Book Review: Monsters & Creatures by Jim Zub with Stacy King and Andrew Wheeler, art by Conceptopolis
Young adventurers going out into the world for the first time might not be familiar with all the types of monsters there are hiding underground or flying in the sky. This handy guidebook describes some of these creatures, their habits and abilities, and what to do if you meet one. (Running away might be a good option for some of the scarier ones.)
This Dungeons & Dragons tie-in book is aimed at younger readers, so skips the “crunchy” stat blocks and game mechanics in favor of flavor text. It covers a wide variety of critters, from the multi-eyed beholder through spooky skeletons to the mighty Tiamat, queen of evil dragons. Every so often it posts a bit of story about an encounter with one of these creatures and asks the reader to consider how they want the story to come out.
It’s heavily illustrated, but I am wondering if it’s one artist or a house name.
With a little guidance, this book should be suitable for kids about ten and up, as it never gets gory about the details of the monsters’ eating habits. It’d make a good gift for monster-loving young folks, especially ones who’ve already shown an interest in tabletop role-playing games.
