Bigfoot and Other Legendary Creatures

Monsters and fantastical creatures have long been the stuff of youngsters' most vivid fantasies. Here Walker ( The Method ) plays to those imaginings in an unusual blend of fiction and nonfiction starring seven legendary creatures from Bigfoot to the Kongamato--a pterodactyl-like creature said to live in southern Africa. Each appears in a hair-raising fictional encounter between a child and that creature, followed by a brief summary of the evidence for its actual existence. An introduction cites examples of large animals until recently unknown to science, such as the okapi and mountain gorilla. Noonan contributes forceful watercolor ``portraits'' of each creature and pleasing sepia-toned spot art. Attractively designed--in a manner somewhat similar to Virginia Hamilton's substantial anthologies--this uncommon hybrid should find a ready audience waiting to be scared. Ages 8-up. (Mar.)