When I discovered Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History, I was intrigued by the idea of a documentary exploring the creatures of folklore through the eyes of a natural scientist. And it seemed perfect for my 8-year-old twins, one of whom is captivated by all things scientific, the other of whom is mesmerized by many creatures of fantasy, particularly those from the magical world of Harry Potter.

One day after school, I sat them down to watch it. They loved it.

The one-hour documentary is tied to Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature, an exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London, England, which drew parallels between the findings of magizoologist Newt Scamander, fictional cataloguer of the magical creatures of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world, and the work of real-life explorers, zoologists and natural historians of our "muggle" world.

Narrated by Stephen Fry -- who, barring an appearance by David Attenborough, is perfectly suited for the job -- Fantastic Beasts explores the possible origins of cryptids including the dragon, the unicorn, the kraken and the Loch Ness monster through the lens of natural history: a primal fear of snakes, big cats and birds of prey, first glimpses of the massive skeletons of fierce-looking dinosaurs, tantalizing sightings of colossal squids and massive freshwater eels, misunderstood memories of manatees, narwhals and extinct furry rhinoceroses.

There are some more obscure connections, too, such as the clue to the origins of dragons found among the habits (and fears) of vervet monkey tribes.

Fry talks to several experts in the pertinent scientific fields, as well as a few experts in the world of Harry Potter -- including Rowling herself. It features excellent cinematography, a few familiar clips from various Harry Potter movies, and charming, wide-eyed narration by Fry

It's just 60 minutes long, but Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History is an excellent and fascinating documentary that educates through fantasy -- I would love to see a sequel in the future touching on even more mythical creatures.