“Finding Bigfoot: Everything You Need to Know”
By Martha Brockenbrough; Fiewel and Friends, 149 pages
For anyone who has ever wanted to track Bigfoot, this book is for you. Taking its cue from the popular Animal Planet show “Finding Bigfoot,” this guide to all things sasquatch will inform and entertain believers and non-believers alike.
While this title was written with a younger audience in mind, “Finding Bigfoot” has what I call great crossover appeal: both kids and adults can find much to enjoy. Whether you fall in the “Bigfoot is real” or “Bigfoot is fake” camp, this fun guide has information aplenty. Also, the slightly larger format, intriguing photographs, and snappy factoids add pop to a much debated topic. Have you ever wondered if it’s even possible for such a large, hairy beast to exist? The book explores this question, pointing out that other oversized beings already live on this planet such as the giant panda and the giant squid. The next logical question might be, “If Bigfoot does exist, why don’t more people see it?” To help answer this query, the author, Martha Brockenbrough, offers up the fascinating example of the coelacanth. Thought to be extinct since the time of the dinosaurs, two different varieties of coelacanth were discovered — first in 1938 then again in 1997. A prehistoric fish is not Bigfoot, but it is a compelling illustration of a very elusive creature living among us.
Readers will find out that while the Pacific Northwest may have the market cornered on Bigfoot sightings, the idea of wild ape men exists worldwide. They might be known by different names — sasquatch, yeti, abominable snowman, skunk ape — but they share certain similarities. All are described as being hairy, large and very shy, and their footprints are, well, big. Come to think of it, I think I’ve known some people who fit this description. Well, I digress.
To help clear up the often fuzzy picture of sasquatch, the author presents a variety of bigfoot information. From the wild man’s diet (he’s most likely an omnivore) to the plethora of Bigfoot hoaxes (amazing how much a ghillie suit — a type of camouflage clothing worn by the military — resembles something beast-like ), yeti fans and skeptics can find something to pique their curiosity.
