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Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures
Legendary creatures such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster hold endless fascination for people around the globe. Do these creatures really exist? Countless eyewitnesses say yes, and scientists are discovering new animal species every year, so perhaps it isn’t impossible. But how would such large animals survive? Where would they live, and what would they eat?
In Monster Hunt , Jim Arnosky presents mythical creatures of the past and gigantic prehistoric animals that have survived to the present. He examines accounts of Kraken, Bigfoot, and Nessie, and then invites readers to join him in exploring what might be living in the deep waters of Lake Champlain. With its combination of folklore, natural history, and field research, this beautifully illustrated book is ideal for anyone who is curious and enjoys a little mystery.
In Monster Hunt , Jim Arnosky presents mythical creatures of the past and gigantic prehistoric animals that have survived to the present. He examines accounts of Kraken, Bigfoot, and Nessie, and then invites readers to join him in exploring what might be living in the deep waters of Lake Champlain. With its combination of folklore, natural history, and field research, this beautifully illustrated book is ideal for anyone who is curious and enjoys a little mystery.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2011
54 people want to read
About the author
Jim Arnosky
161 books76 followersJim Arnosky was born in New York City, NY Sept 1, 1946. He was raised in Pennsylvania. Jim graduated from high school in Philadelphia and joined the US Naval Reserves. His active duty took him to Maryland and Bremerhaven, Germany.
In 1976 Jim and his wife Deanna moved to Vermont with their two daughters where they have lived in an old farmhouse for the past 28 years. 17 of those years were spent raising sheep.
Jim is self taught in writing, art and the natural sciences. He has written and illustrated 86 books on nature subjects and has illustrated 46 other books written by various authors. He has been awarded the Christopher Medal, Orbis Pictus Honor, ALA Gordon Award, and Outstanding Science book awards from National Science Teachers Associations.
Jim loves to fish, boat, and play his guitar. In his work, he uses a Betacam SP video camcorder with a 1600 mm lens to record the wildlife he and Deanna find all across the country.
In 1976 Jim and his wife Deanna moved to Vermont with their two daughters where they have lived in an old farmhouse for the past 28 years. 17 of those years were spent raising sheep.
Jim is self taught in writing, art and the natural sciences. He has written and illustrated 86 books on nature subjects and has illustrated 46 other books written by various authors. He has been awarded the Christopher Medal, Orbis Pictus Honor, ALA Gordon Award, and Outstanding Science book awards from National Science Teachers Associations.
Jim loves to fish, boat, and play his guitar. In his work, he uses a Betacam SP video camcorder with a 1600 mm lens to record the wildlife he and Deanna find all across the country.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 6, 2019
G really enjoyed this. Lovely illustrations, mysterious creatures, and thoughts to spark the imagination.
Note: There were a handful of references to evolutionary timelines regarding creatures long-thought to be extinct.
Note: There were a handful of references to evolutionary timelines regarding creatures long-thought to be extinct.
July 9, 2013
Ah, well, what to say about this book? I thought it was decent until I got to the lake monster section. Arnosky seems to be a fan of the lost plesiosaur population theory. The problem here is that, way back in 1993, it was discovered that plesiosaurs' necks were inflexible and, therefore, unable to lift its head out of the water in the manner described by many Nessie eyewitnesses (http://www.plesiosauria.com/neck.html). There are actually a number of other scientific bugaboos that speak against the likelihood of large marine animals existing undetected in mostly landlocked bodies of water, but that aside, I think Aronsky should have remained a bit more objective and stuck to discussing why he thinks it is possible for Nessie to exist, instead of assigning it a classification.
In addition, the book looks at the animals once thought to be cryptids (mountain gorilla, giant squid, etc) and then focuses on Bigfoot & the lake monsters. When discussing the latter, Arnosky talks about his own efforts in locating these cryptids. Again, I feel the book would have benefited if he'd remained more objective and if he'd covered other possible cryptids. If he even just focused on North America, there is the southwestern Chupacabra and the Eastern Cougar sightings, to name two.
This would be an interesting beginner book for children expressing an interest in cryptozoology, but it shouldn't be taken as a reference material. While not focusing solely on cryptids, I'd recommend Judy Allen's Unexplained: An Encyclopedia of Curious Phenomena, Strange Superstitions, and Ancient Mysteries over this.
In addition, the book looks at the animals once thought to be cryptids (mountain gorilla, giant squid, etc) and then focuses on Bigfoot & the lake monsters. When discussing the latter, Arnosky talks about his own efforts in locating these cryptids. Again, I feel the book would have benefited if he'd remained more objective and if he'd covered other possible cryptids. If he even just focused on North America, there is the southwestern Chupacabra and the Eastern Cougar sightings, to name two.
This would be an interesting beginner book for children expressing an interest in cryptozoology, but it shouldn't be taken as a reference material. While not focusing solely on cryptids, I'd recommend Judy Allen's Unexplained: An Encyclopedia of Curious Phenomena, Strange Superstitions, and Ancient Mysteries over this.
September 7, 2024
Prolific children's author and illustrator Jim Arnosky, who has created more than one hundred works of natural history for young people, turns in this engaging picture book to cryptozoology, exploring creatures that may or may not truly exist. After profiling a few prehistoric animals, such as the giant shark known as the Charcharadon, Arnosky turns to such staples of speculative animal lore as Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Lake Champlain Monster. He concludes the book with an admonition to young animal lovers to keep an open mind, and to keep on exploring...
Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures is the sixty-second book I have read from Arnosky, and it is certainly a departure from the previous titles I have encountered. Whereas other books from this creator are either entirely factual, or are light-hearted songs dealing with real-life animals, this veers into speculation. It's clear that Arnosky is a believer in some of the creatures profiled, and he even describes how he, his wife Deanna and three of his grandsons went hunting for Champ (the Lake Champlain Monster) in his boat. I found this rather charming, and think it's interesting that someone with so much experience watching and investigating wild creatures would have this outlook. I appreciated the fact that Arnosky shared his own perspective so freely, and that he encouraged young readers to stay open minded about seemingly mythical creatures, pointing to cases of species that were at one time thought to be either made up or extinct, only to be discovered in the wild. This is a really useful reminder that knowledge and science are not static, and are not meant to be approached that way, emphasizing that we must always be willing to adjust to new information, and indeed, must try to seek it out. I don't read much in the cryptozoology field, for either adults or children (although I do read plenty of fantasy featuring fantastical creatures), but sought this one out because I am an admirer of Arnosky's work. Recommended to you children who are fascinated by cryptids, and who long to make discoveries of their own.
Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures is the sixty-second book I have read from Arnosky, and it is certainly a departure from the previous titles I have encountered. Whereas other books from this creator are either entirely factual, or are light-hearted songs dealing with real-life animals, this veers into speculation. It's clear that Arnosky is a believer in some of the creatures profiled, and he even describes how he, his wife Deanna and three of his grandsons went hunting for Champ (the Lake Champlain Monster) in his boat. I found this rather charming, and think it's interesting that someone with so much experience watching and investigating wild creatures would have this outlook. I appreciated the fact that Arnosky shared his own perspective so freely, and that he encouraged young readers to stay open minded about seemingly mythical creatures, pointing to cases of species that were at one time thought to be either made up or extinct, only to be discovered in the wild. This is a really useful reminder that knowledge and science are not static, and are not meant to be approached that way, emphasizing that we must always be willing to adjust to new information, and indeed, must try to seek it out. I don't read much in the cryptozoology field, for either adults or children (although I do read plenty of fantasy featuring fantastical creatures), but sought this one out because I am an admirer of Arnosky's work. Recommended to you children who are fascinated by cryptids, and who long to make discoveries of their own.
September 22, 2017
I am wholly opposed to the idea of insisting that cryptids such as Nessie exist in the world. At the same time, I am wholly opposed to insisting that they cannot possibly insist. It's a very nice book, but before my students or children read it, I want them to be able to think critically and analyze whether such creatures could exist or not.
Unique feature: discussion of animals once dismissed as cryptids.
Genre: Informational (Real genre: Myths and Legends)
Unique feature: discussion of animals once dismissed as cryptids.
Genre: Informational (Real genre: Myths and Legends)
October 30, 2023
A gentle intro to the concept of scientific inquiry. Are "monsters" real? Maybe: the still-unexplained tends to terrify people, but if we observe and question while keeping an open mind, we might someday find answers. Atmospheric illustrations and just the right dash of mystery make for an engaging conversation starter for preschool to elementary school kids.
June 27, 2025
I love Jim Arnosky’s nature books, so it was fun to stumble across this one. This book takes a little more imaginative approach than Arnosky’s usual nature journals, but it still focuses on natural history as it explores a small set of cryptids—along-side some real-life ‘monsters.’
July 14, 2014
Arnosky explains simply, but accurately, the basic ideas of crytpozoology. He gives an overview of the kinds of evidence that have been presented for the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, and the Lake Champlain monster; talks about environments, food supplies, and other needs for large creatures; talks about the discoverys that the coelacanth wasn't extinct, and that there are giant squids in the sea. Without dull detail, this book helps younger readers understand both what is known and what still is a mystery, and more importantly, why. A fun, short read, with arresting artwork.
Library copy
Library copy
August 15, 2011
This is an interesting book that shows us how little we truly know about all the various species of animals in the world. For the longest time, people thought that creatures like the giant squid and the Komodo dragon were fictional creatures, but now we know they exist. But what about Bigfoot and plesiosaur-like creatures like the Loch Ness Monster? This book has great illustrations and helps children to understand how myths about monsters are created and how we are still discovering new creatures.
August 30, 2011
I really liked this one. I was impressed with the way Arnosky brought his own opinions and experiences in to the text without it being noticeable... I like the way he imagines what Bigfoot would eat, where it would live, how it would move... and of course, I loved the illustrations. Great book, sure to be a fixture in my booktalks for 4th/5th grade groups.
July 27, 2012
Ever have conversations with kids about Legendary creatures? Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, Lake Champlain Monster, Giant squids...and such. The author skillfully presents the environment and speculates the needs that the creatures. A gentle exploration that lets each reader sort out what they want to believe by themselves. Good Read!
March 4, 2013
A rational and reasonable--yet fascinating--introduction to cryptozoology. I love the possibility of undiscovered species as much as this author does. I also love that he could explore the possibility of the existence of unusual and unknown--or long-believed exctinct--animals without inviting the reader to even once think, "man this guy is ca-razy!"
December 19, 2020
Well, monster hunting has always been a think I keep an eye on and this is a fine book for a the child who would like to learn more. Read my full review at: http://letterstocassiandotherfolks.bl...
July 22, 2011
Good introduction to cryptozoology for children not ready for Kelly Milner Halls's Tales of the Cryptids.
July 22, 2011
Anrnosky's art and interest in the creatures that may be hiding in the lakes and woods is a wonderful book for children who express interest in Bigfoot, Nessie, and Champ. The art is superb!
November 11, 2011
A broad overview of some cryptids. Nice personal touch by the author with some hints of his experiences with a cryptid.
August 12, 2013
Great text. Good layout (liked totems). Okay illustrations.
June 29, 2019
This was a hit at our house. My son is obsessed with cryptozoology and I am a fan of Jim Arnosky. I did not know there was a monster in Lake Champlain. Fascinating.
March 11, 2013
Scientific exploration
Grades: 3 - 5
Grades: 3 - 5
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews