Early Book Review: Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish by David Liittschwager

I received a sample of Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish by David Liittschwager, which is scheduled for release on April 5 2022. My review is based on that sample, not the full book.  

This is a book of photography that reveals the unnerving beauty of three notoriously mysterious sea creatures--the jellyfish, octopus, and seahorse--and how they perceive the world. The jellyfish, the octopus, and the seahorse are among the most wondrous species on Earth--as well as some of the most difficult to document using traditional photography methods. This collection showcases 200 of Liittschwager’s most revealing photographs, paired with penetrating essays that explain how a creature without a brain or without bones perceives the world. Bestselling science writers Elizabeth Kolbert, Jennifer Holland, and Olivia Judson explain the biology and advanced cognitive abilities of these spineless denizens of the deep, exquisitely evoking their unnerving yet undeniable charisma. In these pages, you’ll glimpse a seahorse only half an inch tall, a moon jelly spinning off a snowflake-shaped clone, and the blinking comb jelly, which may be the most ancient living animal on Earth. Both enlightening and profound, this book documents the expanding frontiers of marine science, creating a powerful testament to the value and beauty of these little-seen--and endangered--species.

Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish is a book that captured and kept my attention with the stunning photography. I was amazed by the images on the page, and then glad to see the information about each of the creatures on the page. While jellyfish might not be my favorite swimming partner, I have always been fascinated by their movements and grace in the water. The brilliance of the octopus and the fragility and size of the seahorse have always captured my attention as well. Getting to see them all in such stunning photographs with some information about their nature that I have not known before made this book a must read for me. I am eager to see it in bookstores and libraries. I think this will be a great book for anyone interested in the subject matter and the photography.