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Monster Spotter's Guide to North America
Like a bird-watching guide only for monsters.
North America is home to a wide array of fearsome beasts, including hairy monsters, flying monsters, lake monsters, and other unexplained phenomena. "Monster Spotter's Guide "geographically catalogs more than one hundred legendary monsters reported to inhabit the continent.
From the mythical Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest to the vicious Mexican goatsucker known as El Chupacabra, you'll read about the legends and major sightings of the most widely feared creatures reported to exist–plus a few you might have never heard of.
Within these pages you'll find detailed pen-and-ink drawings, helpful quick-reference boxes for immediate identification of key monster traits, a glossary of cryptozoology terms, useful appendices, case studies and more.
Let this book be your guide, and explore the legends for yourself. Anyone can be a monster spotter when you start looking, you never know what you might find."
North America is home to a wide array of fearsome beasts, including hairy monsters, flying monsters, lake monsters, and other unexplained phenomena. "Monster Spotter's Guide "geographically catalogs more than one hundred legendary monsters reported to inhabit the continent.
From the mythical Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest to the vicious Mexican goatsucker known as El Chupacabra, you'll read about the legends and major sightings of the most widely feared creatures reported to exist–plus a few you might have never heard of.
Within these pages you'll find detailed pen-and-ink drawings, helpful quick-reference boxes for immediate identification of key monster traits, a glossary of cryptozoology terms, useful appendices, case studies and more.
Let this book be your guide, and explore the legends for yourself. Anyone can be a monster spotter when you start looking, you never know what you might find."
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2007
17 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 15, 2017
Monster Spotter's Guide to North America is a pleasant surprise. No matter how much you may think you know about the cryptids and legends of America, I guarantee you will learn something new from this book.
The Guide is sturdily bound to accompany you on the dashboard during all of your North American roadtrip adventures. This is not your typical cryptozoology book. Along with well-informed profiles of cryptids of all descriptions, author Francis includes urban legends and folkloric creatures. So it's a fun read. Old favorites like the Flatwoods Monster share the spotlight with the awesome Amikuk, a giant wormlike creature of Inuit culture that can "swim" through the tundra as though it were water; and even the misunderstood Jackalope and that perennial favorite, the Zombie, make appearances.
My only complaint would be that the creatures are listed alphabetically, and organized roughly by region, not by state. This makes the book fairly ineffective as a travel guide of sorts. For example, in the "southwestern" section, we're taken from California to Oklahoma to Texas and back to California in the space of a couple of pages. But the nicely researched and wide-ranging content and excellent illustrations make this book a worthy addition to any cryptozoology shelf.
The Guide is sturdily bound to accompany you on the dashboard during all of your North American roadtrip adventures. This is not your typical cryptozoology book. Along with well-informed profiles of cryptids of all descriptions, author Francis includes urban legends and folkloric creatures. So it's a fun read. Old favorites like the Flatwoods Monster share the spotlight with the awesome Amikuk, a giant wormlike creature of Inuit culture that can "swim" through the tundra as though it were water; and even the misunderstood Jackalope and that perennial favorite, the Zombie, make appearances.
My only complaint would be that the creatures are listed alphabetically, and organized roughly by region, not by state. This makes the book fairly ineffective as a travel guide of sorts. For example, in the "southwestern" section, we're taken from California to Oklahoma to Texas and back to California in the space of a couple of pages. But the nicely researched and wide-ranging content and excellent illustrations make this book a worthy addition to any cryptozoology shelf.
April 13, 2021
Fun book, although a little repetitive. I suppose you can only describe a lake monster or a Bigfoot-like creature so many different ways. It's best in small doses. The illustrations are great and my favorite part.
February 24, 2020
Entertaining anecdotes and descriptions! My mom and I enjoyed the little intermittent illustrations too.
November 22, 2007
When I first laid eyes on this book all I could think was, “that’s cute”. However, what is classified as a humor book and is designed to be, at least in terms of format and style, a parody of your typical field guide to birds or insects actually hides something much more interesting and important below the surface. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, author Scott Francis, along with the help of illustrator Ben Patrick, lays out a menagerie of malevolent and not-so-malevolent monsters from all across the North American continent.
The book opens with a short primer on monster hunting and the way to go about such an endeavor. From there it is divided into nine different chapters, one for each region of the continent. Under each heading is an alphabetical listing of the monsters that have been reported or rumored in those areas. Each monster is classified as one of seven basic types: Sasquatch and hairy, Flying, Ocean, lake and river, Folklore, UFO-Related, Reptilian, and Phantom. From there we are given some basic stats including physical characteristics, size, habitat, appetite, and precautions one should take when hunting said monster. Each statistical block is followed by a short description of the history of each monster and it is this part of the book that really shows the research, thought, and love that went into this project. Francis has clearly done his homework here and while his writing style is very playful his histories and personal thoughts are very sharp and backed up well by research. Francis is seemingly well versed in the fields of cryptozoology and folklore and it is this knowledge which elevates the content of this book to something much beyond humor. Another major and very enjoyable part of the book is Ben Patrick’s pen and ink sketches of different monsters. His drawings a very playful and quite entertaining, but he also makes a serious attempt to portray these monsters based on reported descriptions.
Another aspect of this book that appealed to me is its ability to capturing the local feel of things. Perhaps it is because both the artist and writer live in my home town of Cincinnati, but I feel anyone who lives near an area talked about in this book will be all the more taken with it. On a similar note, I was thrilled that this book included an entry on the so-called “Loveland Frogmen” whom I’d head of in the past but never been able to find much information about. In fact, it was a supposed childhood run in with a Loveland Frogman that inspired the artist, Ben Patrick, to become so interested in the subject of monsters.
While some parts of the book, such as the chapter “Remedial Monster School”, play a bit too much to the “humor” aspect of the work, I cant help but feel, no matter how entertaining this book is, that it doesn’t belong anywhere near the humor section of your local bookstore. Francis’ research into native American legends and the long history of monster sightings in this country make a strong case for filing this book in the American folklore section. This is really what the book is about, a culture uniquely American, and that is where the book belongs.
The book opens with a short primer on monster hunting and the way to go about such an endeavor. From there it is divided into nine different chapters, one for each region of the continent. Under each heading is an alphabetical listing of the monsters that have been reported or rumored in those areas. Each monster is classified as one of seven basic types: Sasquatch and hairy, Flying, Ocean, lake and river, Folklore, UFO-Related, Reptilian, and Phantom. From there we are given some basic stats including physical characteristics, size, habitat, appetite, and precautions one should take when hunting said monster. Each statistical block is followed by a short description of the history of each monster and it is this part of the book that really shows the research, thought, and love that went into this project. Francis has clearly done his homework here and while his writing style is very playful his histories and personal thoughts are very sharp and backed up well by research. Francis is seemingly well versed in the fields of cryptozoology and folklore and it is this knowledge which elevates the content of this book to something much beyond humor. Another major and very enjoyable part of the book is Ben Patrick’s pen and ink sketches of different monsters. His drawings a very playful and quite entertaining, but he also makes a serious attempt to portray these monsters based on reported descriptions.
Another aspect of this book that appealed to me is its ability to capturing the local feel of things. Perhaps it is because both the artist and writer live in my home town of Cincinnati, but I feel anyone who lives near an area talked about in this book will be all the more taken with it. On a similar note, I was thrilled that this book included an entry on the so-called “Loveland Frogmen” whom I’d head of in the past but never been able to find much information about. In fact, it was a supposed childhood run in with a Loveland Frogman that inspired the artist, Ben Patrick, to become so interested in the subject of monsters.
While some parts of the book, such as the chapter “Remedial Monster School”, play a bit too much to the “humor” aspect of the work, I cant help but feel, no matter how entertaining this book is, that it doesn’t belong anywhere near the humor section of your local bookstore. Francis’ research into native American legends and the long history of monster sightings in this country make a strong case for filing this book in the American folklore section. This is really what the book is about, a culture uniquely American, and that is where the book belongs.
January 19, 2016
248 pages, 2007. Divides the U.S. Into sections and examines cryptids from each section. Introduction is divided into sections on Why Monsters, The Perils of Monster Hunting, How to Become a Monster Spotter and Types of Monsters.
Most of the cryptid books I have read divide most of the monsters into a few categories: ones related to the pterodactyls, various sea creatures related to the plesiosaurs and Bigfoot-type cryptids. There are also the things like the Frogmen of Loveland, the Mothman, etc. There is also a group that could be basically regular creatures that have been mutated due to pollution and/or radiation.
The problem with this field is much the same as it is with the field that studies UFOs and that is the total lack of [ndisputable evidence such as bones. The field of cryptozoology will not be accepted as an actual science until it can meet the very strict things scientists have decided are acceptable.
One very interesting thing is that many of the stories of these strange creatures go back to Native American culture, a fact usually ignored by most writers.
Some of the names are funny like the Squonk and the Loveland Frog Man. Then there's the Abominable Swamp Slob (A.S.S.) and the Everglades Skunk Ape which likes to steal pots of lima beans!
Not a huge book but a cute one and fairly good.
Most of the cryptid books I have read divide most of the monsters into a few categories: ones related to the pterodactyls, various sea creatures related to the plesiosaurs and Bigfoot-type cryptids. There are also the things like the Frogmen of Loveland, the Mothman, etc. There is also a group that could be basically regular creatures that have been mutated due to pollution and/or radiation.
The problem with this field is much the same as it is with the field that studies UFOs and that is the total lack of [ndisputable evidence such as bones. The field of cryptozoology will not be accepted as an actual science until it can meet the very strict things scientists have decided are acceptable.
One very interesting thing is that many of the stories of these strange creatures go back to Native American culture, a fact usually ignored by most writers.
Some of the names are funny like the Squonk and the Loveland Frog Man. Then there's the Abominable Swamp Slob (A.S.S.) and the Everglades Skunk Ape which likes to steal pots of lima beans!
Not a huge book but a cute one and fairly good.
November 21, 2007
This book is GREAT... the illustrations alone are fascinating. Anyone who has an avid interest in mythologies and urban legends would enjoy reading this book. You learn all about Bigfoot, The Loch Ness and some other more obscure and regional monsters you may not have met yet. My only sadness is she didn't include a monster from the Appalachian region where I grew up - "Harry Man Bloody Bones" which I think is a strange warping of the original story "Raw Head, and Bloody Bones". Anyhow, this is an entertaining read with lots of info.
September 24, 2013
Came across this at a book sale and had to grab it. Any one who likes the weird, wonderful, mythical and cryptozoological will enjoy this. The illustrations are a little cheesy but work well with the prose.
Great little inspiration handbook for the creatives, and I would expect it to be well received by curious kids too.
Great little inspiration handbook for the creatives, and I would expect it to be well received by curious kids too.
November 14, 2007
Fun book to read about "legends" around the United States.
April 15, 2008
What I learned from this book? Always have a camera, and fully-charged batteries... you never know who you'll meet in the woods.
June 7, 2009
Ever wonder how to become a monster spotter? Find out in this book which includes an official monster map of North America.
July 6, 2009
An exhaustive and well written book on the monsters of North America.
January 18, 2012
Nice compendium of monsters; good "starter" source for folks delving into crytozoology/the supernatural.
May 17, 2012
This book covers a wide range of cryptozoological wonders. Quite a few were new to me. I'd have liked to see more detailed information for each. Range maps would have been fun too.
November 3, 2012
some of the monster tales are interesting, but most are quite repetitive and silly. Book reaches to cover every regional monster. The serious tone of the 'handbook' loses its lustre quickly.
May 1, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12963178
this is a good book of cryptozoology
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12963178
this is a good book of cryptozoology
August 22, 2015
Entertaining read, not very in depth but elaborates on some much lesser known creatures from folklore and cryptozoology. Good starting place for beginners. The art is fantastic.
August 4, 2010
This book was silly as crap, but I plan on using it as inspiration for a few monster watercolors.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews