Customer Reviews

Here There Be Monsters: The Legendary Kraken and the Giant Squid

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent resource for anyone looking into the history of the giant and/or colossal squid. The book is aimed at younger readers, but as an adult I found it interesting and informative.

First, it delves into the centuries-old legends of the Kraken and other sea monsters that are believed to have their origins with the giant or colossal squid. It examines modern stories and films that have featured a giant squid, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Until recent centuries, the giant squid was thought to be nothing more than a sailor's legend, but the book talks about the first specimens to be washed up on shore, or caught in fishermen's nets, finally proving--without doubt--the existence of the giant squid. It then details the various expeditions that set out to capture a live creature, and culminates with the first photographs taken of a live giant squid. What was once merely legend or myth has finally been proved a reality--a creature that lives at impossible depths of the ocean! It also briefly touches on the colossal squid, a much larger and fiercer relative to the giant squid.

From myth to reality, this book chronicles the story of the giant squid in a captivating and easy-to-read format. It is fully realized with illustrations and photographs, making it an immersing experience. Highly recommended if you like myths, marine biology, or simply a fascinating story of how legend was finally proved true.

I got this book for my 9 year-old son, who was very interested in sea creatures--both mythical and real--at the time I ordered it. He found the information about the representation of the Giant Squid and Kraken in art and literature throughout history fascinating. As he read it, he would scream out facts and read passages to me. This portion of the book inspired him to start asking questions about _Moby Dick_ and _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_. After he finished this, we read the latter title together. This--in my book--is a good thing. Any book that inspires kids to read more deeply gets a good grade from me. From there, he shares that the booked focused on scientific information and modern day discoveries about the Giant Squid. He found the book so fascinating that I found him reading it long after bed time and "lights out". When I asked him to describe the book in ten words or less, he responded: "An awesome book that smart kids will love".

This book does an amazing job of weaving together the myths, history, and science around the legendary kraken and the very real giant sea squid. The writing is engaging without watering the material down, and the pictures and illustrations add a lot to the telling, with many drawn from some very cool old sources. Overall, I could see the book being appealing to anyone from 8 or 9 up through adults - it could be a great read-aloud with children at the younger end of that range, although older children might be initially turned off by the fact that the book has a horizontal format like a picture book.

As a side note, I could see this as being an amazing book for homeschooling families, especially those looking for "living books" or a great core for a unit study.

HP Newquist's HERE THERE BE MONSTERS: THE LEGENDARY KRAKEN AND THE GIANT SQUID provides a fast-paced account about myths and modern studies of the giant squid. Folklore and nature combine in a survey packed with color photos and lovely insights perfect for leisure browsing or natural history reports alike.

The book "Here there be Monsters" is a book intended for children age 9-12 and is about myths and realities of the giant squid. As long as people have traveled on the sea, there have been fears (both real and created) of monsters within and around the ocean. "Here there be Monsters" confirms mythology on the Squid and the legendary Krakken and discusses what current researchers have uncovered about giant squids.

"Here there be Monsters" starts off with a discussion of the Krakken in history and in illustration. The illustrations from history of the Krakken/Squid are worth the price of the book alone, they are so beautiful. Then the author HP Newquist quotes from such noted authors as Tennyson, Herman Melville, and Julius Verne on popular fictional portraits of colossal Squid. The book then discusses scientific discoveries about the squid, the body parts and scientific name,prey of the squid, and discoveries in Japan and in Antartica of gigantic Squid. Newquist also notes the Krakken/Squid in popular movies and books such as the "Pirates of the Carribean" movies and the Peter Benchley book "Beast."

I read this book to my kids in 15 to 20 minute increments at bedtime, and they seemed to enjoy most of it. My kids are still a little young to really appreciate the book. As an adult I found the book to be very informative and I learned a great deal about the myths and the realities of colossal squid.

There's nothing like sea monsters: mysterious creatures of the deep. Perhaps the only thing better are sea monsters that turn out to be real. HP Newquist's HERE THERE BE MONSTERS is a book for children with vivid imaginations, who love animals and monsters. Basically, it's a book I wish had come out about twenty years ago, when I could've read it--along with my Jules Verne and Zoobooks--and been deeply moved. The prose is somewhat dry--it could've been prepped up a bit more, definitely--but the illustrations and photographs are outstanding, and the information is thorough: from Homer to video footage, Newquist traces humanity's relation to the giant and colossal squids. HERE THERE BE MONSTERS is a fun little book for your young adventurer; it can even be used by older adventurers to brush up on Kraken mythology, and the biology and history of the giant squid.

"Here there be monsters" was a label placed by the mapmakers of old on regions where sailors had viewed mysterious creatures. One specific monster, though landlubbers were unsure whether or not to believe in its existence, came to be known as "kraken." Thus Newquist draws in the reader with the tale of a mystifying creature, or rather pair of creatures, later to be labeled as the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) and colossal squid (Mesonychotheuthis hamiltoni). Newquist's enthusiasm is palpable, and this helps create a feel of excitement about the subject matter.

The format of the book is engaging, complete with excerpts from _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ and _Moby Dick_, where the creature took hold in fictional literature and both scared and interested those who hadn't had the rare chance of seeing one in person. Also included are historical maps, illustrations, and photos.

Because it's chronologically told, the mystery of these giant creatures' existence is slowly unraveled, such as how, in the early days of discovery, unusual body parts--including giant beaks!--were found inside whales' stomachs, and squid were inexplicably seen washed ashore. Even with the scientific advancements available today, it's a news-making event when researchers can observe these elusive, deep-water animals in the wild.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, my only disappointment being that so many questions remain unanswered about giant and colossal squid. The text ends with the author's acknowledgement that much is still left to be learned, as well as some suggestions on how to follow scientists as they find out more about these interesting creatures.

This book is an engaging mix of images and text that will appeal to older grade-schoolers. I originally ordered this book with my second-grade son who is a strong reader and very inquisitive about the natural world. However, I found that this book didn't appeal to him as much as I thought it would, leaving me to conclude that the age 9-12 recommended age is more appropriate despite the inclusion of images. Although the fantastical cover is what caught my eye, this book is not as fanciful as I expected and is most definitely a non-fiction title with a lot of information (historical and scientific) to offer.

After reading through it on my own, I found it combines interesting facts with a larger narrative about how myths are created and reinforced through time. I especially found the section on how inclusion of the myths of the kraken in a "history" book by Pontoppidan (see page 12) blurred the line between fact and fiction about this creature. I also appreciated Newquist's chronological tracing of the ideas and uses in art and science about the giant squid, ending the book with surprisingly recent images and capture of the previously unseen creature.

Overall, I could see this book as useful for a school report, home-schooling unit (read with some of the literature mentioned in this book like 20 Leagues Under the Sea), or the inquisitive 4-6th grader who enjoys non-fiction.

H.P. Newquist's latest book, "Here There Be Monsters: The Legendary Kraken and the Giant Squid," is a highly enjoyable and factual look into sea monsters that were initially laughed off by landlubbers but slowly revealed to be real creatures thanks to science and luck. Newquist opens the book by placing the reader at sea hundreds of years ago and then having them live out an actual sea monster attack. From there, Newquist begins a well-paced journey through the wild stories of seafarers and explorers about creatures with multiple arms and bird-like beaks that could bring an entire ship down by itself.

As he passes through the years, he shows how the creatures were given names by men like Erik Ludwig Pontoppidan, made famous in books by writers such as Herman Melville, and brought to life on the screen in films such as "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" and the recent "Pirates Of The Caribbean" films.

Eventually we learn how science reveals that these creatures truly exist. Fact is almost as scary as fiction once the reader realizes that many of the old descriptions of the creatures described by sailors, pirates, and other adventurers weren't that far off of the mark.

This book is written with both fun and education in mind. Children over the age of eight will probably enjoy reading this book. Younger children might need the help of an adult with some of the words and explanations given.

Overall, if you have a young child who's hungry for adventure that can be backed up by facts, give "Here There Be Monsters" a look. You won't be disappointed.

"Here There Be Monsters" is a wonderful hybrid of education & entertainment with engaging writing. I wouldn't hesitate to seek more items from this author or series, if such an option exists.

I was intrigued by the subject matter and, mine being a review copy, I couldn't rely on the pictures to hook me. What I didn't expect is how the writing would engage me so completely. The book is educational and wildly accessible for people of any age. I thought this would be a simple "kids book" when I found myself bringing it up in conversation just as I would any book aimed at an adult audience. I can only imagine how stunning and complete a package it is with full color illustrations and images. Therefore I'm willing to spot it a star for presentation and give it the full five, which I rarely do.