Animal Monsters: Fantasies and Facts of the Animal World

Product Description Recounts the legends associated with such monsters as the unicorn, werewolf, dragon, and mermaid, and describes real animals which might account for the legends. From School Library Journal Grade 4-6--Although the text in Animal Monsters lacks detail for any individual animal, many real animals are introduced in terms of their possible roles in the origins of fantastic creatures. Included are well-known monsters, such as the Loch Ness Monster and the Abominable Snowman, as well as some creatures not usually regarded as monsters, such as the unicorn and mermaid. An interesting segment about the vampire bat is included, as well as a segment about the Komodo dragon, which is disappointingly brief. Written on an easier level, the book can supplement such titles as Thomas G. Aylesworth's Science Looks at Mysterious Monsters (Messner, 1982; o.p.) and M. Allen's Real Life Monsters (Prentice-Hall, 1978; o.p.). Animal Olympians compares a number of animals for each of ten competitions such as sprinting, rowing, weightlifting, and the decathlon. Bold-faced words in the text are defined briefly in a glossary. Somewhat more difficult and covering different animal skills than Annette Tison's Big Book of Animal Records (Grosset, 1985), and less advanced but more attractive than Russell Freeman's Animal Superstars (Prentice-Hall, 1981), this title will provide pleasurable reading for animal enthusiasts. The enticing, full-color photographs and illustrations and the intriguing subjects in both books will make them popular nonfiction choices.-Marilyn Long Graham, Jacksonville Public Libraries, FLCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.