Deadly!: The Truth About the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth (Animal Science) - Softcover

Davies Nicola

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1406345415 ISBN 13: 9781406345414

Publisher: Walker, 2013

Synopsis

Meet the animal kingdom's most competent killers! Stabbing and strangling, poisoning and drowning, electrocuting, exploding, dive-bombing and even death by glueing! Throughout the animal kingdom, creatures great and small have evolved to become masters of murder: from dive-bombing peregrine falcons to exploding carpenter ants, electric eels to spitting cobras. The ingenious and often hilarious means of survival that both predators and prey employ are entertainingly explored in this celebration of all things deadly. With fantastically funny illustrations by Neal Layton and clear, informative explanations and advice on how we can all peaceably share our world, this book cannot fail to enlighten and engross.

About this title

About the Author

Nicola Davies is a zoologist and writer. She graduated from Cambridge in zoology before going on to work in television and is now the author of numerous non-fiction books including Poo; Big Blue Whale; Gaia Warriors; Surprising Sharks and Ice Bear, as well as the Silver Street Farm series. Nicola lives in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. Visit her website at www.nicola-davies.com. Neal Layton has illustrated over forty books for children, including the other books in this series - Poo, Extreme Animals, What's Eating You? and Just the Right Size. Neal uses all sorts of different media to make his illustrations: pencils, paint, pens, ink, pieces of collage, biros, photocopiers, cameras, a computer, bits of stick, old toothbrushes, dough, hair, leaves, anything that comes to hand... His books have won the Smarties Prize and been shortlisted for the Red House Book Awards, the Blue Peter Book Awards and the Booktrust Early Years Award. Neal lives in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Visit his website at www.neallayton.com

Review

Written in an informative conversational style, this book is enhanced by Neal Layton's comic illustrations complete with speech bubbles and lashings of gore. * Bookseller * a book that expertly balances serious fact and silliness * CBI recommended reads of 2012 * This humorous and fact-filled book is chock-full of fun. From ants to grizzly bears, from beetles to falcons, these poisonous and armed-and-dangerous creatures will delight young readers. With hilarity and information, the opening pages describe the HDR, or Human Deadliness Rating, of various creatures. The book is enhanced with full-page illustrations and cartoon panels that lighten the text and make the content less alarming. The descriptions of "the ways animals kill each other" are handled flawlessly for children. It's important to note that the book also addresses the crucial roles predators play in their various ecosystems, how humans are threatening some habitats, how some of the poisons are actually lifesaving, and how humans have a responsibility to keep all of these animals safe. The illustration-filled index and glossary add to the book's usefulness. Teachers and librarians looking to teach the Common Core Standards and expository writing will delight in this book and the dynamic way it will engage children.-Nancy Jo Lambert, Ruth Borchardt Elementary, Plano, TX * School Library Journal * Lots of gruesome, intriguing facts in this chatty natural history book, which are accompanied by humorous illustrations. An entertaining book for young animal enthusiasts and fans of fun non-fiction * Booktrust *

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1406345415
• ISBN 13: 9781406345414
• Binding: Paperback