Bigfoot is Missing!

Starred review from March 2, 2015
Lewis and Nesbitt, the former and current U.S. Children's Poets Laureate, present a mischievous and slightly edgy introduction to 18 "crypids,â animals "whose real existence has not yet been proven.â Their rhymes take the form of wanted posters, newspaper clippings, posted signs, news broadcasts, and more, brought to bold, graphic life by MinaLima, the British design team of Miraphona Mina and Eduardo Lima. Fittingly, readers never get a good look at any of the creaturesâusually just a coiled tail here or a cluster of spikes there. The Congolese Mokèlé-mbèmbé peers from behind a newspaper, whose lead story trumpets, "Here at Lake Telé,/ secluded in swamps,/ this missing celebrity/ privately romps.â Elsewhere, a winged creature slinks from a store shelf crowded with cans of "Moth-Away!/ Mothman Spray/ Keeps all ten-foot/ moths at bay.â These brief, playful poems will whet readers' appetites to learn more about bunyips, luscas, and Mongolian death worms. Luckily, endpages supply legends and details about these and other creatures, including where they canâor rather can'tâbe found. Ages 7â10. Agent: (for Lewis) Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown; (for Nesbitt) Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary Agency.

June 1, 2015

Gr 2-6-An entertaining take on a naturally interesting subject, this title pairs comic book-style art with poems on cryptozoology. The term is defined in a blurb on the first page, while the last few pages include a useful description of creatures such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor, the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp, and the Mongolian Death Worm. Not quite concrete poems, these selections integrate text and design with creative results. Though the illustrations vary, all are rendered in graphic style. The Kraken, Gambo, and Lusca are presented as entries circled in red pen from the classified section of the Davy Jones Dispatch: "Free to a Good Home: Baby Luscas (Half Octopus, Half Shark)." Similarly, the poem about the Chupacabra is a marked-up "Wanted" poster, while images of "Moth-Away" spray accompany the poem on the Mothman. Though some selections are more informative than others, all are vivid, dynamic, and fun. VERDICT A great choice, ideal for group sharing and browsers alike.-Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2015
Grades K-2 Humorous dread suffuses this collection of short poems celebrating cryptids of all shapes and sizes, though mostly large. In a clever collaboration, Lewis and Nesbitt's verses often take the form of everyday communication, such as traffic citations, text messages, want ads, and news reports ( Still missing: one unlucky tribesman's head intones an anchorman about the Mongolian Death Worm). The artwork, created by the team who designed the Marauder's Map and other graphic elements in the Harry Potter movies, incorporates the verses into humorous, visually engaging tableaux with varied fonts and fleeting glimpses of each creature. Each full-bleed spread has a cinematic feel and suggests some kind of plot. A handwritten sign reading, What happened at yesterday's jungle safari? Let's just say . . . we are very sorry, is taped to a billboard welcoming visitors to Waza National Park. Though this is geared toward a younger audience, fans of Roland Smith's Cryptid Hunters (2005) and Kelly Milner Halls' Tales of the Cryptids (2006) will likely be amused by this witty addition to books about cryptozoology.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Entertaining poems about eighteen legendary creatures (e.g., chupacabra, Loch Ness Monster, Nandi Bear) are displayed on faux-newspaper pages, signs, and bottle labels. The crisp digital illustrations have a slightly edgy feel; the sophisticated (and chaotic) presentation makes this most appropriate for middle-grade readers. This is an inventive and contemporary twist on well-loved mysteries. Information about the cryptids appears on the back endpapers.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)