This is a good mix of spooky stories for an anthology, but the stories themselves are very simplistic. That being said, the simplicity might appeal to young readers. ( )

This book is an entertaining and colorful collection of child-friendly spooky tales & folk lore from around the world. From familiar stories like Baba Yaga to ones completely new to me (The Girl Who Turned to Stone), I loved each and every story in this book!

The content and length of these stories are completely appropriate for middle grade students. Most of the tales are about two pages long and artwork accompanies each one. The illustrations are gorgeously bright and creative. The layout is easy to read and visually appealing. This would be a great book to coax reluctant readers to enjoy a book, or for supplemental reading in a classroom setting. Or....just "for fun'' reading for anyone who enjoys folk lore or slightly scary stories! The stories are not graphic or overly frightening.....just lightly creepy/strange.

Angela McAllister has written two other story collections - A Year Full of Stories: 52 Classic Stories from Around the World and A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories, plus several other children's books. I'm definitely going to read more by this author! Madalina Andronic's illustrations are fabulous! Her art really made the stories pop out of the page! I hope to see more children's books featuring her art!

I love spooky tales, so I enjoyed this story collection! I'm already reading anything even slightly scary to prepare myself for Halloween -- my favorite holiday! :) Very enjoyable book!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Quarto Publishing Via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. ** ( )

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley.

This book wasn't quite what I expected. I suppose if I would've read the synopsis in more detail, I would've known it wasn't the author writing these stories, rather the translation of stories from all over the world. A few of the stories like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood, I know well and grew up on. The others not so much. It was fun to read stories I've never heard from different parts of the country. I wouldn't call them "spooky," its more of a collection of fairy tale type stories than actual scary stories for kids. Nothing was over-the-top and if your child is a fan of fairy tales, they'll certainly love these. ( )

A World Full of Spooky Stories by Angela McAllister is a collection of twenty-four creepy legends and folktales from around the world. It is divided into several sections by theme- Into the Woods, Down by the Water, Enchanted Places, Strangers at the Door, In Farm and Field, Home of the Spirits, Upon the Ocean/Under the Sea, In Castle Hall Sorta… There were some, like Treasure Thief, that didn't seem to fit the theme. Many were familiar and some were new to me. Favourites among my cubs and I include: Grandfather's Eyes (Czechoslovakia), The Cold Lady (Japan), The Snake Prince (India), The Dance of Death (Native American), The Talking Skull (West Africa), The Clever Goldsmith (Syria), The Sea Goblins (New Zealand), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (England), and The Girl with the Stone Face (Chilé). While sometimes brutal, or creepy, none felt spooky to my cubs and I. It's definitely worth a place in a folktale collection!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )