The Strange FriendsLibrary
Stories of cryptids, folklore, curious creatures, and the lessons they teach us.
Come in. Find a friend.Every strange friend has a story.
Choose a book. There’s a little wonder waiting inside.
Slide along the shelves to find more friends.
Explore the Atlas
Follow a free map into the places behind the legends.
Come explore
Meet the Creatures
A free field guide to folklore and real-world nature.
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Parents & Educators
Shared reading ideas. Story purchases stay in the Parent Area.
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About the Author
Meet the curious mind behind these strange friends.
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Goodbye Nessie
A little world between the pages.
A tiny friend in a tide pool becomes a very big part of a child’s life. But as Nessie grows, loving her means finding the courage to let her go.
- Turn the pages and watch the scenes unfold.
- Touch the creatures and discover little surprises.
- Read on your own, listen, or read along.
A story about loving, growing, and letting go.
Meet the Creatures
Who inspired these strange friends?
Open the field guide →The stories people tell
In New Jersey, the Jersey Devil can be a frightening forest creature—or a protector of the Pinelands. Different tellers give the same legend different roles.
Compare the versions →The things people report
A dark shape on a lake is an observation. Calling it Nessie is an explanation. Size, distance, and a clearer view can help us decide what a report really tells us.
Look into the Nessie story →The questions we can ask
A footprint can remain after an animal leaves. Count the toes, notice its shape, and look for the next print. What does the whole trail tell you?
Try tracks and signs →Our storybooks are imaginative adventures. Our field guide explores where the legends began, what people have reported, and what the evidence does—and does not—tell us.
A little key for curious explorers
- Folklore
- Stories and traditions that people pass on
- Reported Sighting
- Someone’s account of what they believe they saw
- Documented Hoax
- Evidence shown to have been deliberately faked
- Possible Explanation
- An idea to investigate, not a settled answer
- Unresolved
- Not enough information to decide; not proof of a cryptid
A curious mind.
A place for gentle stories.
More strange things are on the way.
Phone & tablet adventures
Strange Friends apps are planned for a future chapter. For now, the library is right here in your browser.
Coming soon
Little keepsakes from the library
Cozy companions, coloring pages, and paper adventures are taking shape.
Coming soon · not yet availablePeek at the planned keepsakes
Early previews of a future collection.
