The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea - Hardcover

Guiberson, Brenda Z.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805099611 ISBN 13: 9780805099614

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2015

Synopsis

Which sea creature is the greatest? Is it the one with the most venom, the greatest diver, the one with blue blood, or the best rotating eyes? Or is it the master of disguise, the one with the best light, the most slime, or the most eggs? Fascinating facts and spectacular illustrations will inspire young readers to choose their own favorite sea creatures!

About this title

About the Authors

Brenda Z. Guiberson has written many books for children, including Cactus Hotel, Spoonbill Swamp, Moon Bear and Disasters. As a child, Brenda never thought she wanted to be a writer―her dreams tended more toward jungle explorer. She graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in English and Fine Art. She started thinking about writing for children when her son went to elementary school, and she volunteered in his class and in the school library. After taking exciting trips that involved a fifty-foot cactus, hungry alligators and sunset-colored spoonbills, she wanted to create books for children that would be like a field trip. Her books are full of well-researched detail, and Brenda sees this research as an adventure―one that allows her to be a jungle explorer at last. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Gennady Spirin was born on Christmas Day in 1948 in a small town near Moscow. He is a graduate of the Stroganov Academy of Fine Arts in Moscow and has received many awards for his work both in the United States and internationally. Books he has illustrated include The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea, Life in the Boreal Forest, Frog Song, The Deadliest Creature in the World, and The Greatest Dinosaur Ever. Mr. Spirin lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with his wife and three sons.

Reviews

Gr 2–5—Handsome, softly realistic illustrations depict an assortment of ocean dwellers, each accompanied by a brief paragraph full of interesting factoids as each creature proclaims itself "the most amazing creature in the sea." A wide variety of oceanic life unfolds in the images, which brim with details, from the blue blood of the vampire squid to the natural antifreeze of the wolffish and the gelatinous slime of the hagfish. Other creatures depicted in these hauntingly vivid visuals include a toothy anglerfish, a massive leatherback turtle, and a leafy sea dragon. The final spread is devoted to the lesser fry that keep the oceans—and other fish—clean: the filterers, the alga-eaters, the reef-building corals, and the wrasse. An author's note on the importance of preserving these species is accompanied by a brief bibliography. Pair this with Erich Hoyt's more difficult Weird Sea Creatures (Firefly, 2013) and Sylvia Earle's Sea Critters (National Geographic, 2000). VERDICT An eye-catching jumping-off point for further investigation.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805099611
• ISBN 13: 9780805099614
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Spirin Gennady
• Number of pages: 32