If you aren't familiar, they're heavily illustrated pseudo-children's books (lots of boobs and butts, tho) that pretend to be scientific field guides to/studies of fantastical creatures.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sxQDr4STLU/USI3DpjO6NI/AAAAAAAAGX4/KtUjyCQ2TmU/s400/gnomes.jpg
― jello my future biafriend (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 16:54 (eleven years ago)
I remember another book from my childhood that was in some ways like it - The Witches' Handbook - that was not really a kids book, but very appealing to kids due to the vast amount of cartoony illustrations. Also the Christmas Handbook by the same guy (Malcolm Bird).
http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/f5/fa/f5fac99784611bc636e544e6651434b41716b42.jpg
The juxtaposition of true information and clear fantasy in both books appealed to me a lot as a kid.
― jello my future biafriend (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 16:56 (eleven years ago)
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials
― los blue jeans, Wednesday, 10 December 2014 17:28 (eleven years ago)
i actually remember finding a book like this in the library when i was in second grade, with illustrated pictures of american folklore-type monsters (most of which i think were made up for the book). i've never been able to find it again.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 18:07 (eleven years ago)
omg lbj - I had that when I was a kid! Or my older brother or someone did.
― jello my future biafriend (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 19:15 (eleven years ago)
The Terry Jones/Brian Froud books must qualify:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51J2N63P36L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpghttp://www.artistsuk.co.uk/acatalog/mini-Lady_Cottingtons_Pressed_Fairies-Brian_Froud.JPGhttps://petitcommite.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/tumblr_lxdznfv55c1r9aqp4o1_1280.jpghttp://www.popuplady.com/assets/img/coll/12-ladycottingtonfairies.jpg
Maybe also Dougal Dixon's 'After Man', a 19th-Century-style natural history nadbook of animal life 50 million years after the extinction of humanshttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hvV0JHPYX_I/SWah0hwY6FI/AAAAAAAADyg/VG2RbSPv_X8/s400/AfterMan.gifhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hvV0JHPYX_I/SWakCP3Z-iI/AAAAAAAADy4/-WAUr07BUZg/s400/afterman9+copy+copy.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hvV0JHPYX_I/SWakCN-DrqI/AAAAAAAADyw/LdZMMmIx4C4/s400/afterman11+copy+copy.jpg
More here: http://causticcovercritic.blogspot.com.au/2009/01/after-were-gone.html
― ornamental cabbage (James Morrison), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 23:41 (eleven years ago)
my wife and I have nearly all of the Gnome titles, including some dope gnome Poortvliet dinner plates! such a great series. it's not the same in terms of content, but John Bauer's artwork in "Swedish Folk Tales" immediately jumps to mind.http://www.artsycraftsy.com/bauer/jbleap_the_elk.jpg
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Thursday, 11 December 2014 00:19 (eleven years ago)
These look great!
― jello my future biafriend (roxymuzak), Thursday, 11 December 2014 16:15 (eleven years ago)