Have you heard more howling than usual in your neighborhood? Are kids examining the ground for tracks and unusual scat? Bigfoot/Sasquatch Fever seems to be catching in the Pacific Northwest, in large part due to the creativity and stamina of Martha Brockenbrough and Suzanne Selfors, Washington authors who are promoting their books about elusive, large, bipedal humanoids.
Brockenbrough’s book, Finding Bigfoot: Everything You Need to Know, is a well-researched nonfiction book. It is a companion to Animal Planet’s very popular Finding Bigfoot show; personalities from the show contributed, but Brockenbrough, with her undying curiosity and in-depth research, is the real star in this book. She includes first-person accounts of sightings, scientific facts about how to interpret the evidence, and all the juicy details Bigfoot hunters could require. (What do witnesses say Bigfoot smells like? You’ll get definitive answers here.)
Selfors’ book, The Sasquatch Escape, is the first in her new middle grade series, The Imaginary Veterinary. This is an imaginative, adventurous, and entertaining story about Ben and Pearl, two kids who encounter mythical creatures. Bigfoot fans will enjoy the Sasquatch character and all the zany situations Selfors created.
The pair did a joint “Bigfoot Double Feature” at Seattle’s Queen Anne
Book Company in September. Attendees were invited to sample scatalogical treats like chocolate poopcorn. The authors awarded prizes including a Sasquatch snowglobe to the audience for answering Bigfoot trivia. After demonstrating Bigfoot vocalizations, Brockenbrough chose the best howlers to create their own footprint cast using kitty litter and quick-dry cement.
Green Bean Books in Portland has been ahead of the curve on the trend. Jennifer sent us the photo of the store’s giant Bigfoot foot, which makes appearances in the window and other displays. It’s a perfect addition to the whimsical magic of the store. (I love that Jennifer’s picture included her friend’s chihuahua to give us a sense of scale.)
If you’re interested in other Bigfoot books, here are some you might ask for at your local independent bookstore:
Bigfoot Boy: Into the Woods, a graphic novel by J. Torres and Faith Erin Hicks
and the hilarious books for adults by Graham Roumieu, Me Write Book: It Bigfoot Memoir and Bigfoot: I Not Dead. (Seth Rogan is developing an animated series based on those.)