Dragons of the Deep: Ocean Monsters Past and Present

by Carl Wieland, Darrell Wiskur (Illustrator)

Can the stories of sea dragons be true? The Bible describes a frightening, huge creature that lived in the sea. Called Leviathan, it had fearsome teeth and armor-plated scales that spears and arrows could not penetrate....A Norse legend tells of a colossal sea creature with many arms that could capsize a sailing ship....In 1918, a group of lobster fishermen in Port Stephens, Australia, reported an encounter with “an immense shark of almost unbelievable proporations” that devastated their catch and left them in a state of shock. As researchers discover teeth and bones from the past, these stories and many like them are no longer easily dismissed as tall tales. The fossil evidence shows that the oceans once teemed with sea monsters, and some are still alive today. Even some of those thought extinct may still be lurking in the ocean depths today! With incredible detail, this book
And many other sea-dwelling monsters, past and present. Each creature is featured with full-color illustrations, size comparisons, skeleton drawings, a fast facts section, and fascinating information about how these creatures lived and died.
This one-of-a-kind book will thrill readers with exciting accounts of those fearsome and marvelous creatures that once ruled the oceans!

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Science, Creation Science, History

80 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my nine year old son. I thought it might be too hard for him, but he enjoyed it anyway. I liked that still-living animals were also included.

[Spencer Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations and a fun look at sea monsters from a conservative Christian point of view.

[Joanna Among Paper Petals · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book covered 16 creatures, including the Megalodon, and each animal was discussed over 4 pages with comparisons to modern items, people, and with comparable animals today. It also discusses the original meaning of their names, when the animal was "discovered" and where and quite a bit more, including animals scientists had thought were extinct just to be found alive. It was a fascinating read and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dragons of the Deep" is a children's nonfiction book about huge sea creatures (marine reptiles and mammals, turtles, squid, fish and sharks) of both the past and present. Adults will enjoy the book as well. It covered 17 main sea monsters with a 4 page spread for each creature. The author discussed what we know about the creature and, if it's thought to be extinct, what fossil evidence this information was based on (bones, skin impressions, stomach contents, etc.). We're given the creature's name, length, weight, the location it (or it's fossils) have been found, and fun facts about what it ate or what legends might be based on it. There's a painting-style picture of what each creature might have looked like, pictures of live ones, pictures of the fossils, illustrations showing how large they were compared to common objects (like cars), and more.

Woven into this was information on how we can determine things about what the creature was like based on the fossils. Also, when discussing how and where the various fossils of the creatures were found, the author discussed how fossils are formed.

The book was written from a Christian perspective, so the author occasionally said things like "God created this creature..." or refered to Noah's Flood as creating many fossils. Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought it was very well done. I'd recommend it to children and adults who are interested in sea monsters.

I gave this book to a girl who'd just turned 13 years old. She was highly engaged by it, and, as she was reading, she kept looking up to say, "Hey, did you know that such-and-such was this big?" and other things she'd just learned from it. She read the whole book at one sitting, and I suspect she'll be going back to look at it again.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book both for children and adults. This book has great illustrations and pictures and diagram of dinosaurs and fossil. it is very informative regarding the various dinosaurs described in the book. It shows how fossils or these dinosaurs might have lived. If you are looking for a creation based dinosaur book for your kid or young friends, this book is the one for you!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

great visuals. I think when I interlibrary loaned this puppy, it might have been a children's book but really, it could go either way since they love the terrifying sea serpent drawings.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids love this book! We have learned about many incredible, but very creepy creatures we never knew existed. Really makes you think twice about swimming in the ocean!

[Robyn Klepfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So refreshing to read a book about sea monsters from a creationist perspective! The kids and I all enjoyed it and learned many jaw-dropping facts together.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book covering marine animals both modern and prehistoric. It is great that it covers ancient creatures without loads of evolutionary garbage.