Bestiary : An Illuminated Alphabet of Medieval Beasts

Rating:
Summary: Great way to teach students about the Middle Ages
Review: I have taught at both the Middle and High School levels and found that Bestiary: An Illuminated Alphabet of Medieval Beasts and Illuminations both by Jonathan Hunt are a wonderful way to introduce the medieval period to young adults. These books are not just children's books. Bestiary: An Illuminated Alphabet of Medieval Beasts and Illuminations introduce the students to important vocabulary words and mythological creatures from this fascinating time period. This is a great way for students to relate to the period in a nonthreatening manner. These books allow me to make the Middle Ages fun. They are both filled with information as well as visually stimulating. The author takes each letter of the alphabet and associates it with something medieval in Illuminations and something mythological in Bestiary: An Illuminated Alphabet of Medieval Beast. The illustrations are breathtaking in both. You will learn something new with each reading. I highly recommend both books to young and old alike.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Magical Animal Book
Review: My sons and I have been reading and rereading this book for four years, since they were 4 and 7 years old. At 8 and 11, it's still our favorite. Just the right amount of information, great illustrations, and a starting point for terrific imaginings!

Rating:
Summary: Sparking imaginations
Review: This book is my five-year old son's favorite! The illustrations are striking and the short text descriptions trigger elaborate conversations. We discuss which of these medival beasts is the strongest, the meanest, the most difficult to capture. The author includes a table of pronouncations, which my son uses to correct me. We spend hours pouring over the map on the inside cover, locating different beasts and thinking about where they came from. My older son and his friends use the illustrations as guides for their own drawings, which now grace the walls of our house.

Its a rare book that can spark so many imaginations while teaching the alphabet, word origins, geography, and history. The Bestiary is just such a book!