Giant Squid

Starred review from June 20, 2016
Fleming and Rohmann (Bulldozer’s Big Day) draw readers in to the ocean’s murky depths in search of a seldom-seen creature. Tips of arms and tentacles reach up from the bottom of the first page; more reddish-white appendages appear in subsequent scenes until the cephalopod they belong to is announced on the title page. Much of the giant squid’s existence is a mystery, but Fleming pieces together what is known using vivid free verse and near rhyme: “With writhing arms/ and ghostly, lidless eyes/ they glide.” Focusing on each of the squid’s body parts separately, the lyrical narrative evokes a nature documentary (“Here are its tentacles,/ two,/ curling and twisting and thirty feet long,/ waiting for—/ a passing fish.../ another squid.../ anything swimming by”). Rohmann’s rich images place the squid against a shadowy blue-green backdrop, and the entire animal is only revealed in a penultimate double gatefold, appearing out of an expansive cloud of gray ink. The assembling of this creature from its parts to the whole, through both pictures and poetry, will captivate audiences young and old. Ages 6–10. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Agency.

June 15, 2016
This latest collaboration between Fleming and Rohmann explores the elusive giant squid.Fleming focuses as much on lingering unknowns as facts, introducing uncertainty in a poetic prologue: "Who are these giants of the dark seas?... // It is a mystery. // After all, how can you know / about an animal hidden from view? / You must rely on clues, / as scientists do...." Rohmann's full-bleed oil-on-paper pictures convey the squid's enormous size by capturing only its parts. Its two tentacles, "curling and twisting and thirty feet long," undulate both within the picture plane and outside it. After a barracuda's foiled by squid ink, dramatic double gatefolds open, revealing that even a yardwide page can't fully contain this creature. Sea depths are dark teal, purpled, or blackened; gorgeously crisp white text type casts its own light. Anatomical details elicit Fleming's most assertive descriptions. As tentacles enfold a fish, "they latch on with powerful / sucker-studded clubs. / ... / Suckers ringed with saw-like teeth / that rip into skin and hold on tight." There's a startling close-up of "the beak. / Bone-hard and parrot-like." Poetic compression occasionally results in obfuscation. Accounting for the squid's huge eyes, Fleming elides bioluminescence (effectively, jellyfishes' early-warning system of approaching predators), discernible by the squid only as "a shimmering outline." The creature's potential color changes are mentioned speculatively, without further qualification. Visually marvelous, like its subject--with a text more poetic than expository. (labeled diagram of giant squid, author's note, bibliography, web resources, suggested books) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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Starred review from August 1, 2016

Gr 2-4-Through engrossing, informative verse, Fleming artfully introduces readers to a mysterious sea monster that glides through the deepest and darkest reaches of the ocean. Although some species of giant squid are as large as a bus, these animals are rarely spotted by people. Scientists have been able to gather clues and assemble a body of knowledge about the unusual cephalopod from pieces washed up on shore or found by fishermen. In a similar fashion, Fleming reveals characteristics of the squid piece by piece, beginning with a description of its 30-foot-long tentacles. She shares what little is known about the squid and raises many yet-to-be answered questions: Why does the squid change colors? Where does the female lay her eggs? As the narrative reaches a conclusion, the squid jets away from a predatory barracuda and disappears into a murky cloud of ink. Rohmann's full-color paintings are eerily atmospheric. Bit by bit, each illustration focuses on a particular part of the sea creature until the entire squid is portrayed in a dramatic foldout spread. VERDICT Curious readers will be inspired by the engaging text and stunning illustrations to learn more about the giant squid. An essential purchase for science collections.-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Grades 2-5 Against a deep blue background, tentacles creep from the bottom of the page, drifting through the water and winding around a passing fish. Fleming spares no detail: in clear, straightforward text, she relays how the eight limbs of the giant squid are lined with suckers ringed with saw-like teeth / that rip into skin and hold on tight. In a close-up of the squid's birdlike beak, she refers to the terrifying tongue-like ribbon of muscle inside the mouth. Rohmann's oil paintings focus on one aspect of the squid at a time. Double-page close-ups are excellently detailed, and the dark color palette adds to the eerie, deep-sea feel. Amazingly, as Fleming says in a final author's note, people have more photos of the surface of Mars than of the giant squid, and that elusive nature is captured by focusing on only specific parts of the beast at any one time (except for one dramatic foldout four-page spread). A final diagram and a list of further reading add a scientific bent to this visually stunning exploration of a mysterious creature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)