Monsters in the Briny

K-Gr 2–Some very brave young mariners encounter all sorts of mythical sea monsters in this merry and musical celebration of sailor lore. Sung to the tune of “What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor?” the tale involves a tall ship’s crew as the members come across a grumpy kraken, a scruffy sea goat, a sickly serpent, a tearful turtle, and a hungry hydra. In every case the sailors provide comfort and assistance to the beastie. The sea goat feels much better after a makeover, the serpent needed tucking into bed, and the hydra wanted some fishy snacks. After they help all the monsters, it is the sailors’ turn to be grumpy as their ship ends up capsized anyway! The monsters come together to help out their new human buddies. Fans of cryptozoology and the high seas will love the exuberant illustrations; the young mariners are diverse and high-spirited. The catchy sea shanty is imminently hummable, and a page of sheet music is included. Alliteration, rhyming, and clever wordplay support language arts lessons, all while introducing new nautical vocabulary.