An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures

In a companion to An Illustrated History of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales, Breslin presents 11 tales about creatures of Scottish legend. Each opens with a brief introductory passage providing historical or geographical context, and a glossary defines potentially unfamiliar creatures, places, and terms, from bana-bhuise (witch) to wheest (be quiet). The child-centric stories unfold with a natural storyteller’s cadence: a boy named McKenzie learns that the monster of Loch Ness is more helpful than fearful, while a tale about the lighthouse at Bell Rock, built to keep sailors safe from mer-folk, features a cameo by a young Robert Louis Stevenson. Leiper’s illustrations are gracefully integrated into the text passages and make it easy to see Scotland as a place where magic lurks in every bog, crag, and stretch of coastline. Ages 6–up. (Aug.)