Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World has some of the most amazing illustrations (almost all of my rating of five is for them) by Yoshi Yoshitani. They accompany each section of the book (or chapter) that includes a page of text to go along with them. All are short (just the one folktale, legend, myth, etc) but some are a story with the culture it comes from. While others are more of a description of the person/people talked about. There are seventy-eight stories, and I could have read 100 of them.
Some cultures will be new to the reader and others familiar. They include all over the world, and some places will have more than one associated with it. Some stories you will know, or at least will know a version of them (there are at least two beauty and the beasts, several creation myths, and also they show how some stories overlap). From John Henry to creators of people and cultures, to beauties and beasts (and sometimes it is hard to tell which is which), Gods and Goddess (and gods that can become goddesses) you will find something you will enjoy. There are a plethora of fantastic stories that I had to take my time reading as I wanted to savor, and unfortunately, some started to melt together due to similarities or I was devouring too fast.
Not only are we exposed to an entertaining story, we enter worlds that explore gender, love (same gender, monogamous, obsession), creation and destruction, even hate. This Is not just a “folk/fairytale/mythology/legend” book. You are also seeing history, and possible explanations to some ecological events. Some images or the stories can be a bit intense (there is fantasy imagery, violence, and subjects), making this not for the younger or a sensitive reader. However, teens (at least 13/14) and up should be fine, but as always know your reader.
