Giant Squid

The giant squid is one of the most elusive creatures in the world. As large as whales, they hide deep within the sea, forcing scientists to piece together their story from the clues they leave behind.

An injured whale’s ring-shaped scars may indicate an encounter with a giant squid. A piece of beak broken off in the whale’s belly; a flash of ink dispersed as a blinding defense to allow the squid to escape— these fragments of proof were all we had . . . until a giant squid was finally filmed in its natural habitat only two years ago. 

The mystery of the giant squid hasn’t completely been unraveled. However, Candance Fleming brings squids facts to life using beautiful imagery. Because the giant squid is so elusive, some answers cannot be answered. This is why the book uses many questions such as, “Who are the giants of the dark seas? How do they hunt? How do they eat? How do they breed? It’s a mystery.” The questions will engage readers and leave them wondering about the mystery of the squid. 

Each illustration focuses on part of the squid, which helps the reader imagine the squid’s large size. By using dark blues and black for the pictures, the illustrator not only gives the reader a glimpse of the squid’s natural habitat but also shows why the squids are so mysterious—they can quickly escape into the dark depths of the ocean. Each two-page spread has one to eight sentences. Even though Giant Squid is a picture book, it will need to be read to a child because of some of the difficult vocabulary such as barracuda, murky, impress, and pinpoints.

Giant Squid received the Robert F. Sibert Book Award which is given to “distinguished informational books.” Fleming’s non-fiction book gives interesting facts about the squid using imagery and alliteration that will capture the reader’s attention. The middle of the book has two foldout pages showing the giant squid’s huge size, and the back of the book includes more information about “The Mysterious Giant Squid.” Anyone who wonders about the creatures that live in the ocean should read Giant Squid because it’s educational while still highlighting the creature’s mystery. To learn more about the giant squid, read Tentacles! Tales of the Giant Squid by Shirley Ray Redmond. For an imaginative look at another sea creature, the octopus, read Octopus Stew by Eric Belasquez.  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• Several pages are devoted to a giant squid eating. “The tentacles seize their prey. . .They launch on with powerful sucker-studded clubs. Row after row of suckers. Suckers ringed with saw-like teeth that rip into skin and hold on tight.” The illustration shows a fish caught in the tentacles, but there is no blood.  
• The squid’s “bone-hard” and “parrot-like” beak helps break up food. “And inside the mouth? A terrifying tongue-like ribbon of muscle covered with sharp, tiny blades that slice. . . grind. . . file the food into a pasty sludge easy for the giant squid to digest.” The illustration only shows a squid’s beak, not what it is eating. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• None

Supernatural 

• None

Spiritual Content  

• None