Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J 398.2454 MIL | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Mythical beasts or real creatures? You decide!
Big Foot, Moth Man, the Sea Serpent of Gloucester. These are just a few of the mythical beasts uncovered in this intriguing collection of extraordinary creatures. Firsthand accounts and the opinions of scientists weave together a fascinating web of fact and legend. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, you'll find much to ponder in the lore surrounding these monsters.
Author Notes
Karen Miller is a former journalist. She lives in Burnsville, North Carolina. This is her first book for young readers.
Sergio Ruzzier has illustrated several books for young readers. His illustrations have appeared in The New York Times , The New Yorker , and The Wall Street Journal . He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-This well-researched account of legendary land and sea creatures will provide satisfying new information for those already contemplating the existence of these beasts. In addition, the whimsical watercolor illustrations and engaging narrative presented in chapter-book format will pique the curiosity of anyone considering the question for the first time and will appeal to readers who don't normally gravitate toward nonfiction topics. Miller includes Bigfoot in her discussion, but it is her detailed treatment of lesser-known monsters such as the Big Bird of Texas, hoop snakes, Mothman, the Jersey Devil, the sea maiden of Biloxi, the sea serpent of Gloucester, and the cadborosaurus in British Columbia that adds to the breadth of this book. Chapters are structured with anecdotal information of firsthand encounters followed by the scientific theories that could disprove these sightings. In each instance, the author provides hope for believers with such inconclusive statements as "all we have to do is wait." Those hungry for spooky stories will find their fill with such chilling legends as that of the black snake that puts his tail in his mouth and rolls down a hill, aggressively pursuing the woodsmen who destroyed his home. And devotees of the "Can Science Solve?" series (Heinemann Library) will savor this new blend of the logical and the mysterious.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Purported ""undiscovered"" creatures, including Bigfoot, the Cadborosaurus, and the Jersey Devil, are described in terms of reported sightings, origin theories, and scientific debate. Both believers and naysayers are cited, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions at the end of each stand-alone chapter. The anthropomorphic, slightly goofy illustrations don't match the text's clear-cut tone of scientific inquiry. Reading list, websites. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Suggesting that we'll find out for sure one day if we just wait, Miller presents a select few of the 2,600 recorded brushes with Bigfoot, the 2,000 reports of the Jersey Devil and encounters with seven other legend-wreathed creatures. Some, including Mothman and the Cadborosaurus, may be new even to confirmed young cryptozoologists, and the author is more or less evenhanded in her sifting of evidence. But because the book is so skimpy, and because Ruzzier plainly dashed off his fanciful painted portraits without much regard for accuracy or credibility, this trails behind Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist, by Kelly Milner Halls, Rick Spears and Roxyanne Young (2006). Still, the idea that there are still mysteries to be found in the natural world is well-served by the author's lucid prose and matter-of-fact tone. (Nonfiction. 10-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Is there truth in the reports of strange animals unknown to science? Miller opens and closes this book on legendary creatures with the 2002 discovery of the giant squid, which may have inspired reports of sea serpents for thousands of years. Each chapter discusses one rumored beast, among them Bigfoot, the Big Bird of Texas, hoop snakes, Mothman, the Jersey Devil, the sea maiden of Biloxi, the sea serpent of Gloucester, and the Cadborosaurus (the last two are, respectively, British Columbian and Maine water beasts). The emphasis is on North American creatures, but others are mentioned as well. Handsomely designed, the book features full-page and smaller chapter-head paintings that depict the creatures as kindly rather than terrifying, echoing the even, nonsensational tone of the text. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2007 Booklist
