Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book!

Book excerpt: It’s no ordinary day at the castle! This beautifully illustrated, picture book is a fun introduction to the medieval world and the illuminated bestiary. Young Godfrey and his family toil for the lord and lady of the castle. But when Godfrey stumbles upon an unfinished Book of Beasts, its splendid pictures of animals make him forget his chores. He invents the story of a brave knight, Sir Godfrey the Glorious, who battles a lion, tames a unicorn, defeats a griffin, conquers a bonnacon, and triumphs over a dragon. Godfrey does not realize that each time he says the name of an animal, it magically emerges from the book, causing mayhem and inadvertently accomplishing his chores. Written by award-winning author Julie Berry, and featuring fantastical illustrations by April Lee, this children’s book also contains engaging back matter with information on life in the Middle Ages and a mini-bestiary showing animals from original thirteenth-century manuscripts. Don’t Let the Beasties Escape This Book! brings the Middle Ages, legendary beasts, and the medieval imagination to life. Ages 5 and up.