Capstone Press Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster

by Mary M. Cerullo

This sea monster is real. It lurks in the freezing black depths of underwater canyons. Nearly 50 feet long, it hunts with its long arms and tentacles. Its powerful suckers leave giant round scars on those that live through a battle with it. But this enormous beast, with its huge, strange eyes, remains hidden from humans. We rarely see it and know little of its ways. What is this monster?  The giant squid.  This famed member of the cephalopod group has a history of frightening fishermen, starring in fictional adventure tales, and keeping scientists guessing. What is the story of this mythic creature? Why is it so hard to study? What secrets does it keep?  Clyde Roper, ocean scientist and squid expert, has been seeking this secretive creature for decades. Come along as he and other researchers unravel its mysteries.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Science, Animals, Childrens, Middle Grade, Nature

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was honestly, but pleasantly, surprised at how well this held the attention of my 5 and 7 year olds. It helped that it was photograph heavy, and I think they liked the more narrative style of the hunt for an elusive creature. Giving this 4 stars instead of 5 because I’m sure the information is a bit dated after 10+ more years of research, but this would still be an excellent starting point for more research for a school project.

[Michelle Boquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Mary and Clyde’s use of narrative nonfiction and visual elements to tell the story of these “mythical” beasts.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject of the giant squid and other elusive animals always captures my imagination while pulling me into wanting to learn more about the these magnificent creatures. And so it was with high hopes that I found my sister had checked this book out for my niece but at the same time it was waiting for the devour it.

Although the information was presented in a decent and organized way there was too much repetition in both the text and the captions. Furthermore the book explores the world and elusive habits of this giant cephalod before changing its subject to Roper and other giant squid hunters plus what they are doing to learn more about this little known animal so the subject dramatically changed.

Since of its length and its ever-changing format I wouldn't recommend this book to the very youngest readers since their attention will flow. For adults and older children who are interested this can most definitely be helpful while providing a directing stone in better presented resources for this the giant squid.

[Oak Lawn Public Library - Youth Services · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pages-48

Grade Level-4-5

Summary:
What a great way to introduce the scientific method to children!
This book takes a great mystery, searches for clues and reveals the giant squid. It poses a hypothesis then asks a lot of questions, just like children do when they are interested in a topic.

Comments/Recommendations:
The photos and illustrations are great! They are sure to attract and keep the attention of the young "sea-monster" enthusiast. The story is also very engaging. This book has a great mix of fact and story to encourage the reader to learn more.

Stars- 4/5

Reviewed By: Austin L.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book to marvel over! This book has incredible photos of giant squids, and their parts. How could anyone not be in awe of squid eyeballs? There's a photo of a preserved one in the book - it is as big as a car headlight. How could anyone not marvel over the giant squid's super-scary beak capable of pincing a steel cable in two? Imagine being a diver and getting anywhere near that thing. Such things are nightmares made of! How could anyone not be fascinated by the round scars left as a squid's 'I was here' tatoo on whales during fight-to-the-death face-offs between giant squids and ocean whales? And who knew that the stuff whales use to make their insides safe from those squid beaks they eat is called ambergris. Ambergris gets used in perfume. Wow! How did that idea occur to someone? Fascinating! Now this is the kind of book so inspiring it could create future teuthologists. What is that? A scientist who specializes in the study of squid. The book even suggested lines of inquiry to get readers thinking about what they could investigate and discover should they want to specialize in giant squids.

One additional thing I admired about this book - one of the authors, along with Mary M. Cerullo, is the retired Smithsonian teuthologist. He included discoveries by other scientists, even though it was probably possible to write a book about giant squid without doing that. This scientific generosity displayed in the text is also a lesson for young readers. After all, how many teuthologists can there be in the world? Well done.

This is a terrific book. I hope it makes young readers care about preserving giant squids for future generations. Their survival is not assured.

[Brittany Cohens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster is an informational text about both a mysterious sea creature and one man's devotion to finding and studying it. This text has both narrative passages and non-fiction text features that give information about the Giant Squid. From the tales of the mythical Kraken to scientists that study squid and creatures like whales that interact with them, readers are able to learn lots of information about a variety of topics - all relating back to the elusive giant squid. Readers also get a chance to follow the life and research of Dr. Clyde Roper as he spends his life chasing this "sea monster". This text would be excellent to use for upper elementary and middle school students (around 3rd-6th grade).
I have had the pleasure of using this text with 3rd graders as a part of the KIPP:Wheatley reading and writing curriculum. This text is awesome for highlighting the skill of using text features. The book is full of diagrams, photos with captions, illustrations, charts, graphs, etc. and would easily be a great introduction to students on how to navigate those aspects of a text and gain information from them. Students could go on a text feature "scavenger hunt" to see which text features they could find and discuss their purpose. This text could also be used to practice the skill of character motivation. As students follow the journey of Clyde Roper, they could make a timeline of the events in the story and for each event, discuss what Clyde did and why.
I believe this is a WOW book because it not only presents information about an engaging subject for many students, but also tells an interesting story of persistence and dedication. It is visually stunning and opens windows for students into a place that can not easily be visited.

[Madison Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giant Squid was written and illustrated by Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F, E. Roper. This book goes through ten sections that talks about some part or history of a squid. For example, some of the sections are “A Creature of Colossal Size”, “Early Clues”, “Meet the Squid Hunter”, “diving Deeper”, and “Taking the Bait.” Those are just a few of the topics that are covered in this book. The illustration and the pictures correspond with the information very well. Giant Squid is a non-fiction picture book. Overall, this book is good for students to learn all about giant squids and it is set up very well.

[Briana Hilton]

In this story the giant squid lurks in the depths of the deep dark ocean and has a certain mystique that surrounds it. The mystery of the squid amazes deep divers, scientists, and anything that comes acroos it. The illustrations in this story help capture the magnitude of the creature and paints a picture of life under the sea.

APA Citation: Cerullo, M. M., & Roper, C. F. (2012). Giant squid: searching for a sea monster. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great kids book! Lots of information on where to find, types, what they eat, predators, reproduction, and especially, how researchers study them (crittercams, fishing boats, diving, etc.). I read this author Mary for another book and wanted to read another book by her. She is a great communicator for science.

[Jocelyn Hanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL illustrations!!! very fascinating read and interactive as well. Loved this book will defiantly recommend.

[Judith Rich]

Counts as my science book for "Read Harder" because I couldn't get through a longer one! Read in the Maritime Museum in Halifax, NS, while waiting for my husband.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool story about what we know about giant squids and how scientists go about learning more. It's interesting to see the ways specialists try to find giant squids.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing images and research!

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn soooooo much!

Amazing book I think it had a lot of info on giant squids, also it’s a nice easy book to read.

[Carlee C Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with my students for Wit and Wisdom. Had no idea about the Giant Squid, but the students loved the connection to it being a sea monster with tales going far back into history.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trademarked by the Smithsonian and largely about Clyde Roper a Smithsonian scientist, this book was engaging to me largely because when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s there was almost nothing available other than the drawings and odd picture of a fisherman-caught tentacle. It was great to see so many photos gathered all in one place, and to see the results of decades of research pay off in some excellent photos and information about live giant squid. Unlike some of the other books, this one focuses strongly on the squid itself at first, and then turns into the story of the scientists. As a science identity book it turns out great, but it would have been good in the title or somewhere else to help readers know up front how much they could learn about scientist identity by reading this book--Cerullo and Roper do a great job. In particular, the clear focus on how Kubodera picked up the line of research and ended up making the discoveries Roper would have wanted to make himself. A great picture of both teamwork in adding to the body of data, and also competition among scientists to make the find and answer the questions!

The pictures on pp 42-43 were riveting!

Sources could be better. I see a few books, and clear links to the organizations Roper has worked for. But what about direct links to some of the scientific writing? Reports, grant proposals, etc.? Again, a trail to primary research should be the standard in sourcing books like this today. Leading young people to write authentic genres depends on leading them to mentor texts. If we want kids to write like Egyptologists or oceanographers we have to show them the most common writing genres from these people. Let's move this direction!

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are sea monsters real? Yes! And you get to learn all about them in this interesting, educational and entertaining nonfiction picture book by Mary M. Cerullo from the Smithsonian. Cerullo tells the story of the Giant Squid starting with the myths of the Kraken and then moving into the scientific community of teuthologists, scientists who study squid, specifically focusing on the findings of Dr. Clyde Roper. The text features are excellent including photos and illustrations with captions, diagrams, and sidebars all which make the book even more entertaining and informative. Cerullo obviously knows how to share information with children because she includes narratives, gross pictures, and lots of interesting facts. This book would be a great addition to any classroom's nonfiction collection.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Capstone Press for allowing me to read this e-galley**

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster by Mary M. Cerullo is a
children's non fiction book. This book details the search for the 'sea
monster' of the deeps, the beast that has terrified and enthralled
people for centuries, the giant squid. Doctor Clyde Roper is a scientist
that is particularly fascinated by the giant squid, and Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster
chronicles the search and his discoveries surrounding this secretive
creature. While there is still much to learn, there are many fascinating
facts about the giant squid, its habitat,its cousins, its prey, its
predators, and what it is a vital part of the ocean's ecosystem.



My complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Smithsonian and the author did a super job with this. The book was structured as an active investigation, following the work and research of a particular scientist, Clyde Roper. Many of the sections end with a hook to the next question he pursued: "But dead or dying specimens couldn't answer the one big question that haunted Clyde: How does a giant squid behave in its natural habitat? He decided he had to find out." "Clyde learned a great deal about the giant squid's habitat and predators, but he still hadn't found his squid. What about tracking the creatures the giant squid eats?" I like that the facts aren't presented all at once, but instead in a way that shows the scientific process itself. Illustrated with photos, charts, engravings, maps. Includes an index, glossary, and websites and books for further reading.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With photographs of giant squids and drawings that provide historical background about these creatures of the deep, this nonfiction title provides a great deal of interesting information about them. Readers will also learn about one man's fascination with them as subjects to study as well as the lengths scientists have gone to learn more. I had no idea that whales and giant squids engaged in epic sea battles or that the destruction of coral reefs and seabeds is endangering the future of these creatures. Details such as the size of a giant squid's eyes or the strength of its suckeers will fascinate would-be scientists or teuthologists as scientists who study squids are called. Books such as this one remind me of how little we know about the world around us.

[Laura Salas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about a high-interest topic! I liked following one dreamer/scientist's path, but I also appreciated the sidebars that shared lots of big picture info and put the scientist's journey and discoveries into a larger context.

Some great images in here, but there were also some generic ones and some lower quality images. The mix of design elements (sometimes borders on pics, sometimes not, text in and out of shaded boxes, illos mixed with graphics, etc.) was just a little bit too varied for me. It felt a little too busy.

But overall, I really liked it. I'll be looking for more in the Smithsonian imprint from Capstone.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via NetGallery for advanced reading copies for my nook-tablet.

As the previous reviewer mentioned, this is a great read for elementary school kids about one of the few creatures left in this world that still have an aura of mystery. The text is great and easy to understand and the pictures-- especially of the squid from the submarine, are awesome!

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text begins like a fantastic adventure tale, yet the story is true. I love the illustrations and photos -- so much to look at, so many different styles. Goes into great depth about giant squids and the attempts to find and understand them better. Much of the text and photos focus on one specific squid researcher, Clyde Roper. Includes: glossary, websites and books for further exploration, index, and about the authors.

[Brett Axel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expect my 9 year old, who loves his hermit crabs and critters in general, is going to be thoroughly engaged in this book.

My only criticism is that it is set up in the format and style of thousands of boring educational books. He might pass it over in favor of a DK book simply because it looks like it will be boring, dry facts.

It isn't tho. Its a good read, very interesting material and not dumbed down for kids.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

(February 2012) Release. Super non-fiction text for elementary readers. And this one is about squids (sure to capture the attentions of your young fellows). Tracing the history back to maritime descriptions to Victorian narrations to modern day science that affords us the opportunity to know more about these creatures of the deep.

[Jeanne Mcpeak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows Clyde Roper, an expert on squid, as he tracks and studies the mysterious giant squid to discover more information about these creatures. Topics covered in the book include what the giant squid eat, what are predators to the giant squid, and how scientists track them. Some of the pictures are a bit bloody and may not be suitable for younger children.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book screams out for the student that thrives on scary monsters, and the cool thing is that these monsters are real! Historical and scientific research, photographs, drawings, and charts make the giant squid jump off the page.

[Samantha Sebastian]

Reading this book and learning at the same time that sea monsters actually do exist was so much fun. Before reading these books I never knew I would enjoy science books this much. The pictures, descriptions and actual text helped me even more than a regular book about giant squid would.

[Terryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

great pictures, easy to read text. highly recommended for grade schoolers!

[Laura Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by Mary Cerullo! The perfect marriage of text, photo, illustration, glossary and bibliography.