Local illustrator Timothy Ide, whom you may know from his work on the picture books Tom the Outback Mailman or The Story of Sidney Kidman: King of the Outback, both by Kristin Weidenbach, has created his first solo creation, a marvellous A to Z of medieval monsters. Within it, you’ll discover all sorts of creatures and critters from the Middle Ages, including classics, such as dragons, elves, and fairies, as well as golems and hippogriffs, and so many more.

But I think my favourites were the lesser-known creatures. For example, the Bonnacon, which, if threatened, would spray flaming, corrosive dung from its backside. Or Irusan, King of the Cats from Ireland, who was the size of an ox and had incredible hearing. He did not tolerate people being rude, especially about cats. Medieval Monsters details wonderful monsters from all over the world and a range of cultures. It’s such a fun and fascinating read, enjoyable for all ages.