Children's Books discussion

This October, we will explore picture books featuring cryptids.

In my experience, it will be easy to find picture books about bigfoot/sasquatch/yeti, some about lake monsters (Nessie etc), and a few about Mothman. It's harder to find books featuring other cryptids -- but it's encouraged, if you can! I have found some cryptids (particularly those beyond the "big three" or those that are from non-US/European cultures) in books featuring collections of creatures of myth/legend that are not strictly picture books, but would be geared to the picture book audience, and I'm fine if you want to include those provided you denote them as such.

I'm not going to be a stickler about the definition of cryptid because individuals have varied opinions. But, FWIW, Merriam-Webster defines a cryptid as "an animal or creature whose existence is claimed or rumored through folklore and eyewitness accounts, but has never been proven or recognized by mainstream science." So, for example, it's my understanding that a lake monster like Loch Ness Monster would be considered a cryptid because some people think it is possible for a real biological creature of that size and description to exist, but a kelpie would be not be since it has supernatural/magical powers and therefore belongs to folklore and mythology rather than cryptozoology.

In any case, have fun! I chose this topic for October because some cryptids can be downright scary, but many picture books also portray creatures like bigfoot as misunderstood and gentle giants. If you were ever interested in cryptids as a child, what made you fascinated by them? Did you fear them or wish they were real? My boys are beyond the picture book age now but they are fascinated by cryptids and we really enjoyed this book (not a picture book) which brings in some real-world science to the discussion of cryptids: Catching Cryptids: The Scientific Search for Mysterious Creatures So, I'm looking forward to tying in their current interests with picture books on the topic :-)

Sounds like fun and I have read a lot of books about cryptozoology but most of them are not unfortunately picture books.

Manybooks wrote: "Sounds like fun and I have read a lot of books about cryptozoology but most of them are not unfortunately picture books."

Yay! I think that will inform your enjoyment of the picture books, if you can find them. For example, I just read Mothman Baby!: A Hazy Dell Flap Book and it shows a little mothman out and about in Point Pleasant one autumn evening. At the Point Pleasant Register near some men in black, it encounters a (sandhill) crane and an owl -- I know from reading elsewhere about mothman that many believe it the sightings are actually of sandhill crane or an owl, so I thought the book was clever for including that. It's a very cute little lift-the-flap boardbook for tots -- I was pleasantly surprised by it.

Ask and ye shall receive -- recommendations for cryptid picture books. Yes, these are Mothman, but sooooo cute! And it includes his cryptid buddies.

Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween
Mothman's Merry Cryptid Christmas

The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating is rather silly, but also really funny.

Ivonne wrote: "Ask and ye shall receive -- recommendations for cryptid picture books. Yes, these are Mothman, but sooooo cute! And it includes his cryptid buddies.

[book:Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween|1994543..."

Yay, thank you! My library has that one and I hope it's perfect for my youngest who likes Mothman and Halloween -- might tempt him to read a picture book after all ;-)

Manybooks wrote: "The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating is rather silly, but also really funny."

I read that one a few years ago and agree with you :-)

The Long Lost Coelacanth: And Other Living Fossils


The information on the coelacanth, on dinosaurs, evolution and fossils is generally factually correct (even though much more has been discovered since 1973). I do think that the last page where Aliki muses about finding living dinosaurs is a bit silly (and that I would prefer to have both drawings and some photographs, not to mention that the cartoonish dinosaur on the that page kind of makes me groan and shake my head a bit). But for 2026, the information on so called living fossils is rather dated (and that scientists now actually avoid this term and use a variety of different ones), but what really annoys me and makes me rate The Long Lost Coelacanth: And Other Living Fossils with only a very low three stars is that horses are not considered to be living fossils and have never been considered this.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating is rather silly, but also really funny."

I read that one a few years ago and agree with you :-)"

Definitely something for children who do not want to be scared by Nessie.

Urban Myths and Legendary Creatures


The information on the actual cryptids (on animals that might in fact exist but have not yet been discovered and proven scientifically) is pretty good (and Lisa Regan does include both websites and books for further reading). However, she also features a lot of creatures that are basically just monsters of folklore and horror (thus not really in my opinion legitimate cryptids) and that Chris McNab's artwork is horrifying and nightmare inducing (for both my inner child and adult me) and as such my rating for Urban Myths and Legendary Creatures is only two stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Manybooks wrote: "Definitely something for children who do not want to be scared by Nessie"

Indeed.

I'm not sure why, but I always loved Nessie when I was a kid and thought of her as a gentle and shy creature. I would have loved to meet her ;-) Speaking of which, I probably would have enjoyed Nessie. The depiction of Nessie here is very much how I envisioned her, and I would have been cheering on the little girl in her efforts to both connect with and protect Nessie from those who would exploit her. I'm not sure if I would have found it troubling that it's the girl's uncle who wants to exploit Nessie but I think the ending is satisfying. My youngest, who loves pancakes, found the dedication on the back immensely entertaining: "For children ages 6 years and up who love pancakes." ;-) I'm not sure that I ever thought of Nessie and pancakes together but it's rather charming in an odd sort of way.

Alas, the only other Loch Ness picture book I could find is Nessie Baby!: A Hazy Dell Flap Book which is cute, but not as clever as Mothman Baby!: A Hazy Dell Flap Book.

I will throw in honorable mention to Serendipity which is about a sea serpent and I was obsessed with all the Serendipity books as a kid.

The Nantucket Sea Monster: A Fake News Story is about a hoax involving a sea monster.

I'd love to find more picture books about sea monsters/serpents so will keep looking.

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Definitely something for children who do not want to be scared by Nessie"

Indeed.

I'm not sure why, but I always loved Nessie when I was a kid and thought of her as a gentle and..."

It is charming and at least Nessie is not made into some kind of an evil snake or lizard, which sadly the illustration of Nessie for Urban Myths and Legendary Creatures does and indeed with every single cryptid that is being featured, sigh.

Do any of you have local legends about cryptids in your area? We have the sea monster, Sharlie, at Lake Payette in McCall, Idaho. And supposedly our mountain forests like Boise National Forest are prime locations for bigfoots (and Idaho is ranked #8 in the US for Bigfoot sightings). I have never followed any of these stories much but my youngest loves to watch for Sharlie when we visit McCall ;-)

Manybooks wrote: "It is charming and at least Nessie is not made into some kind of an evil snake or lizard, which sadly the illustration of Nessie for Urban Myths and Legendary Creatures does and indeed with every single cryptid that is being featured, sigh"

I echo your sigh. I know some kids/people enjoy the "monster" aspect of cryptids, but bigfoot/yeti and Nessie always seemed friendly to my child's imagination and I still think of them fondly and prefer the gentler portrayals. Oh! which reminds me, Bigfoot's Big Heart is darling and features many of the cryptids but it's very sweet and endearing.

Hi Kathryn,

I love this theme.

Children can be fascinated by creatures that seem frightening at first but turn out to be gentle or misunderstood.

As a children’s author, I have a soft spot for that contrast.

When a character’s kindness and actions matter more than how they look. It can make for a lovely, reassuring story for little ones.

Eddy