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The Book of Barely Imagined Beings: A 21st Century Bestiary
Caspar Henderson
2012, 427 pages
Nonfiction
Modeled after medieval bestiaries – stunning and richly illustrated compendiums of animals and beasts, both mythical and factual – Caspar Henderson’s The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is a bestiary for the modern world. It contains profiles of some of the most intricate and exotic animals living on Earth today, including the axolotl (a cheerful looking salamander), the quetzal (a colorful bird found in the tropics), and more familiar entries like the Right whale, the octopus, and even human beings.
In the tradition of medieval bestiaries, this book includes both science and natural history. Each chapter expounds upon not only the biology of each animal represented, but also upon its place in culture and history. Accentuated by numerous illustrations, this beautiful collection celebrates the incredible persity of life on Earth – and invites readers to do the same.
