I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This is a great guide to strange things in the sea, and I think it had a good balance between text, pictures and models. I also really like how diverse the selection was, and how the conclusion is that the strangest thing in the ocean is us: the humans. The only thing I wish is that it had more facts about the animals!

The Strangest Thing in the Sea is a great non-fiction about sea life, that will marvel adults and children alike!
The illustrations are beautiful and super fun!
The chosen animals are sure to attract the interest of an audience and the facts presented will keep readers engaged throughout
The text is written not only to be informative but to be funny as well - i loved all the closing sentences!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an eARC in exchange for honest review.

There are some strange, to us, looking creatures in the sea, but what is the strangest? Rachel Poliquin takes us on an undersea adventure as we look at some of the strange creatures who live there. With initial comparisons to items which children may be familiar with, Poliquin then provides animal facts in a fun and informative way. The illustrations add to the information, and we especially liked the visual comparisons which showed the size of various creatures compared to humans.

The Strangest Thing in the Sea is a great introduction into oceanic life for read-alouds and is also a good book for newer readers.

This is a fun addition to a science classroom. Students will find the very strange creatures amazing. This book is visually appealing and I enjoyed the facts. I will probably get this book and use it as a talking point in a HS marine biology course even if it made for a younger reader.

Can a fish look like it came from Candyland? Apparently so! Strangest Thing in the Sea plays with descriptive language and retro illustrations to introduce children to the oddities of the ocean. I love the art and the riddles for each creature. Parents and educators can have children guess what each animal will be before flipping the page to reveal the creature. So fun!

I loved the Strangest Thing in the Sea, it was really interesting! If you know a kid fascinated by fish and ocean life, this book will be perfect for them. Greatly recommending it plus the illustrations are a bit creepy yet beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook copy in exchange of a honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. While this is a children's book, I think some adults may learn about some new strange creatures! This is a really fun book, filled with oddities and some fun facts. Who knew some of the bizarre creatures that lie in the depths of the ocean? I think most kids will love this book. The illustrations are fantastic as well. 4.5 stars

Well this struck me as a really inventive way to portray the oddities of life at the bottom of the sea. We get to see something mysterious asking us to consider how odd it looks – one is a pile of skulls, one is Melies' Man in the Moon's head underwater, and so on. We then lift the flap and lo and behold we're looking at the real thing and not the artistic illusion the creatures and book's creators have conspired to imply. Lifting and unfolding more we get to the facts – the statistics for the critters (the sunfish can weigh two tons and be the height of an elephant) – and a proper written introduction to the bizarre nature of what mother nature has come up with.

I did guess the surprise answer here to what is oddest, but more importantly I think the book had not one but two missed opportunities. The Plastic Patches that are reaching continental size – they could have been mentioned here, for even though they do not fit the biological brief they are bloody weird and bloody important to be taught about. Also, I have to say this of every book that devotes itself to superlatives in the world of botany and biology – they should by default have just one simple spread explaining the science of evolution to show us how and why these oddities were formed. It was annoying to have to say it in so many reviews, and it's just as annoying now one such book has actually done what I wanted.

Still, this volume at hand is a very fine one, well-produced with a good, quirky concept and some very well-crafted artwork. The paper engineering will need to be good – I saw it digitally – for this will be one in routine use in the school libraries it's destined for.

This book was a hit for my and my son! The illustrations are beautiful, and I appreciate that you can pick and choose which content to read to your kid depending on age and/or level of attention at that particular moment. I really enjoyed the added layer of illustrations that imagined the animal as something else- like a rock with a bow or a swan doing ballet. Very nice touch! My kid had me go through this book with him three times in a row. The last time, we Googled pictures of the animals in real life- it's always nice when a book sparks further engagement! We will pick up a copy of this book for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is really something special.
The Strangest Thing in the Sea is a guessing game in book form that goes through a list of very weird creatures in the ocean to figure out what the strangest thing in the sea really is. It is phenomenal! I've always had a fascination with the ocean, and young me would have gone wild for this book. Current me is going wild for this book! You can tell that this book is written by someone who really loves the creatures they're writing about. Each creature describes itself, and each one has a distinct voice. It's educational yet conversational, chock full of facts about strange sea creatures. I was pleased that this book talked about creatures I've never even heard of, like Barreleye Fish (how was THIS not the weirdest?), Giant Larvacean, Siphonophore, and more, instead of the usual sea creatures found in kid's books. I guarantee you'll learn something new and have fun doing it!

The true shining stars of this book are the illustrations. I mean, they are BEYOND. Absolutely gorgeous, stunning, amazing. I want prints of the illustrations all over my walls.

I highly recommend this book to anybody, especially those who love weird creatures, the ocean, and learning something new!