Giant Squid: Discovering the Ancient Cities of the Americas (Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor (Awards))

What an amazing book! Gorgeous illustrations combined with lyrical poetic text make this a great candidate for both the Caldecott Medal and the Sibert Medal, maybe even the Newbery. Fleming uses poetry to convey information about this unusual and fascinating animal that scientists still know so little about. The text, while factual, reads like a dramatic adventure story. I appreciated the fact that Fleming makes it clear what facts about the giant squid have been confirmed and those that still await discovery. Rohmann's gorgeous pictures highlight the movement and size of this mysterious animal. And the fold-out page pops out at just the right moment, giving the reader the most complete look at the animal in the whole book. This strategy creates an air of mystery that perfectly fits with the text and the many unanswered questions scientists still have about this animal. A winner of a book from cover to cover.

Very unusual book and perfect as a gift.. beautifully illustrated. Bought for a squid loving 3 year old

This book is awesome! We have quite a giant squid fanatic in our house and they received this book for Christmas and loved it. 1) The pictures are gorgeous. 2) You get squid facts. 3) It's written almost as poetry. It's beautifully done: capturing the deep, murky, lonely life of a squid.

This book is awesome! As soon as I saw the cover, I knew my 5-year-old aspiring squid must have it. The pictures are truly amazing and really capture the story. There is one that folds out on both sides making it a 4 page long squid. The story is written poetically, though not in rhyme. I find myself getting sleepy as I read it to my son. I'm so glad I found this book!!

Beautiful illustrations. Interesting story. My 5 year old nephew is infatuated with anything creepy from the ocean and he really liked this book.