Have you ever heard of a teuthologist? It’s someone who studies cephalopods, like octopuses and squids. In a new ocean-themed kids’ book by brother-sister duo Amy Seto Forrester and Andy Chou Musser, Search for a Giant Squid: Pick Your Path, readers get to assume the role of this special scientist. The choose-your-own-adventure-style pages invite emerging readers to take a journey to the ocean’s twilight zone to look for the evasive creature in its natural habitat. In a STEM-filled expedition of fiction and non-fiction, readers first pick their submersible, pilot, and dive site, and then the adventure begins! No matter which outcome is chosen, an opportunity presents itself for instruction about the vast world of marine biology and the people who study it.
Search for a Giant Squid may pique the curiosity of fans of other choose-your-own-story books, who are interested in learning about creatures, or who enjoy the programming and publications of National Geographic. The bright, graphic-paneled imagery may appeal to comic book lovers while offering visual appeal to reluctant readers. Inclusive characters help Forrester and Musser’s readership see themselves reflected on the page.
Audiences will also enjoy:
- A catchy squid themed sing-along
- A live art demonstration by Andy
- Stories from squid expert Elaina Jorgensen, who will recall life on a research vessel, making art while on expeditions, describing a new species of octopuses, and more.
The book is geared toward the younger crowd, but audiences of all ages will be entertained and learn something new in the process!
Amy Seto Forrester is a youth services supervising librarian at Eugene Public Library (OR) who is passionate about diverse, engaging books for developing readers. She has a background in the performing arts and a love of puzzles, mazes, and other forms of interactive learning. Amy and her brother, Andy Chou Musser, have been creating projects together since childhood. Search for a Giant Squid is their first book together.
Andy Chou Musser is a picture book maker and animator who calls Seattle home. His debut picture book, A Home Under the Stars, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators of L.A. Andy is excited to be collaborating on two different book series launching in 2023. Search for a Giant Squid is the first book in the Science Explorers series, created with his sister Amy Seto Forrester. The first book in the Ploof series, co-written and co-illustrated with Ben Clanton, lauches in the fall of 2023.
Elaina Jorgensen, Ph.D., is a cephalopod expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is the author of the Field Guide to Squids and Octopods of the Eastern North Pacific and Bering Sea.
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