Bigfoot is Missing!

by J. Patrick Lewis, Kenn Nesbitt, MinaLima (Illustrator)

Children's Poets Laureate J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt team up to offer a smart, stealthy tour of the creatures of shadowy myth and fearsome legend—the enticing, the humorous, and the strange. Bigfoot, the Mongolian Death Worm, and the Loch Ness Monster number among the many creatures lurking within these pages. Readers may have to look twice—the poems in this book are disguised as street signs, newspaper headlines, graffiti, milk cartons, and more!

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Cryptozoology, Humor, Mystery

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2015

About the author

J. Patrick Lewis is the current Children's Poet Laureate. He has written more than seventy children's books, including Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. J. Patrick Lewis lives in Ohio.

Reviews

[Tamar...playing hooky for a few hours today · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda corny and kinda cute.
this is a graphic mostly poetry book.
i cudda loved the silly rhymes,
if only the measures had fit the times.

couldn't resist a bad funky poem, this book seems perfect for grades 2-4...

[Holly Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had discovered this book during the school year. One of my 6th grade students was interested in cryptozoology and even wrote a blog series on it! He would have enjoyed this book and probably could have added more information on each creature. We also have a teacher who leads an after school Big Foot Club. He'll need this book! I thought it was a little difficult to read because of the various genres/formats, but I was excited to read that the illustrators were the graphic designers on the Harry Potter films and created all the graphic props, such as the Daily Prophet and the Marauder's Map in the film series. How cool is that?!

[Dna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genius book! But while reading it, I couldn't help but think how suitable it was for adults, because of the busy illustrations. I was really tired when I started reading this and it took me a few pages to realize the street signs and various images contained poetry. I just was wondering "When is the story going to start?" hehehehe

Great book! I'm not sure how I'd use this in a storytime, but it's great for one-on-one reading with your little one.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was left wanting more from this book. It has potential to be awesome, but fell quite short for me. As an elementary school librarian I know that cryptids are a very popular topic, however I believe this book would leave many of those children feeling disappointed and rather slighted. I get that it is poetry and they were cleverly arranged, yet difficult to follow. I feel children would have a difficult time with this book independently. There are some interesting "clues" in the text and illustrations that add to the mystery of each elusive creatures featured. However, I do not think I will be adding it to our elementary school library.

[Jenn C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humorous (and short) introduction to cryptozoology for kids, told in a variety of formats, all in verse. Everything from text messages, to milk cartons (the titled bigfoot), to park signs. It was a little jarring to start right off with a creature - a little introduction would have been nice. The illustrations were graphic and suited the text, and from the same people that did the graphic props in the Harry Potter movies (which is just cool in itself!)

[Casandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so satisfying to read a rhyming book that is funny and smart and actually has great meter and rhymes!

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bigfoot is Missing!, written by J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt and illustrated by MinaLima, is a delightful poetry collection about cryptids. At the beginning of the picture book, children are given a brief description of cryptozoology which is followed by 18 cryptids (animals that have been claimed to exist but never proven to exist) through playful poems that are nestled nicely within clever illustrations. After all 18 poems, there is a brief overview about each of the cryptids included in this collection.

I love CRYPTIDS, and I love this creative approach to teaching children a pseudoscientific lesson about cryptids through poetry. The format of the book is so much fun, the poems are humoruous while capturing the essence of each creature, and the illustrations are brilliant. While I am familiar with Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Mothman, I learned more about them and discovered new creatures like Goatman and the Mongolian Death Worm. Fascinating! And, to think there are 400 cryptids around the world delights me.

This picture book is the perfect mentor text to introduce children to cryptozoology, poetry and rhyming, and a unique art style. As a fan of cryptids and an educator, Bigfoot is Missing! is a whimsical way for readers of all ages to explore cryptozoology.

[Ashley Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. This book is appropriate for Kindergarten through 5th grade.
2. This book is about different creatures that are of different myths and legends. It talks about Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, Moth Man and more! There are descriptions of each of the creatures at the end of book.
3. This book is very interactive and a lot of the poems are disguised in certain aspects of the illustrations. Children who are younger will find this book captivating and love looking at the images of all the creatures. There is a lot of rhyming in this book which will captivate children and make it easier for them to follow along.
4. One way this book can be used in a classroom is to teach children about cryptozoology. Students can learn about the creatures that people tell stories about. Teachers can even have students come up with their own creatures and draw them to make a class book of creatures. The class can even create their own cryptozoology museum in the classroom and display their pictures of their creatures and items they believe relate to them.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenge: Cryptid Readathon Nov 2023 - fits all the prompts. Text corroboratively written by two US children's poet laureates; illustrated by corroborative graphic team who produced props for Harry Potter movies. Humorous and poetic descriptions of 18 of some 400 cryptids reported around the world. The use of various documents and ephemera such as product labels, police reports, newspapers, flyers, wanted posters, and posted signs to deliver the rhyming narrative descriptions is very creative. Introduction defines what a cryptid is, and the back endpaper explains the sightings and locations of each cryptid included in the book. An enjoyable quick introductory read to the world of cryptids.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but it was definitely different. The text on some pages was very busy (almost too much), but overall the delivery of text was very interesting. There is no overarching story, but rather short poems about each creature that had effectiveness that ranged from giving a base understanding up the Cryptid to not providing nearly enough information. However, I feel like this is still a good busy book(kind of like an I-Spy) that can broaden the creativity of those who read it. Additionally, all of the cryptids are further explained in the back of the book which can make up for the lack of information in some of the poems.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The design studio MinaLima has produced some fancy versions of the first two Harry Potter novels with interesting inserts, pop-ups and moveable parts and things like that. I keep seeing them pass through my library, but I'm not into Harry Potter enough to want to read them again. So I browsed the catalogue for other stuff and found this one. Sadly it doesn't have the same creative flair I was hoping for. And the poetry is mediocre; a few are amusing, most just kind of are. It did introduce me to some cryptids I hadn't heard of before, and I appreciate the descriptions of them at the back of the book, though some were obnoxiously covered up by the dust jacket.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because the illustrations were suited perfectly for the text. It was humorous with a lot of rhymes that kept me as the reader engaged and wanting more. I love how it talks about all the different mythical creatures with the descriptions that are kid-friendly. The only thing was how short the book actually was. I feel that when kids read this they will be left with wanting more from it. Having the words not just written on the page but in other formats make the readers be more observant and excited to see what will come next.

[VadaK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun poetry book hides the poetry in the pictures, ads, and signs along the way. The author Patrick Lewis does his best to "hide" the poetry versus so that the reader has to discover each one on the page. As the reader turns the page it is a surprise as to where the poetry will be located or hidden. This book is authored by children's poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis. This clever, attention getting poetry of book is a sure hit in any elementary classroom.











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[Enrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read talking about urban legends that I was once very into when I was a young kid. The illustrations and combination of the text made it almost like a “Where’s Waldo” type of book where you would have to look around both pages to find the creature being talked about or where they went off too. Great book for 2nd grade and up.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen this book is recommended for grades 2-6 but cryptids and retro art styles are my jam. I might buy this one tbh. I wish I had a reason to memorize these poems and then recite them and wow people with my cryptid knowledge.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea, but I agree with other reviewers that the execution often leaves a bit wanting. There were some cool ideas (anti-Mothman spray) and appealing artwork.

[Kate Matheis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has a confusing layout. It didn't really tell a story. It depicts several cryptids but does not tell the stories about them until the back cover.

[Julie lit pour les autres · Rating 4 out of 5]

De la poésie intégrée au quotidien sur des créatures telles le Bigfoot, Nessie et le Chupacabra? À déguster page par page, pour l’humour de la poésie et l’inventivité des illustrations.

[Misbah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture book that details mythical creatures from different parts of the world.

Fun illustrations but I wish there was more info.

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mythical creatures.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected. I thought it would be funnier but it fell flat for me.

[Alyssa Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great read for those interested in cryptozoology. Poems were very clever. Doesn't always give much information about the animals it talks about.

[Kristin Feliciano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about all of the cryptid. It is written part poetry and has great illustrations! It covers everything from big foots to lockless monster. Super cute.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love minalima artwork!!
Great way to introduce cryptids to little ones in a safe way!

[Marifran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great way to start research - lots of directions to take. One negative: cryptid descriptions, in part, on back cover, marred by processing. Pronunciation guide would be helpful.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rhymes in this book were not as fun as "Frankenstein makes a Sandwich" by Adam Rex, but the illustrations were delightful. I rounded up to 4 stars because the 9 year declared, "It's great!"

[Suzanne Dix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very tongue-in-cheek! Highly recommended, especially if you are a cryptid believer!

Grades 5 and up.

[Callie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what I just read. I wanted to like it, but there was no story, and I'm confused about what I was reading.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

strong visuals

Great pictures but the text provides only thumbnail sketches of these creatures. The font size on the summary page was extremely small.

[Audrey | WellReadandUndead(ish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun way to read poetry, learn about cryptids from around the world, and celebrate spooky season all at the same time! The poems were short and witty, and paired with the multimedia-esque illustrations, it made each page stand out. This will be going on my staff picks!