ENCYCLOPEDIA MYTHOLOGICA

The first in a companion series to the duo’s immensely popular Encyclopedia Prehistorica has a familiar feel to it: Roughly thematic page openings feature one spectacular pop-up surrounded by smaller folios with miniature pop-up surprises. Fairies, hobgoblins, brownies and their ilk receive brief glosses, with a heavy emphasis on British folklore. There’s a feeling of info-splatter to this volume, which may leave readers feeling that the creators are beginning to mail in their work. A paragraph on Richard Kirk, a 17th-century folklorist, lifts to reveal another on pixies, and a sentence on the Senegalese yumbos. With a palette and aesthetic that seems straight from Disney, this will find an audience, but whether that audience is well-served is debatable. (Pop-up/folklore. 6-10)