ALA Booklist (Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

The author of Tales of the Cryptids (2006) offers a fresh, if less thoroughly illustrated, survey of 50 of the world's legendary (or at least really elusive) residents. Coverage is very similar, though there are some new additions, such as the aquatic Buru lizard and the Wolfman of Illinois' Chestnut Mountain. Each of the alphabetically arranged entries opens with a "reality rating" ranging from one star (definitely bogus) to six (proven real), adds a descriptive note imprudently labeled a "factoid," and then quotes or paraphrases eyewitness accounts. Spears adds sketchy black-and-white images loosely based on common descriptions, generally of a skull and full or mostly full body portraits of an adult and a juvenile. A mixture of real animals, such as the coelacanth, and proven hoaxes, like the Cardiff Giant, lends at least a veneer of credibility to Nessie, the chupacabra, Pukwudgies, Yetis, and the swamp monsters and giant sea creatures of diverse types filling out the cast. Skeptics and believers alike will find the cryptid typology and reading list at the back helpful.

Kirkus Reviews

A collection of creepy cryptids for the courageous connoisseur.This alphabetic encyclopedia of 50 creatures rates each from one to six stars, where one is a confirmed hoax (Australia's Drop Bear, a killer koala conceived to scare tourists) and six is a creature once known as a cryptid that is now accepted as real (Peru's Isothrix barbarabrownae, an elusive tree squirrel). In addition, Halls classifies each by type: aerial, aquatic, humanoid, etc., and offers a comparison to a familiar real-world animal (e.g. the Dingonek from Kenya is "cat-like"). Along with the date and location of the first putative sighting, each entry offers a "factoid," a summary of eyewitness accounts, and usually three black-and-white pencil illustrations: the adult beast, its skull, and a baby or juvenile version. Factoids are tidbits not included in the eyewitness accounts that usually relate the beast's history. Here and there throughout the text are single-page "Cryptid Extras," including a rundown of cryptid appearances in cartoons and video games and the address of the International Museum of Cryptozoology in Portland, Maine. A list of cryptids by type, many more than are in this volume, a further reading list of books and online articles, and a glossary close this fantastical field guide.Just enough info to whet the appetites of budding cryptozoologists. (Nonfiction. 8-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Among the 50 cryptid animals and beasts introduced in this guide are some that actually do-or once did-exist. Alongside the real creatures (the extinct aquatic coelacanth and the squirrellike isothrix barbarabrownae), subjects include infamous monsters: the Chupacabra, Kraken, Bigfoot, and Mothman, as well as those less familiar, such as the -Drop Bear- (-a ferocious, large-dog-size koala cousin- that drops from the trees) and the -Loveland Frog- (a bipedal amphibian). For each subject, Halls includes a -Reality Rating,- identifying whether the creature has been determined to be real, a hoax, or somewhere in between. Spears-s ashy blue drawings have the impromptu feel of field sketches, while facts and alleged eyewitness accounts lend further credence to this fun handbook. Halls also provides a heartening message to readers: for any cryptid proven nonexistent, there are plenty of other weird and wonderful species to compensate. Ages 7-up. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Gr 2-5 For all lovers of bigfoot, ten-foot squid, and other unusual and maybe not real beasts, this "field guide" shares about 50 of these creatures known as cryptids. According to the introduction, cryptozoology is the study of real and imaginary animals that have been observed but not scientifically documented. These cryptids are listed in alphabetical order and start with a text box with first sighting, location, type of cryptid, and a reality rating with stars. One star is a hoax, and six stars means it has been proven to be real. Each entry has about three pages that include a drawing of an adult, a detail of a body part (arm, skull, tentacle), and a drawing of what the young animal looks like. Unfortunately, none of this information has cited resources to indicate where the information about each creature was found. And although there are a few pages devoted to materials for further reading and the book contains lots of detail, including eyewitness accounts that appear to create a sense of truth, how much can readers believe when even the topic is questionable? VERDICT What could have been a wonderful browsing title for lovers of strange beasts is visually unappealing with a disappointing format. Small size, dense text, and pen drawings will not draw excited young readers into this title. A larger format with some color would have been a wonderful addition but in this format, most readers will be disappointed or bored. Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City