Little monsters of the ocean: Metamorphosis under the waves by Heather L. Montgomery

Most kids are familiar with the metamorphosis of butterflies and frogs - there are plenty of stories about them, both real and imaginary, and they may even have watched the process in their classroom. Unless they ran across an old copy of Pagoo though, they probably never encountered the complex and fascinating world of metamorphosis under the sea. Montgomery plunges right in, exploring the different ways sea creatures metamorphose and how this process fits into their own and other life cycles. Readers will learn what plankton really is, how giant clams, jellyfish, and crabs get to their final forms, and much, much more.

The book is dense, packing a lot of information into 50 pages, but photographs and helpful facts sprinkle the pages, breaking up the information, which is written in Montgomery's readable and interesting style. Back matter includes an author's note, talking about her research process and the excitement of unanswered questions, a chart of life stages, glossary, bibliography, further resources, websites, index, and acknowledgement.

Verdict: This won't be for everyone, and like many of Lerner's more dense science titles it's a bit expensive, but future microbiologists and marine biologists will find this an invaluable resource and a fascinating and inspiring read.

ISBN: 9781541528987; Published January 2019 by Millbrook/Lerner; Borrowed from another library in my consortium