Beware!! In FEARSOME CREATURES OF THE LUMBERWOODS: 20 Chilling Tales from the Wilderness (Workman; September 2015; $14.95), author Hal Johnson introduces readers (ages 9 to 12) to the scariest and most supernatural beasts in American folklore, brought to life by the wonderfully creepy illustrations of Tom Mead.
Hodags and hugags, squonks and wapaloosim, wassets and whintossers—when you venture into the wilderness, there’s no telling what horrors you may meet. So it’s best to come prepared.
Through the voice of an unnamed cryptozoolologist with dubious ethics, Johnson leads his readers on a whirlwind adventure through the North American wilderness, from the swamps of Florida to the Mohave Desert to the Michigan woods to the snow drifts of Canada. Each chapter is illustrated in ghastly detail, some with glow-in-the-dark ink, making the book perfect for under-the-covers reading.
These are the stories kids love—spooky, fantastical, gripping, gory, and surprisingly cheeky.
•The acropelter of the north, the multi-elbowed, long-armed relative of the baboon that pelts its victims from above before tearing off their arms and attaching them to his own.
•The roperite of the Mojave Desert, whose beak doubles as a noose. If they’re lucky, its prey are strangled immediately. If not, the roperite will drag them halfway across the desert.
•Perhaps scariest of all is the snow wasset, which lurks beneath the Canadian snow, waiting to burst through the surface to snatch at its unsuspecting prey.
Fans of R.L. Stine and Neil Gaiman will relish these tales, expertly spun by Johnson in a style that is as witty as it is macabre. FEARSOME CREATURES OF THE LUMBERWOODS is perfect for campfire storytelling, Halloween reading, or anybody staying up past their bedtime. A mix between Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, FEARSOME CREATURES OF THE LUMBERWOODS is a surefire hit for middle grade readers and parents alike.
About the Author: Hal Johnson is the author of Immortal Lycanthropes. He reads a lot, plays Dungeons & Dragons, rides a bicycle, collects comic books, and lives with his wife in Queens.