An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures

Reviews

This is a rare delight; a harmonious braiding of pitch-perfect storytelling with illustrations of breathtaking elegance and integrity. Every home should have at least one copy.'
-- Debi Gliori

'Theresa Breslin brings an array of creatures to life with her assured and captivating storytelling, and she places a child at the heart of each tale.'
-- Julia Donaldson

'Beautifully engages the imagination thanks to both the stories and the incredible illustrations that accompany them... The tales are perfect for bedtime stories but also captivating for older readers, making this a book for the whole family to enjoy.'
-- Scottish Field

'Theresa Breslin’s storytelling and the artwork of Kate Leiper combine to produce An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures. Theresa has selected eleven stories from settings across Scotland to tell and re-tell: a Selkie tale from Orkney, Thomas the Rhymer from the Scottish Borders, a story of dangerous women from Arbroath and an adventure of the Wee Folk in Lanarkshire amongst others. Her engaging style makes this an ideal collection to read aloud. But be sure to allow plenty of time to absorb all the beauty in Kate’s minutely detailed illustrations. The book is full of colour and atmosphere and style, a testament to the partnership of writer and illustrator.'
-- Jane Sandell, The Scotsman

'Lively yarn-spinning, delightful illustrations, and handsome bookmaking again make a winning combination in this follow-up to the creators' An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales (2012)… Leiper supplies all 11 tales with bright illustrations that generally run evocatively along the broad margins and off the edges of the pages, offering not scenes of violence but idyllic glimpses of finely modeled small animals and objects, appealingly distracted figures in historical dress, and grassy Scottish hills. A fine choice for reading aloud or alone, rich in creatures more magical than frightening.'
-- Kirkus Reviews

'A memorable collection of Scottish tales, highly recommended for reading aloud.'
-- Booklist

'‘Tis the season also for sumptuously-illustrated gift books. Among the most prizeable this year is An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures by Theresa Breslin, illustrated by Kate Leiper (Floris, £14.99). Breslin, who more commonly writes for older children young adults and won the Carnegie Medal for Whisper in the Graveyard, has a gift for bringing the old stories to life, and this is enchantingly enhanced by Leiper’s images. This follow up to their An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales, brings us Scotland as a land populated by strange creatures. There’s Nessie, of course, and the Selkies, but the real joy is in the lesser-known fiends: the Big Grey Man, the Island Beast, the “loathseome Nuckelavee” and the Wulver, a creature with the body of a man but the feet and hands of a wolf.'
--Herald Scotland

'unbelievably beautiful illustrations'
--Vermont Country Sampler