A WORLD FULL OF SPOOKY STORIES

A collection of eerie folktales from different countries and cultures.

From very familiar fairy tales such as “Hansel and Gretel” to lesser-known stories, this anthology shares 50 spooky stories from around the world. Arranged into 11 categories based on location or geographical feature—“Into the Woods,” “Down by the Water,” “Strangers at the Door,” and more—the collection’s offerings include a wide variety of countries and cultures as well as a few Indigenous peoples. Creepy characters include Baba Yaga from Russia, an alluring forest spirit of Brazil, an ogre in Tibet, and a talking skull of West Africa. While the stories all have spooky elements, such as ghosts, witches, and demons, the vast majority are relatively tame, and a few are even humorous. There are very few truly scary stories. McAllister has pulled tales mainly from old public-domain sources (listed in an appendix) and compressed them. Due to the retelling, some of the stories have lost their ethnic and cultural distinctiveness. The gouache, folk-art–style illustrations feature bold, vibrant colors, bringing the stories to life. Although stunning, in keeping with the tone of the stories, the illustrations aren’t very frightening. All in all, this is an adequate attempt to deliver a variety of diverse tales, but it reads Eurocentric in style. If readers are looking for something authentic and spine-tingling, they should pass on this anthology.

A not-so-spooky book.