The Truth About Dangerous Sea Creatures

September 1, 2003
Think anemones are enemies? Readers can get the facts with the paper-over-board The Truth About Dangerous Sea Creatures by Mary Cerullo, illus. by Michael Wertz. This follow-up to The Truth About Great White Sharks is rife with underwater photographs by Jeffrey Rotman. The book debunks myths about many unjustly maligned sea animals, while on the other hand educating readers about many octopi, urchins and fish that are fully deserving of their nasty reputations.

December 1, 2003
Gr 3-5-This book looks at a variety of "dangerous" sea animals, such as sharks, jellies, and a giant squid, and provides readers with solid information. Without playing down their threatening features, Cerullo introduces a different sea dweller on each spread and examines both the myths and realities about it. For example, people fear the giant octopus because of its size, but in reality the smallest octopus, the blue-ringed, is the one that can be lethal to humans. The language is sophisticated enough to make this selection suitable for older readers, but the amount of text is brief enough to keep the material accessible. Full-color photos and childlike drawings add a lot of visual appeal. The final pages include a "Helpful Hints" section of advice on what readers should do if they encounter a dangerous creature. Three of the four titles in the bibliography are previous works by the author, and this book borrows some of its material (particularly photos) from them. There is not enough detail here to make this title useful for reports, but it will attract general readers.-Arwen Marshall, Minneapolis Public Library

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