Are you ready to celebrate National Sea Serpent Day on August 7? We all know that sea monsters are (probably) not real, but did you know that many legendary sea monsters and other mythical creatures are based on real animals? A hydra is a mythical sea monster known for being huge and having multiple heads. A real-life sea creature called a hydra appears to have multiple heads and can regrow parts of its body, but it is only about 1.2 inches (3 centimeters) long. Two legendary sea serpent sightings took place in August—Daedalus on August 6 and Gloucester later in the month. Daedalus was spotted in 1848, while Gloucester was spotted in 1817.
Make your Own Sea Monster
Supplies Needed:
Directions
Step 1
Pick out two colors of construction paper and cut them into 2-inch strips. Cut the long way off the paper, not the short, to make your strips as long as possible.
Step 2
Now, let’s have some fun! Using a stapler, create a colorful chain by alternating the paper strips.
Step 3
To create the head, make a loop, attach it with the stapler, pinch about ½ inches to anh, and staple the sea monster’s snout. You can take leftover paper and make fins or horns, attaching them to a glue stick. Add wiggle eyes and draw on a face.
Step 4
The tail is similar to create as the head. Make a loop, attaching it with the stapler, then pinching about an ½ inch to an inch and stapling it, making the sea monster’s tail. You can add a triangle on the end to make your tail stick out as much as you want.
Step 5
Add decorations such as gems or stickers and complete your sea monster.
Book Picks:
Mythical Birds & Beasts From Many Lands by Margaret Mayo
Retells traditional tales featuring mythical creatures such as the mermaid, unicorn, and phoenix.
Sea Monsters by Gary Jeffrey
Sea monsters were tough mythical creatures thought to cause deadly whirlpools and other underwater dangers. In this book, readers explore the legends of some of the most feared sea monsters, from the Scandinavian Kraken to the Loch Ness monster. Stories of the most fearsome creatures ever lurking underwater await readers in this fascinating volume.
Are Sea Monsters Real? by Ginjer L. Clarke
Did you know that the legendary Hercules fought against the hydra, a sea monster with many heads? Or is the giant squid powerful enough to use its 30-foot-long tentacles to turn a whale into prey? Enormous creatures still lurk in the depths of the ocean! Embracing children’s delight in the mythical creatures while also imparting fascinating facts about the real ones, discover the history of these unique animals and decide for yourself if you believe in sea monsters!
Mermaids by Cari Meister
Look out across the crashing waves! It’s a mysterious, beautiful mermaid diving into the ocean. Have you wondered what a mermaid eats? What does a mermaid look like? Where do they sleep? Wonder no more! Striking illustrations and matter-of-fact text take you on a deep-sea journey to learn all about mermaids.
The bedtime book of magical creatures: an introduction to more than 100 creatures from legend and folklore by Stephen Krensky
This enchanting and essential bedtime book about the world’s most fantastical creatures helps early learners learn more about their favorite beings from myths, legends, and storybooks, from fairies and mermaids to dragons and unicorns.
The Book Of Mythical Beasts & Magical Creatures by Stephen Krensky; illustrated by Pham Quang Phuc
Enter the enchanting world of mythical creatures and explore the history behind them in this beautifully illustrated compendium for kids aged 7 to 9. You’ll meet an incredible cast of mind-boggling fictional animals from all around the world. From narwhal tusks inspiring the legend of unicorns to dinosaur bones creating rumors of dragons, there is an interesting story behind every magical beast. Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures tells you everything you need to know about supernatural animals,, great and small.
Fairy Atlas: Fairy Folk Of The World by Anna Claybourne
Countries worldwide have their histories about magical people and creatures; discover regional myths and lore alongside facts that can transcend locality.
The Very Short, Entirely True History Of Mermaids by Sarah Laskow
Have you ever imagined meeting a mermaid? They may not be accurate, but people have been thinking and talking about mermaids throughout much of human history. This is the true history of why people thought they were real and how these magnificent mythological creatures have captured our imaginations for thousands of years and become part of our world.
Covers the search for animals that may or may not exist, including evidence for and against the existence of cryptids.
Bigfoot And Nessie: The Art Of Getting Noticed by Chelsea M. Campbell
Bigfoot is the only one in his family who does not like having the spotlight on him, and finds a friend in Nessie who is equally desperate to get away from all the cameras.
Curious About The Loch Ness Monster by Gillia M. Olson
Questions and answers about the Loch Ness Monster encourage inquiry-based learning for curious early elementary readers. Topics include appearance, sightings, and looking for proof. A Stay Curious! feature models research skills and doubles as a mini media literacy lesson. Includes simple infographics, glossary and index.
A bestiary featuring mythical animals such as the griffin and the chimera.
Beasts Of The Ancient World: A Kids’ Guide To Mythical Creatures, From The Sphinx To The Minotaur, Dragons To Baku by Marchella Ward
Many legendary tales are told about beasts. Whether they are dangerous to humans like the chimera, or kind and helpful like the unicorn, mythical creatures fly, swim, stomp, and slither throughout the world of myth. Dive into 23 illustrated stories from around the world and learn more about the creatures they came from, with more than 100 illustrations and photos of incredible creatures.
Unicorns by Gary Jeffrey
This book describes the myth of the unicorn, presenting a graphic retelling of a medieval tale about the creature’s powers and summaries of other tales about its origins.
Mythical Creatures by Fiona Macdonald
No young reader can put down the books in the Top 10 Worst series, which count down the worst of the worst—from the nastiest pirates to the creepiest mummies to the spookiest mysteries. Each book explores the historical facts and science behind high-interest subjects that even the most reluctant readers will want to read all about. Clear, concise text is accompanied by humorous, full-color illustrations by artist David Antram, making this series a must-have for any collection.
What Do We Know About The Chupacabra? by Pam Pollack
Early one morning in 1995, a rancher in Humacao, Puerto Rico, found three of his goats dead. The blood seemed to have been drained from their bodies. As dozens more farm animals were found dead across the island, the fear of the so-called Chupacabra–the “goat sucker”–grew. But was a mysterious cryptid responsible for all of these deaths? And if so, where would it go next?
Dragons by Matt Doeden
Look up in the sky! It’s a scaly, fire-breathing dragon. Flapping wings and jagged teeth flash as the creature swoops low and then disappears into the night. Have you ever wondered what dragons eat? Where are their lairs? How do they fly? Wonder no more! Striking illustrations and matter-of-fact text take you on an adventurous journey to learn all about dragons.
