Have you ever seen a yokai?

In Japanese, the word yokai refers to magical apparitions and mysterious events. These mythical creatures give a name and a form to the strange and uncanny things happening all around us.

This colourful guide in picture book format is a funny, fast and slightly scary introduction to the stars of the Japanese yokai world.

The classic tales and descriptions by Fleur Daugey combine with Sande Thommen's delightful illustrations to introduce over 30 wild and weird creatures, including:

The Kitsune, a freaky fox with paranormal, supernatural powers The Kasa-obake, a one-eyed one-legged umbrella with a long, slithery tongue Kurokamikiri, a shaggy bearlike beast that sneaks up on you and cuts your hair Nuppeppo, a flabby, wrinkly blob that lives in graveyards and smells of rotten meat Hanako, a creepy little girl who haunts the toilets of elementary school bathrooms And many more!

Yokai are out there, lurking among us creating mischief and mayhem, or in some cases helping us or just having fun. With Japanese Yokai, the next time something eerie or strange happens, you'll know who's responsible!