Deadliest snakes

Gr 6 Up-Each title provides an in-depth look at the predatory qualities of six species. There's lots of information packed into each 10-page chapter, covering the animal's physical features, range, habitat, and deadliness. The prose is lively and accessible and helps to lighten the weight of data with an engaging, conversational tone. For instance, in Deadliest Spiders, the line "the meal process is messy and gruesome, but effective" is then followed by a step-by-step description of the process. Potential danger to humans is always noted (with the exception of Dinosaurs), such as the ways each animal might harm a person and the likelihood that it might happen. Firsthand examples are often fascinating and include stories as current as 2015. The deadliness is never sensationalized, and the ways the creatures benefit ecosystems and humans are respectfully acknowledged. Three or four photographs (drawings in Dinosaurs) per chapter include full-body views, close-up photographs of key features (python jaws in Snakes and tiger claws in Mammals), and often a scene of the creature attacking prey or feasting. VERDICT First-rate nonfiction on a high-interest topic. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.