The sea is the best field for data. – Charles Fort.

Okay, in celebration of today – August 7th – being the official “Sea Serpent Day” – here above is a humorous take on the events of the next 24 hours from cartoonist Charles Berlin, creator of the world explorer character Professor Wexler.

M.T. Anderson’s “Serpent Came to Gloucester” (Candlewick, 2005) recounts in rhyming verse the early-19th-century sighting of a mysterious sea serpent off the coast of Gloucester. Inspired by real-life reports, Anderson writes from the perspective of a boy who witnesses the creature’s visitations and is secretly pleased when it evades glory-seeking hunters. Perfect for reading aloud on a moonlit night along the shore where waves and monsters can be glimpsed in the distance.The Boston Globe, August 2, 2007.