Richards, Justin. The Dangerous Book of Monsters. (BBC Doctor Who: the Doctor’s official guide series) Illustrations by Dan Green. Penguin Random House UK, 2015. $16.99. ISBN 9781405920032. 176 pgs. Ages 9-12. P8Q7.
We have a strong Doctor Who following both among kids and adults at my library, but this book will be especially popular among the younger readers. It is a kind of personal log of many of the strange, dangerous and interesting creatures/ monsters encountered in the Doctor Who universe. There is a table of contents at the beginning, an introduction by the current doctor (played by Peter Capaldi), and the final page gives advice for surviving encounters with these creatures. I like the first two the best: 1.Do as I say. Always. No questions. Because I’m right and you’re probably wrong. 2. Trust your instincts. If you think you might be in trouble, you probably are. If you know you’re in trouble, then you’re in big trouble.
I enjoyed flipping through this book- each page or spread has a Monster Data chart which in includes information about the origin, speed, danger rating, and size of each. There are also survival tips, drawings and photos, and anecdotes from the Doctor. I liked the humorous/serious tone of the book and I think the authors did a good job of making the writing sound like it came from the Capaldi Doctor.
VERDICT: Most young Whovians won’t be able to put this book down.
October 2017 review by Carol Schramm.
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