Review
I'm a very new Steve Jenkins devotee - just having read two of his books for this first time yesterday and today - this one and Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. As is my custom when I discover a new author I search obsessively for everything I can find out about them. Luckily the internet makes stalking so much easier and Steve has his own website. Jenkins says that he has gotten the ideas for most of his book from the questions that his three children have asked him over the years. That makes total sense because his books have a perfect balance of information to satisfy a curious child combined with enough whimsy to entertain.
In this book we encounter eighteen different animals and learn about their various survival techniques which can make them dangerous and potentially lethal to humans. As Jenkins says in his introduction we all know that large predatory animals like tigers and sharks are dangerous, but what about a cuddly black bear cub? A common yellow tropical fish? Or a brilliant spotted octopus small enough to fit in the palm of your hand? The purpose of this book isn't to make children fearful of animals, but instead to inform and instill a healthy sense of respect and awe for wild creatures.
ETA: A nice companion piece to this book National Geographic's television show Deadly Dozen - particularly the episode featuring Australia.
In this book we encounter eighteen different animals and learn about their various survival techniques which can make them dangerous and potentially lethal to humans. As Jenkins says in his introduction we all know that large predatory animals like tigers and sharks are dangerous, but what about a cuddly black bear cub? A common yellow tropical fish? Or a brilliant spotted octopus small enough to fit in the palm of your hand? The purpose of this book isn't to make children fearful of animals, but instead to inform and instill a healthy sense of respect and awe for wild creatures.
ETA: A nice companion piece to this book National Geographic's television show Deadly Dozen - particularly the episode featuring Australia.
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