Do you like your monsters hairy, slimy, fire-breathing, blood-sucking, gigantic or tiny? Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. They come from all over the world and have been around since the beginning of storytelling. What makes a monster? Do they really exist? In Monsters, the second book in the Strange Science series, author Sylvia Funston explores the myths, legends and truths behind the startlingly strange stories of real and imagined monsters. Did You Know: The ancient Chinese told stories of Gong-Gong, a great-horned monster that ripped holes in the sky, causing floods and great changes in the weather? Iroquois legends tell of evil stone giants, known as Chenoo, whose broken stone bodies can still be seen piled up at the base of a cliff? In old Scandinavian tales, trolls are monstrous beings who haunt the woods at night? They were doomed to live by moonlight like vampires, turning to stone if exposed to sunlight. Monsters looks at legendary monsters, such as dragons and griffins, hairy monsters, like Sasquatch, and sea monsters like the giant kraken, the mightiest sea monster of all! Then there are real monsters such as the elusive giant squid, oozing slime molds (they're alive!) and blood-sucking parasites. Meet the one-eyed giant Polyphemus from Greek mythology, the Bunyip, an evil stalker of Australian swamps, Dracula, the Loch Ness Monster, Frankenstein's monster and Big Foot. Find out why monsters were blamed for storms, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, and were thought to cause disease and illnesses. Alive with wonderful color photos and illustrations, and even a thrilling monster chase board game, Monsters is jam-packed with humorous and real scientific information. About the Strange Science series What makes a monster? Do they really exist? In the Strange Science series, award-winning author Sylvia Funston uncovers bone-chilling tales of strange and startling phenomena. Guaranteed to make your skin crawl and your hairs stand on end, this incredible series from Owl delves into the real science behind some of the most unreal occurrences. Monsters is the second book in the series, following Mummies, published in September 2000.