The Strangest Thing in the Sea and Other Creatures of the Deep, written by Rachel Poliquin and illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler. Kiids Can Press, 2021. $19.99 ages 6 and up

 

"I look like a dancing tutu. 
Graceful as a ballerina, 
I flutter my feathers up 
and down, up and down, as 
I swan through the water. 

Am I the strangest thing 
in the sea?"

Rachel Poliquin is back with another intriguing book that will have her audience checking out some of the strangest creatures in the sea. She isn't kidding when she asks that question in the book's title. She has done her amazing research once again ... and has come up with 12 rarely seen or recognized animals that make their homes in the water. 

Her introduction tells her readers: 

"The seas are filled with strangeness. 

Dancing feathers. Goblin teeth. See-through heads. 
Creatures that seem to be made from stardust. 

Some animals carry lanterns to light their way ... 
or is to lure their victims through the darkness?
Some seem to be rocks ... 

But what is the strangest thing of all?"

It is a perfect question to ask as readers begin to make their way from spread to spread. Each is brilliantly created with inviting text and with art that clearly and beautifully illustrates the written words. Those words are placed on the verso, with the repetitive question: "But what is the strangest thing of all?"

After the question, a gatefold opens to provide a first-person reveal that lists a number of specific statements about each introduced creature, but asserts that it is not the strangest thing of all. Additionally, a series of paragraphs provide facts needed to describe the creature more fully, and a chart giving size, prey, habitat, and depth is also included. 

If not this one, then the reader must move on the next. So it goes until readers meet the stangest thing of all! What a surprise! Kids are sure to be intrigued; some will even want to follow up and learn more about these odd, little-known creatures. A flap at the back shows the Wonders of the Deep and places each strange thing in the sunlit, twilight, and midnight zones along with their depths. Finally, a note is added about the abyss - the deepest part of the waters which reaches to 11 km. Amazing!