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Summary
Summary
The giant squid is one of the most elusive creatures in the world. As large as whales, they hide beyond reach deep within the sea, forcing scientists to piece together their story from those clues they leave behind.
An injured whale's ring-shaped scars indicate an encounter with a giant squid. A piece of beak broken off in the whale's belly; a flash of ink dispersed as a blinding defense to allow the squid to escape-- these fragments of proof were all we had . . . until a giant squid was finally filmed in its natural habitat only two years ago.
In this beautiful and clever nonfiction picture book about the giant squid, Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann explore, both visually and poetically, this hidden creature's mysterious life.
A Neal Porter Book
Author Notes
Candace Fleming is the author of many acclaimed picture books and biographies for young readers, including Papa's Mechanical Fish , Oh, No! , and the recent The Family Romanov , which received five starred reviews.
Eric Rohmann has created and illustrated many picture books. He received a Caldecott Honor for Time Flies , and the Caldecott Medal for My Friend Rabbit , which has published by Roaring Brook Press.
Candace and Eric live in Oak Park, Illinois.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Through engrossing, informative verse, Fleming artfully introduces readers to a mysterious sea monster that glides through the deepest and darkest reaches of the ocean. Although some species of giant squid are as large as a bus, these animals are rarely spotted by people. Scientists have been able to gather clues and assemble a body of knowledge about the unusual cephalopod from pieces washed up on shore or found by fishermen. In a similar fashion, Fleming reveals characteristics of the squid piece by piece, beginning with a description of its 30-foot-long tentacles. She shares what little is known about the squid and raises many yet-to-be answered questions: Why does the squid change colors? Where does the female lay her eggs? As the narrative reaches a conclusion, the squid jets away from a predatory barracuda and disappears into a murky cloud of ink. Rohmann's full-color paintings are eerily atmospheric. Bit by bit, each illustration focuses on a particular part of the sea creature until the entire squid is portrayed in a dramatic foldout spread. VERDICT Curious readers will be inspired by the engaging text and stunning illustrations to learn more about the giant squid. An essential purchase for science collections.-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Fleming and Rohmann (Bulldozer's Big Day) draw readers in to the ocean's murky depths in search of a seldom-seen creature. Tips of arms and tentacles reach up from the bottom of the first page; more reddish-white appendages appear in subsequent scenes until the cephalopod they belong to is announced on the title page. Much of the giant squid's existence is a mystery, but Fleming pieces together what is known using vivid free verse and near rhyme: "With writhing arms/ and ghostly, lidless eyes/ they glide." Focusing on each of the squid's body parts separately, the lyrical narrative evokes a nature documentary ("Here are its tentacles,/ two,/ curling and twisting and thirty feet long,/ waiting for-/ a passing fish.../ another squid.../ anything swimming by"). Rohmann's rich images place the squid against a shadowy blue-green backdrop, and the entire animal is only revealed in a penultimate double gatefold, appearing out of an expansive cloud of gray ink. The assembling of this creature from its parts to the whole, through both pictures and poetry, will captivate audiences young and old. Ages 6-10. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Against a deep blue background, tentacles creep from the bottom of the page, drifting through the water and winding around a passing fish. Fleming spares no detail: in clear, straightforward text, she relays how the eight limbs of the giant squid are lined with suckers ringed with saw-like teeth / that rip into skin and hold on tight. In a close-up of the squid's birdlike beak, she refers to the terrifying tongue-like ribbon of muscle inside the mouth. Rohmann's oil paintings focus on one aspect of the squid at a time. Double-page close-ups are excellently detailed, and the dark color palette adds to the eerie, deep-sea feel. Amazingly, as Fleming says in a final author's note, people have more photos of the surface of Mars than of the giant squid, and that elusive nature is captured by focusing on only specific parts of the beast at any one time (except for one dramatic foldout four-page spread). A final diagram and a list of further reading add a scientific bent to this visually stunning exploration of a mysterious creature.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2016 Booklist