The World of the Unknown: All About Monsters

Did you know that since 1933, 3000 people have claimed to see the Loch Ness monster – and that, in 1959, the monster was seen by a couple who were driving on the southern side of the loch. Apparently, a huge animal with a long neck and a small head emerged from the bracken at the side of the road, carrying a dead lamb in its mouth – then plunged into the loch and disappeared.

Or, what about the fact that in 1942, seven Polish prisoners who had escaped from a Soviet labour camp saw two yetis as they crossed the Himalayas to India – 2.5 metres tall and covered in reddish hair? It seems that many descriptions of the yeti put them at about this height and with the same appearance of long body hair and a hairless face. Coincidence?

First published in 1977, this new edition of a classic picture book features everything from the Loch Ness monster to the Minotaur and Medusa of the Greek legends. Investigating dragons, Grendel, the Kraken, Bigfoot and many more, this introduction to a range of monster phenomena (others in this series which have been brought back for the modern reader are Usborne’s guides to UFOs and Ghosts) features all the original delightfully ghoulish and vivid illustrations of the 70s, which are just as likely to appeal to young readers now.