became a sporting hero for Great Britain. After retiring from competitive cycling, he continued to inspire others, writing books for children and encouraging young athletes to follow their dreams.

In 2024, Chris shared his personal battle with cancer, showing the same courage and resilience that made him a champion. His story is one of perseverance, strength, and never giving up—on or off the track.

This inspiring book features lively illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Chris’s incredible achievements. His story shows that with passion and perseverance, anything is possible.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: In a slightly different timeline this'd be about Lance Armstrong. Not much would change apart from names and locations.

I've reviewed four of these to date. I like the overall messaging, focus plus drive can lead to success; I'm less excited about the athlete focused entries, but that's personal to me.

Sir Chris Hoy's name was unknown to me until Paul Hollywood mentioned him in season eleven of The Great British Bake Off, when eventual winner Peter Sawkins made a Chris Hoy cake-bust (that Hoy liked and complimented Peter on). I've desultorily poked about to see what is the what about him, and found him a strikingly decent human being.

So more than my usual slightly grudging three athlete-stars to this entry in a series I can see kids really liking...if it's a subject or a person they're already interested in.

Almost all the art for this publisher, Frances Lincoln Ltd. across all its publishing areas, is very high-quality to my eye. It's the case here, too:

To my eye, the spreads are all quite kinetic, quite full of vigor, as is appropriate for a biking world leader. I was not ever bored by this entry, unlike an earlier one on David Beckham. That half-star was as much as I could make my uneasy-about-athletics self do...too much permanent damage incurred while using one's body to entertain others.

YMMV, of course, and best to get kids things they're interested in and will enjoy while saving the adult worries for later.

I think....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

STEVEN SPIELBERG: Little People, BIG DREAMS series
MARIA ISABEL SÁNCHEZ VEGARA (Illus. Keith Negley)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$15.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Director, writer, editor, producer . . . Steven Spielberg is the person behind some of the most celebrated films ever made. Little People, BIG DREAMS Steven Spielberg is an empowering testament to believing in yourself and following your childhood dream.

Little Steven was six when he first went to the cinema. Although he didn't understand the story, he was captivated by the beauty of the moving pictures on screen. Soon after, he picked up his Dad's film camera and began experimenting. By his teens he was making short films—carefully crafting every part of the process, from writing the scripts to directing the shots.

Filmmaking was a refuge for Steven, who faced bullying and anti-semitism at school. With his camera, editing machine and notebook he could create a world he felt safe in. As he grew, he found somewhere else he felt at home: Universal Studios. He first visited the company's lot during a studio tour, and was later hired after impressing executives with a short films. Within a few years, Steven went from making TV movies to cinematic blockbusters. Audiences fell in love with his heartwarming adventures, like ET and Jurassic Park, and were deeply moved by his film about the Holocaust, Schindler's List.

After a lifetime of accolades and awards, Steven remains happiest behind a camera--telling stories that encourage us to open our hearts and minds.

Little People, BIG DREAMS: Steven Spielberg features quirky and stylish illustrations; a biographical timeline, complete with historical photos and a detailed profile; recommendations for further reading.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Many of y'all literally grew up watching "old" films of Spielberg's, like Jaws, on your TVs after picking them up at Blockbuster...I saw it on the big screen, first run. I have still never gone back into the ocean. And I won't.

This is the power of the images Spielberg's created. A lifetime later, I still marvel at how his imagination has formed mine, and the generations after me; I'm sure all y'all have a Spielberg-film memory. So when I saw these:

...I was barely whelmed, not a bit overwhelmed, verging on underwhelmed, by their (to me) low charisma choices of subject. The execution is fine, as expected, but it never gets deeper than red-carpet photos do.

I'm criticizing this because the artist is making these to show a master of visual storytelling's life...this does not feel like the best possible execution of that brief.

It's nice art, the story's the story, and for your young auteur-to-be, it will make a lovely gift bundled with ET or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I myownself get wistful dreaming of more....

Little People, BIG DREAMS series: VINCENT VAN GOGH, great troubled artist, & ROALD DAHL, great troubling writer

VINCENT VAN GOGH
MARIA ISABEL SÁNCHEZ VEGARA (Little People,BIG DREAMS series; illus. Alette Straathof)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books (non-affiliate Amazon link)
$15.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Learn about the life of Vincent van Gogh, one of the world's most influential and best-loved artists.

Little Vincent was a quiet child. He loved spending time in nature and playing with his brother Theo. After leaving school, he began working as an art dealer. Vincent showed promise, but he found it more and more difficult to control his emotions and eventually had to leave. He had a go at many different jobs, including a teacher and a bookseller, but nothing felt right.

When he wasn’t working, he wrote Theo long letters that included beautiful drawings. Theo loved his work and suggested that he try being an artist. Vincent dedicated himself to painting and never looked back! He developed his own style and expressed his emotions through his art: from sorrow to joy, and everything in between.

During his life, Vincent had little success, but today, his paintings are admired and celebrated in galleries across the world.

This powerful book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the artist's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: You don't need to be told who van Gogh is. (I hope.) A kid who's got the world to learn does, and here's a way for you to help that happen. A series like this has so many good layers: facts about the world, facts about life as others lead it, examples of what we as a culture value.

The value here is obvious, I trust:

Gorgeous as artworks, pitch perfect as illustrations of van Gogh's life...which is ably recounted by Sánchez Vegara's simple but effective text...this small person's excellent introduction to the life of one of the present day's most venerated artists adds luster to a terrific series.

Worth reading yourself. An absolute must for your grand/nibling's education in art, biography, and the value of being Different in a conformist world.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


ROALD DAHL
MARIA ISABEL SÁNCHEZ VEGARA Little People,BIG DREAMS series; illus. Francis Martin)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books(non-affiliate Amazon link)
$15.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Discover the life of Roald Dahl, the groundbreaking author whose work is beloved by children all over the world.

Little Roald grew up in the city of Cardiff in Wales. He loved to spend time reading with his family and visiting the local candy store for yummy chocolatey treats. But he found school difficult. No one believed in Roald’s potential.

When Roald finished school, he was ready to make his life an adventure! He traveled the world and saw some amazing sights. When World War II started, he was ready to serve his country and joined the air force. During his service, his plane crashed over a desert, leaving him blind for a period of time. Roald wrote about his experience of the crash, and enjoyed doing it so much that from then on, he knew he wanted to be an author.

Roald began crafting books for children, working away in the shed at the bottom of his garden. From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to James and the Giant Peach, his wonderful stories have captivated generations of readers. The magical worlds he created have been brought to the stage and screen, with hit musicals and films, like Matilda and The Witches.

The story also boldly addresses the antisemitic remarks that Roald Dahl made during his lifetime, highlighting the power and impact that our words can have: both to delight or cause lasting harm.

This thoughtful book features quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Roald’s life. His story shows that extraordinary talent lies within each and every one of us.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: From the beginning, we're in possession of the facts of Dahl's troubling life. He was very much not a nice man, even by the lax standards of the day; he was hateful, and cruel to his wives, he wrote truly awful stereotypes into his books for children, and let's not discuss his adult fiction at all. Given the delight his children's books have brought on page and screen, it feels only right to introduce the children who will be in his audience to the real man.

To do it honestly and without tendentious vilification, and in conjunction with æsthetically pleasing artwork, shows me how much thought and effort Quarto's children's imprint has put into this series of essential cultural figures' biographies.

Such a great match between illustrations and subject! Tey look like they could be from Dahl's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. They're fresh, original, and in great keeping with the ethos Dahl worked within.

Perfect for introducing those too young to get his work delivered directly to the ideas of it. Even better for those who have had some of his work read to them already to him as a person, as they can read it themselves. I remain troubled by Dahl and his unpleasant personality, and I'd recommend to you the giver of the book to check with the recipient's parents to be positive this body of work is acceptable for their child before committing even this minimal amount to procuring it.

Folklore Field Guides series: A NATURAL HISTORY OF MAGICAL BEASTS, & A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS, beautiful gifts for your magic-loving young giftee

A NATURAL HISTORY OF MAGICAL BEASTS
EMILY HAWKINS (illus. Jessica Roux)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books
$30.00 deluxe hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Tales of magical creatures have been told across the world for generations... but are these stories merely flights of fancy, or is there any truth to the legends of unicorns and dragons, centaurs and griffins?

A Natural History of Magical Beasts is a complete guide to magical creatures from around the world, from their lifecycles and behaviour to how they have hidden themselves from human discovery for centuries.

Featuring a gold-foil-embossed cloth cover, a ribbon marker and sprayed gold edges, this gorgeous volume is filled with beautiful illustrations and precise notes detailing the secret lives of magical beasts.

Presented as the notebook of a 1920s zoologist, this lavish volume sets out to answer this question, revealing the hidden world of the magical beasts that live among us. Within these pages you will meet bizarre and beautiful creatures from around the globe, discovering their habits, habitats and the legends surrounding them. Learn about the anatomy of a unicorn, the life cycle of a phoenix, incredible dragon courtship dances and much more in this ultimate guide to magical creatures.

This exquisitely illustrated album will entrance all true-believers and fantasy enthusiasts.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Another entry in this beautiful series of narratives emulating the dark-academia vibe so very popular at the moment. Sweetening the academia part, and encouraging the habits of mind characteristic of a scientist, is the magical-creature focus. It can't be learning if it's this pretty and this much fun to read, right?

Take advantage of this creative duo's gift of an opening to you, gift-giver:

The kid won't know what hit 'em. They'll be totally suckered in by the gorgeous illustrations and won't notice they're learning valuable observation and classification skills. They won't see how easy it is to transfer these habits of mind to real-world learning, or to use this storytelling framework to parse and quantify even newly exposed information, until you or the parent make it plain.

Sneaking education into their story books is genius. The duo responsible for this series is to be supported, preferably with your purchase of this item for the middle-grade story-lover on your gifting list who isn't very interested in the more concrete forms of school-learning. Got to sneak past the gates somehow, and this is a terrific trojan horse.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS
EMILY HAWKINS (illus. Jessica Roux)
Frances Lincoln Children's Books
$30.00 deluxe hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Dragons have been the misunderstood subject of folklore for generations . . . but are these stories just legends or is there any truth to these majestic creatures’ fiery reputations?

Presented as a handbook from the late 1800s written for the students of the Academie Solomonar: the only school for dragon-riders, this beautiful volume sets out to reveal the hidden world of dragons. Within these pages you will meet mysterious and majestic dragons from around the globe, read about ancient lore and superstitions, learn about their life cycle, anatomy, habits and habitats, and discover the secrets behind dragon flight.

This exquisitely illustrated album, that delves deep into the world of dragons, will delight all true-believers and fantasy enthusiasts.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: First in a series from this author and artist duo, all offering a middle-grade reader an independent reading experience similar to the narrative non-fiction they'll be accustomed to. A younger reader, say seven or eight, might struggle a bit as the vocabulary and the ideas are possibly just out of reach...but the object is gorgeous and could inspire them to make the needed cognitive leap if dragons are already of interest to them.

The framing device, letters and notes of a student dragon rider, is bang on the trend for dark academia in the YA fiction world. The artwork is so beautiful that the reader's older sibling, if any, might purloin the book for a good look...possibly an appropriation if the sibling in question's already reading dark-academia books. Look at these beautiful pages, and tell me you can't see that fight brewing:

I'd say the right giftee for this, and its series sibling books, is curious about the story universe, is smart in the academic ways but not very interested in "uncreative" subjects like science, and could use a nudge to see that it's all stories...just some aren't fiction.

This read could give the giver a chance to show the giftee how to find the story in reality. Strong recommendation from me.