I loved this exploration of deep-sea creatures. Each creature is stranger than the other, or well, equally strange as far as I am concerned (except for one!). Each two-page spread features one fascinating creature with stunning illustrations, a brief lyrical hello & a detailed introduction from the creature itself. In addition, there are fun factoids across the page. A great gift for all who love exploring and learning about the wonders of our natural world. I know I learned a lot (despite other similar reads and documentaries from earlier!).

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital-rc of the book. These are my honest opinions.

This book is a great way to engage kids with the wonders of the deep sea. I've done book readings of this title at a local marine science center and have got great feedback. The parents found similarities between some of the creatures featured in the book and animals featured in the show "Octonauts". A fun and thought provoking read for kids.+ parents! I love these types of guessing books.

This book explores weird creatures within the depths of the sea. The first thing you need to know about me is that I am terrified of deep sea creatures, but simultaneously fascinated by how bizarre they are. Just look up the Bigfin Squid and tell me that it's not straight out of your nightmares! At first, the creatures described appear to be bizarre fantasy creatures, but it turns out they are all very much real! From the lighted garland of siphonophores to the cute, furry yeti crab to the several abominations - sorry, species, that look handcrafted by HP Lovecraft himself. This book is so interesting and creative and also kind of absolutely terrifying.

This book is very cool and the fold-out part (although not really possible to explore on a digital copy) is super engaging and shocking as well! This book is beautifully crafted and I fully enjoyed reading and then looking up pictures and videos of the real creatures. It's five stars from me, even if it does make me never want to see a drop of water ever again.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

Something between a picture book and a non-fiction. A very simple introduction to strange looking and oddly named sea creatures. Mostly a curiosity, but quite well illustrated.

Though I LOVE these whimsical illustrations, I really wanted to see what the animals looked like without having to search the internet. The writing is super accessible to kids.

I love the concept for this book! It takes unusual creatures from the ocean and introduces them almost as if they're supernatural. Then it gives so much scientific detail in a fun, engaging way.

The eBook was a little difficult to read but it appears to be a fun informative book on the creepy creatures deep under the sea

The Strangest Thing in the Sea: And Other Curious Creatures of the Deep, written by Rachel Poliquin and illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler, is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on October 5 2021. A look at some very strange creatures in the sea --- but which is the strangest? A feathery tutu dancing through the water? A tiptoeing rock wearing a wig? A mountain of skulls on the ocean floor? Not everything is quite as it seems in this fascinating exploration of 12 bizarre and little-known sea animals. Each creature is introduced with an imaginative first-person depiction of its appearance, accompanied by an artistic interpretation and the question, “Am I the strangest thing in the sea?” Then, open the gatefold, and an illustration and full description of the actual creature in its habitat are revealed, along with the tantalizing answer that, no, this is not the strangest thing in the sea. That is, until the last creature, which is the strangest. But what could it be?

I enjoyed The Strangest Thing in the Sea very much. I thought the artwork matched the text very well, and the detail and imagination on each page showed great skill. I thought the use of gatefolds was a good choice, and the execution was on point. The page layout, and book organization as a whole, was very good. I enjoyed the balance of whimsy in the imagined version oft he creatures balanced with solid information. I have to admit that I was already very familiar with most of the animals featured, but I think the approach and chosen information was great.I really liked that a glossary and chart showing the different zones of the sea and where the featured animals live were included. I learned a few new things, and I think readers of a variety of ages will be highly engaged and interested in this book.

This book is chock full of unique aquatic species. Each species is thoroughly explained, and is compared to things we are more familiar with. For kids who are really into learning about the creatures who live way down deep, I’d suggest getting a few books on the subject. The graphics here appear fuzzy and might confuse a child as to what a Swimming Head, for example, really looks like.

So pretty illustrated and interesting for people of all ages!
I've always been fascinated and terrifyed of the unknown sea, and this one was a nice little "watered down" "dive in". Puns intended.
Lovely illustrations and so nice everyday.things comparisons.
Loved it!

This was a lovely book! I loved the illustrations and descriptions. Children love books about animals and this book blended the mystery of the sea with factual information about the animals living there.

I LOVE IT!

No really, I love it. I am not a traditionalist. I do not think that non fiction (especially children's non fiction) has to be dry, rigid and text heavy. I think we can inspire and engage young people much more effectively with a little imagination. And this book certainly has that! The illustrations are brilliant. I love the hint of the unreal before the reveal. The prose is factual yet beautifully written. Fluid and dreamy like the ocean. The featured creatures really are strange - some I've not heard of and I am a self confessed ocean creatures fan. I would love to have a copy of this book in my personal collection and I would sell it in my shop in an instant!

The Strangest Thing in the Sea: and other Curious Creatures of the Deep
by Rachel Poliquin, Byron Eggenschwiler (Illustrations)

Wow, kids will love this book! I loved this book! It has the most beautiful and creative art! The book starts by asking the reader a strange question about an animal. Asking the reader then to guess what the animal is. The next picture shows a silly guess. Then it shows the real animal and gives a lot of very strange information about that bizarre creature.

It goes on like this through all the animals! They are sure strange too! Something out of a sci-fi novel if you didn't know they were real! Lol!

In the end, the depths of the oceans are shown (in beautiful artwork) and where each of these bizarre creatures live. It also gives other amazing trivial knowledge of the oceans depths!

Interesting, educational, and intriguing! Definitely a book kids will look at over and over again!
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read about these exotic and strange creatures of the deep!

Kids love books about weird and creepy animals, so this book is bound to be a winner!

It is a quirky fun book, with multiple pages on each creature. The first two pages give a description, and then has an illustration of what the creature might look like if the description were taken literally...like the sunfish as a swimming head shaped like a moon.

Then we have the same description followed by a more accurate illustration of the creature with more information about each one.

There is also a fact box that has tells us the size, prey, habitat of the creature and the depth at which they live. There's also a small illustration to give scale, which i love, and find amazing...I never realised a sunfish was so big!

I also love the illustration at the end of the book that shows each creature in one illustration, showing the different depths, so we can see where they all live in relation to each other.

It has a fun twist at the end, to show what is in fact the strangest thing in the sea.

With so many strange things in the sea, how do we pick which is the strangest? Part puzzle, part science book, part story book, part text book, part funny antidote, The Strangest Thing in the Sea is a richly illustrated introduction to some of Earth's more unusual sea-beings. I shared this title with my 5 year old and we had an absolute blast reading through the facts, examining the spectacular illustrations and giggling at some of the quirky little tidbits packed into this book. It's so well balanced, not overwhelming, uses appropriate language for most learning ages and a BLAST for anyone interested in the more eclectic side of animal kind. This is an absolutely fantastic addition to an elementary child's library or an introductory nudge to get your little one interested in some basic critter and ocean science! Love love loved it!

I was provided with a digital advanced copy of The Strangest Thing in the Sea via NetGalley in return for an honest review. I very much appreciate the opportunity to read this title and to share my opinions and the responses of my curious little one.

A great book about the deep sea to get kids interested in those spooky creatures of the deep.. It's imaginative, beautiful, and informative. The trifecta!

I was so intrigued by this title and highly engaging nonfiction texts are hard to find, so when I saw this title as a #netgalley read, I knew I wanted to try it!
This nonfiction book is about strange and wonderful creatures of the deep, and is written almost melodically as the author asks over and over, “Am I the strangest thing in the sea?” as new creatures are revealed. One particular feature I found captivating were the pictures of what the author thought might be lurking based only on the descriptions. I thought this would be such a fun activity for students to try as they listened to this for a read aloud and then compare their predictions to the author’s interpretations AND the actual creature! I’m definitely bringing this book to the classroom as soon as I have the chance! #whatimreading #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #picturebooks #picturebook #nonfictionpicturebook #iteach #iteach345 #iteach3rd #teachersfollowteachers

Fun topic that explores unique and strange ocean animals. I liked the refrain, but wish the order in which the animals were presented was more purposeful, and that there was more consistency, lyricism, or rhythm to the descriptions. Many of the descriptions of the animals were fun and engaging, but others felt very straight forward and disjointed. For example, I'm not sure how a fighter jet and chainsaw are connected. The text would have been stronger if the author focused on just one. I did like the additional text boxes which allow for older readers to dive deeper into the subject matter. The back matter was also well written and will be useful for parents and teachers. The illustrations are absolutely stunning.

Read this to my children. We all liked the art and enjoyed the facts that were included with each sea creature. I would enjoy having this book on the shelf at my library to share with curious minded children.

This was such a pleasant surprise!
I am a Biologist myself and learning about marine creatures I had never heard of before like the Yet Crab *yes, you read that correctly) was incredibly fun and informative!

This book is targeted to littles ones, teens, and adults alike. Such a great work combined with talented artwork, this one should not be missed if you want to learn more about the mysteries that the deep blue keeps hidden.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review!