Rusalkas, Lichas, Kikimoras, and Other Slavic Creatures

In the dead of night and at blazing noon, deep within winter forests and along the banks of quiet streams, in rocky grottoes and beneath thatched roofs—at every hour and in every place, mysterious beings of great power may be found, bound forever to the natural world. Hostile or kind, perilous or protective, beautiful or terrifying, they were born from the imaginations of our Slavic ancestors. Or perhaps… they still walk among us.

Step into a village hidden deep in the wilderness and learn how to outwit the water spirit, evade the licha, and flee the noonwraith. Who knows—one day you may find yourself standing face to face with them.

A collection of beautifully illustrated tales that breathe life into ancient beliefs and reveal the unseen forces that once shaped the rhythms of everyday life.

The Book of the Year 2025 by IBBY Polish section – literary category (nominee)