FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dive into these colossal pages and swim among huge slithery creatures with big, open jaws. Just like last season's sales sensation Life-Size Dinosaurs, this undersea adventure, with its 10 awe-inspiring, pull-out flaps, takes you on a fantastic voyage.

What lives beneath the waves? Find out, in an exciting and unique exploration of oceans, rivers, and lakes. Life-size, fold-out pictures bring you face to face with such extraordinary beasts as the deadly, black banded sea krait and carry you into a great white shark's "jaws of death." Examine the sawfish's saw--shown in actual size--which slices and dices its prey. Enter the ocean's "twilight zone" that lies deep, deep below the surface. Visit the thriving coral reefs where bright and beautiful fish swim amid lush plants. From giant squids and barracuda to Portuguese man-of-war fish and eels who cross the Atlantic just to give birth, each one has an incredible story to tell. And as an added bonus, the reverse of the jacket is a poster of a great white shark!

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Large pages; a toothy cover; and many gatefolds showcasing jaws, spines, and tentacles will certainly catch youngsters' attention. Snippets of data accompany the dramatic, colorful illustrations and offer enough information for casual browsers. However, there are a few problems. The "sawfish" pictured is a "saw shark" (sawfish do not have barbels, saw sharks do). Dentition depicted (much with gory traces of red) does not always match detailed descriptions in standard reference works. The blue-ringed octopus lacks his defining blue rings. And so it goes. Yes, the back of the dust jacket provides a "life-size poster" of a great white's bloody jaws, but is this enough? For thrill-seekers, maybe.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.