My Monster Notebook

In 2005, the Getty published Greece! Rome! Monsters!, a handy guide to the best-known monsters from Greek and Roman mythology. Now comes My Monster Notebook, which presents yet more of these creepy creatures and characters from ancient times. Purporting to be a school notebook found on the sidewalk, the pages reveal the stories of such thrilling and little-known creatures as the huge Teumessian Fox (who was turned to stone by Zeus), Echidna (mother of many, many monsters), hundred-headed Briaereus (who was also a handful), and Typhon (who threw mountains around as if they were beanbags).

My Monster Notebook offers a peek at a bunch of creatures you definitely would not want to run into, brought to vivid life by someone who accidentally dropped his (or her) lovingly put together notebook. Fortunately, we found it! It includes a pronunciation guide. How do you say “Nereid”? Ages eight and up.

John Harris is a former senior editor at Getty Publications and the author of Greece! Rome! Monsters!(2002),Pop-Up Aesop (2005), Strong Stuff: The Labors of Herakles (2005), and others. Mark Todd is a Los Angeles-based artist and illustrator whose work has appeared in TheNew York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries in Los Angeles and elsewhere.