100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders 🚀

Where the Weird Things Are

An Ocean Twilight Zone Adventure
4.36 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 36 ratings, 10 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Where the Weird Things Are takes young readers on an underwater adventure with a group of marine creatures exploring mysterious and peculiar environments of the ocean. Guided by the experienced scientists of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the charming story highlights teamwork and curiosity in discovering the hidden wonders beneath the sea. This engaging book combines fun illustrations with educational insights, sparking fascination and learning.
Read More
Format: Hardback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Where the Weird Things Are. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this delightful read if you have a curious child fascinated by the ocean's mysteries and wonders. The book takes young readers on an adventure through the ocean's depths, introducing them to some of the most unusual and intriguing sea creatures. It's perfect for sparking imagination and a love for marine biology.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Join Meso, an intrepid underwater robot, on its very first expedition to explore the ocean twilight zone, and meet all the weird, wild, and wonderful creatures that live there!

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Join Meso, an intrepid underwater robot, on its very first expedition to explore the ocean twilight zone, and meet all the weird, wild, and wonderful creatures that live there!

Meet Meso, an underwater explorer robot, as it’s launched into the mysterious ocean twilight zone. In the cold, dark waters, Meso will discover all sorts of unusual and wonderful creatures, and learn that we’re all weird in our own ways … and that’s a very good thing!

Where the Weird Things Are is inspired by the Mesobot project, a collaborative effort of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Stanford University, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Mesobot uses cameras and lights to noninvasively follow ocean animals that inhabit the ocean’s depths, enabling biologists to study their behavior over extended periods for the first time ever!

FUN AND FACT-FILLED: Written by award-winning deep-sea scientist Zoleka Filander and the team at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, this lovely story is packed with real information about life under the sea

FASCINATING ANIMALS: Get an up close look at some of the strangest creatures in the sea, like the strawberry squid that glows pink, the anglerfish that has its own built-in flashlight, and the salps that clean up the ocean . . . with their poop

WEIRD IS WONDERFUL: Just like each unique animal helps create a diverse and healthy underwater environment, young readers will learn that strangeness is strength, and while everyone is different, everyone belongs

EXTENDED LEARNING: Includes an 8-page “Creature Feature” section filled with fascinating facts about the real-life Mesobot, the ocean twilight zone, and all the ocean animals encountered in the story

TAKE THE QUIZ: Includes a link to the “Find Your Weird” quiz to discover which ocean creature is as wonderfully strange as you (visit keepitweird.us)

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781647225889

Publisher: Insight Editions

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 22 February 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Insight Editions

Illustration: Colour Throughout

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Width: 203.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 32

About the Author

Patricia Hooning is a Dutch illustrator with a deep love for weird & quirky (sea) creatures. After growing up by the North Sea, she became a designer and started illustrating children’s books, apparel, stationery, board games and many other fun things under the name ‘Fishuals’. Patricia lives with her husband and daughter near Amsterdam in The Netherlands.

Zoleka Filander is a deep-sea scientist who studies the weird and wonderful creatures that live at the bottom of the ocean in the waters around her homeland of South Africa. She has led expeditions where she has spent many months at sea discovering more about South Africa's uncharted oceans. Her work has helped establish a network of offshore marine protected areas and has earned her multiple national, regional, and international awards.

Also by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

View all
  • Pre-order
    Undersea Explorer Activity Pack
    Complete with a marker set and two pads filled with dozens of activities, this underwater pack will keep kids entertained on the go while teaching them about our oceans.With nearly a hundred games, puzzles, coloring pages, and activities, this activity pack has everything young ocean explorers need to have fun. The included marker set and two activity pads come in...
    Set
    $2899
    Pre-order
    Out 15 Sep 2026

More from Children's Books

View all
  • New Release
    Royalslinger
    K Pop Demon Hunters fans will love this! Graci Kim is back with the second book in her exciting and fantastical Slinger series where dragons and phoenixes roam the skies of Seoul; meals magically appear based on your mood; and dreams literally come to life. Praise for Dreamslinger: “A mind-blowingly original fantasy adventure—Graci Kim has done it again!”—Rick Riordan, New York Times #1...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Detective Beans and the Map of Mystery
    Enjoy this new DETECTIVE BEANS adventure in the bestselling and award-winning graphic novel series by Li Chen! Your favourite kitten detective is back with a new mystery to solve . . . and treasure to find! When Captain Scuttlebeard gives Beans a treasure map, Beans is determined to find the prize at the end. The clues take him all over...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2200
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Mei Mei the Bunny
    New Release
    Mei Mei the Bunny
    Mei Mei the Bunny is Laufey's picture book debut about a bunny learning to believe in herself through music. Experience a heartwarming tale of self-belief in this enchanting picture book by GRAMMY Award-winning musician Laufey. Meet Mei Mei, a little bunny with a big dream—to spread joy through her music! As her debut recital at the H'Opera House draws near,...
    By Laufey
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Hunted: Wolf Girl 15
    Just when Wolf Girl is finally reunited with her father, he is torn away from her once more, and Gwen vows to stop at nothing to track him down. But danger is closing in: a giant snow leopard and a mysterious hooded figure are hot on their trail. As Gwen and the pack race through deep caverns to snowy peaks,...
    By Anh Do
    Paperback
    $1699
    Elsewhere:
    $1899
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    What If You Could
    From the former prime minister of New Zealand comes a guide for teens on chasing your dreams and embracing the unexpected qualities that truly make a person strong. When Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand, she was one of the youngest people in the world leading a country. Many people thought she would never succeed — herself included....
    Paperback
    $2599
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove
    Eleven-year-old Lonasei is lonely — she wishes her older sister Eva Grace wasn't so mean, and that her mum Aria didn't have to work so much. But when Aria inherits her childhood home, Lonasei discovers she can enter her late Aunt Malia's paintings and experience the memories within. Through them, she discovers that her mother had another sister, Agnes, who went...
    Paperback
    $2199
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dawn Raid: The Apology
    This sequel to Dawn Raid follows Sofia Savea’s family, 50 years later, as Sofia's grandson becomes involved in the quest for a government apology. INVERCARGILL, 2020 Wow, I thought I knew a bit about the dawn raids, but this is HUGE. It happened to my OWN family and I never knew! I had no idea that Granfia and her family...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2099
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Big Bang Bread
    New Release
    Big Bang Bread
    In this time-travel storybook and cookbook with a cosmic twist, take a journey through time and space to discover the secrets of baking! Did you know that bread is made from stardust? Board the rocket and blast off on an adventure through time and space to discover the secrets of a home-baked loaf! Big Bang Bread is a kids' time-travel...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • B is for Bird
    From award-winning artist, Lily Emo, comes a beautiful celebration of birds. Paired with a fun rhyming story, gorgeous illustrations, and fold-out pages, this book is set to be a favourite for everyone and the perfect gift. Make your way through the alphabet with this stunning book featuring a cast of familiar birds. From albatross to fantails, gannets to quail, and...
    Hardback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    Backorder
    Ships mid August
  • Signed Copy
    New Release
    The Curse of the Carnivorous Cactuses
    (Sam: Nothing could be as bad as being covered in icky purple blobs ... wait, what does carnivorous mean again?) The gang is determined to defeat Glam-Evil and her nasty curses so that they can save their park and get back for Shackleton and Amelia's very first sleepover. But Glam-Evil has a few new tricks up her ultravillainous sleeve ......
    Paperback
    $1400
    Elsewhere:
    $1499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Bluey: Rain
    On Sale
    17% off
    New Release
    Bluey: Rain
    It's raining! Bluey is trying to dam the water in the front yard, but does she need Mum's help? Join Bluey as she plays in the water when a heavy summer rain thunders over the Heeler home. Can Mum stop Bluey from dirtying the house? Featuring: A nearly wordless picture book with visual storytelling that mimics the dialogue-free episode. A...
    By Bluey
    Hardback
    $1500
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Ed Sheeran
    Discover talented singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's life story, from writing his first song aged just 11 to becoming a global superstar! Ed Sheeran's love of music began in childhood in Suffolk, where he sang in a church choir and taught himself guitar while still at primary school. Little Ed was bullied at school, but his music gave him confidence and a...
    Hardback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.