Erni Cabat's Magical World of Monsters

Depicts such legendary monsters as the dragon, griffin, and chimera and discusses what was known or believed about them

From Publishers Weekly

Elaborate illustrations of extraordinary beasts accompany an informative text in a book that plays directly to children's fascination with monsters. Cohen provides a bare-bones history of each creature--basilisk, griffin, hydra, among others--then expands with anecdotes or a point designed to encourage further thought. His prose is intelligent, enthusiastic and never condescending as he presents a fetching world of creatures of the imagination--or otherwise. (Cohen deftly incorporates his subjects' strong roots in classic mythology.) Cabat offers his own homage to these fantastic monsters, painting each like a decorative jewel against a vibrant, solid-color background. However, he does not do justice to the fact that people truly believed in these terrors; he evokes splendid but artificial creations that lack drama and a sense of menace. His work here fails to capture the majesty of Eric Carle's collages in Dragons, Dragons . Ages 9-up. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- Cabat has painted 11 monsters in his typical style, which is reminiscent of Brian Wildsmith's work, with edges. Cohen has supplied a page of information about each, which is so brief as to be misleading. He gives the impression that Western and Eastern dragons looked alike; there is indeed a superficial similarity, but the details of the two traditions are completely different in their descriptions of this beast. Nine of the monsters are from Greek myths, and the other two are European. Asian monsters are mentioned only in passing on the page about dragons, and no other cultures are included. Any child old enough to read this much text will want more information, and more detailed pictures of these creatures. Cabat's illustrations are colorful, but are more decorative than descriptive. Georgess McHargue's The Beasts of Never (Macmillan, 1968) and Alison Lurie's Fabulous Beasts (Farrar, 1981) are better choices for this age group. --JoAnn Rees, Sunnyvale Public Library, CACopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A showcase for a durable painter whose swirling fantasies bring back the days of psychedelic art. Each spread is given to a different monster (dragon, griffin, basilisk, kraken, chimera, etc.), introduced with a page of well-chosen words from the field's most recognized expert and illustrated with a striking full-page portrait. Cabat suspends his figures on flat, contrasting backgrounds in bright colors; and though he constructs them with elaborate serpentine flowers, details that echo Arabic or Hebrew calligraphy, and patterns of leaves, dots, and checkerboards, their fundamental forms and characters still sing out. This lacks the sophisticated range of styles and feelings Leonard Baskin's A Book of Dragons (1985) and Imps, Demons, Hobgoblins, Witches, Fairies and Elves (1984), but its visual extravagance will widen the eyes of browsers and budding artists alike. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 8+) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Reviews

News