SEA MONSTERS by Walter Buehr

A well done overview of sea monsters for young readers, with evocative illustrations by the author, also a painter by trade besides writing many children's books. Here Buehr covers all the old classics like the Kraken, Nessie, and many 19th century sightings including the Daedalus sea monster and the sundry sea serpents of old New England. Some wonderful old medieval sea serpents are copied from old maps, and Buehr also gives us some nice tableaus of prehistoric sea life. The highlight of this slim but dense little volume is the Moha Moha monster, a singular beastie sighted by one Shirley Lovell of Sandy Cape, Fraser Island (Woakoh), Australia. Lovell described the creature as like some gigantic, long necked turtle, and the Fraser Coast Library link above includes her very charming drawing of the beast:

Cute lil' guy! But fierce, too: Lovell claimed that not only did local Aborigines back up her story, they had even had a campsite attacked by the monster! Perhaps in deference to this, Buehr opts for a more naturalistic recreation in his illustration. Alas, the Moha Moha hasn't been sighted since its 1891 debut.

A note on style: Buehr isn't as slick as old monster hand Daniel Cohen, but he avoids talking down to his young readers and the text is smooth and readable. Pair this with the excellent vintage artwork and you have a welcome addition to any library, past present or future.

An Archway Paperback published by Pocket Books, 1971 (original pub. 1966)