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    A Riddle of Eels

    Author Nicholas Day
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    Audio | Listening Library
    On sale Sep 08, 2026 | 10 Minutes | 9798217352708
    Preschool - 3
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    From the author of the Sibert Medal–winning The Mona Lisa Vanishes and the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book Mel Fell comes a slippery, wondrous exploration of a mysterious misfit: the eel. Often misunderstood, the eel has baffled scientists and befuddled philosophers for centuries.

    You’d think a book about eels would tell you everything you need to know about eels: where they’re born, how they grow, where they live, where they die. But the truth is far stranger: the more we think we know about eels, the more the mysterious creature wriggles away, leaving even experts scratching their heads.

    And maybe this book tells you a few things about Eels. We know, for instance, that they are fish even though they look like snakes. But how can we ever know if we've got the complete picture on anything? Why are we so certain of our knowledge...till we're not? 

    With humor and expressive, bright illustrations, this book blends science and history to illuminate a real-life mystery that has puzzled great minds from Aristotle to Freud. Perfect for inquisitive readers and fans of weird-but-true stories, here is a celebration of curiosity and the unknown by a Sibert Medalist and a Caldecott Honoree--it reminds us that some questions are more magical when they don’t have simple answers.
    © Isaiah Day
    NICHOLAS DAY is the author of The Mona Lisa Vanishes, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction. His debut picture book, Nothing: John Cage and 4’33”, was illustrated by Chris Raschka. He has written regularly for Slate; his work has also appeared in the Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his family. View titles by Nicholas Day

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    From the author of the Sibert Medal–winning The Mona Lisa Vanishes and the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book Mel Fell comes a slippery, wondrous exploration of a mysterious misfit: the eel. Often misunderstood, the eel has baffled scientists and befuddled philosophers for centuries.

    You’d think a book about eels would tell you everything you need to know about eels: where they’re born, how they grow, where they live, where they die. But the truth is far stranger: the more we think we know about eels, the more the mysterious creature wriggles away, leaving even experts scratching their heads.

    And maybe this book tells you a few things about Eels. We know, for instance, that they are fish even though they look like snakes. But how can we ever know if we've got the complete picture on anything? Why are we so certain of our knowledge...till we're not? 

    With humor and expressive, bright illustrations, this book blends science and history to illuminate a real-life mystery that has puzzled great minds from Aristotle to Freud. Perfect for inquisitive readers and fans of weird-but-true stories, here is a celebration of curiosity and the unknown by a Sibert Medalist and a Caldecott Honoree--it reminds us that some questions are more magical when they don’t have simple answers.

    Author

    © Isaiah Day
    NICHOLAS DAY is the author of The Mona Lisa Vanishes, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction. His debut picture book, Nothing: John Cage and 4’33”, was illustrated by Chris Raschka. He has written regularly for Slate; his work has also appeared in the Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his family. View titles by Nicholas Day

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