The Strangest Thing in the Sea

Starred review from December 1, 2021

Gr 2-4-Twelve astoundingly strange sea creatures are featured in this quirky picture book. Each is introduced with a first-person riddlelike statement about its appearance, followed by a fanciful version of the creature described. These versions are sometimes based on mythology-like the Hairy Frog Fish, compared to a witchlike figure, and the vampire squid, compared to a vampire-or are just plain silly, which kids will enjoy. These are accompanied by the question: "Am I the strangest thing in the sea?" A gatefold reveals a more realistic illustration of the creature in its habitat, along with the response, no, this is not the strangest thing in the sea. Statistics are shared: size, prey, habitat, and depth. Poliquin explains how their physical and special features help the creatures survive. After all of the amazing facts are told from the creatures' perspective, readers are left to ponder: What could possibly top all of them? Kids will be anxious to find out. A murky palette of blues, greens, and browns reflect the ocean setting, but pops of yellow and pink add just the right amount of interest. Back matter consists of a visual summary of the contents and a glossary. VERDICT A highly recommended, engaging, and accessible title that entertains and informs.-Nancy Call, formerly at Santa Cruz P.L., Aptos, CA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2021
Of all the curious creatures in the sea, what is the strangest of them all? Poliquin presents profiles of a dozen surprising ocean dwellers that are not quite what they seem. The book is formatted as a guessing game. A spread pictures and describes a fantastic being; foldouts reveal the actual answers along with a paragraph of information and some fast facts. There's a "tiptoeing rock," a "land of candy balls," a floating angel, and a pugnacious rainbow. Often the imagined beings are rather spooky; the writer conjures up witches and goblins, a pile of skulls, and even extraterrestrials. In first-person text, the imagined being introduces itself in four or five lines set in a relatively large font; inside the foldouts the exposition and facts are more complex, for those who want more information. The curious creatures are revealed to be ocean sunfish, goblin shark, hairy frogfish, yeti crabs, feather star, giant siphonophore, vampire squid, pygmy seahorse, largetooth sawfish, giant larvacean, peacock mantis shrimp, and barreleye fish--interesting, unusual choices. And yes, there's a final creature who needs artificial aids to explore the watery world. A last foldout, turned sideways, reveals which creatures live at which levels of the sea. Eggenschwiler's ingenious illustrations morph from fanciful to surprisingly realistic, adding exactly the humor needed to carry this off. This engaging presentation invites readers to dive in. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-12)

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