The Big, Bad Book of Beasts

February 18, 2013
Like the medieval bestiaries that Largo (Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die) emulates, this book doesn’t limit itself to familiar or even real animals: nestled between aardvarks and zooplankton, you’ll find long-extinct creatures like the jaekelopterus—an ancestor to the scorpion that grew to be eight feet tall—and completely fictional beasts like the half-dog, half-reptile chupacabra. Averaging between two and three pages each, the entries are written in an informal tone and peppered with illustrations and trivia (hamsters, for instance, were once banned from Vietnam, giving rise to an “underground hamster culture”). Reading the book feels like an evening’s jaunt through a particularly engaging version of Wikipedia. Sometimes, though, Largo is able to capture a more elusive and even more enjoyable sensation: that of being a child on that first trip to the zoo—or natural history museum, or the dinosaur section of the library—who isn’t interested in medieval lessons about “daring and sloth, loyalty and cowardice,” nor contemplations on “what makes us essentially human and at the same time so similar to animals.” No, the much simpler thought process that this book should be proud to elicit is just one joyful word: cool! B&w illus throughout. Agent: Frank Weinmann, the Literary Group International.

March 15, 2013
In the great tradition of the bestiaries of yore, Allied Artists researcher/archivist Largo (Genius and Heroin: The Illustrated Catalogue of Creativity, Obsession, and Reckless Abandon Through the Ages, 2008, etc.) parades the real, the extinct and the imagined for our shivers and delectation. The author delivers plenty of the usual suspects--griffins, harpies, basilisks, trolls, manticores, the phoenix, mermaids, etc.--as well as fun parvenues--e.g., the Ahuizoti, which was chronicled by Columbus and supposedly had "five hands, with one growing from the end of its tail." Other interesting entries: the bonnacon, a flatulent European buffalo, which, when frightened, "released a thunderous fart...a sulfur-smelling gas that became flammable and scorched a wide path as far as 100 yards from the beast's rear end"); the albatross, which can fly for 10 years (true); the Goliath bird-eating spiders, which are as big as personal-pizza platters and actually devour birds; the Mongolian death worm, which "can discharge a harsh yellowish spit that is highly acidic, capable of melting metals and said to be instantaneously lethal to humans"; and the always-fascinating Komodo dragon, whose mouth "is literally a cesspool of biotoxins, containing more than fifty poisonous bacterium, including the deadly staph." And more: The shock of an electric eel runs to 600 volts, the lantern shark glows in the dark, and the leafy sea dragon looks remarkably like a piece of seaweed. Archival and some contemporary artwork accompanies the entries, most suitably cringe-inducing. However, Largo doesn't dig very deep here and makes little effort to explain, say, why the bear possesses mysterious significance to so many people or the beaver totemic value. Much remains in shadow, and some readers will wish for more background. Broad rather than deep, but still an entertaining and occasionally enlightening read--perfect for the coffee table or bathroom.

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March 15, 2013
Flip open this book to any page. As in a medieval bestiary, you will find descriptions and illustrations of fantastic creatures, such as aardvarks, bombardier beetles, chupacabras, dodos, and elasmosaurs. Some exist, while others are mythological. A few are recently extinct, while others are known from their fossilized remains. All have physical or behavioral traits that test credulity. In alphabetical order, author Largo profiles unusual animals, recounting the evolution, discovery, study, and characterization of beasts as small as amoebas and as large as whales, and he speculates on how belief in fictional beings such as banshees, harpies, and Sasquatch developed. While entertaining, Largo's encyclopedia presents a substantial dose of scientific fact and theory, especially in sidebars such as Why Moths Are Attracted to Light and Pluralizing Animals. A handy book for browsing and occasional reference.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)