Monstrous
The Lore, Gore, and Science behind Your Favorite Monsters
Bursting with blood, guts, history, and science, this book is a must-have for monster lovers of all ages
Could Dr. Frankenstein’s machine ever animate a body? Why should vampires drink from veins and not arteries? What body parts are best for zombies to eat? (It’s not brains.)
This fascinating encyclopedia of monsters delves into the history and science behind eight legendary creatures, from Bigfoot and the kraken to zombies and more. Find out each monster’s origin story and the real-world history that informed it, and then explore the science of each creature in fun and surprising ways. Tips and infographics—including monster anatomy, how to survive a vampire attack, and real-life giant creatures of the deep sea—make this a highly visual and fun-to-browse book.
“A fantastically researched, absolutely delectable approach to science education.”—starred, Booklist
“Informative and entertaining throughout for readers undead or otherwise.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews
| Format | Your Price | Add |
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978-1-5124-4916-7
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$18.75 | |
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978-1-5415-7203-4
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$28.99 |
Author, Illustrator: Carlyn Beccia
Carlyn Beccia (pronounced Betcha) is an author, illustrator and graphic designer. Beccia’s children’s books, including Monstrous, The Raucous Royals, I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat, and They Lost Their Heads, have won numerous awards including the Golden Kite Honor, the International Reading Association’s Children’s and Young Adult Book Award, and the Cybils Award. If you would like to know what she has in her zombie preparedness kit, visit her at www.CarlynBeccia.com
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Awards
- Texas Topaz Reading List
- Dogwood Book List for Nonfiction
- YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
- Maine Student Book Award
- Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
- Booklist Top of the List 2019
- Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book
- Booklist Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth
- Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
Reviews
Shelf Awareness
“Beccia tickles her audience’s prefrontal cortexes with eye-opening biology, riveting physics, savory nutrition and more, to prove that ‘Science is stronger than fear.’”—Shelf Awareness
The Washington Post
“In ‘Monstrous,’ which is filled with Beccia’s sharp and funny illustrations, you can learn loads of basic monster facts (such as ‘Where to find the Kraken and other sea creatures’ and ‘The anatomy of Godzilla’), as well as more offbeat information (such as ‘How to communicate with a werewolf’ and ‘How to become as immortal as a vampire’).”—Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
“®eaders will savor details about how history, superstition, and human perception have inspired some of the most feared and beloved monster legends.”—Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
“[T]he connections to history and science also make the text fascinating and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny.”—School Library Journal
Booklist
“A fantastically researched, absolutely delectable approach to science education.”—starred, Booklist
Kirkus Reviews
“Informative and entertaining throughout for readers undead or otherwise.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews