The Deadliest

November 1, 2024
A rogue's gallery of venomous spiders. Claiming that her six profiles are "for fang fans only," Spicer Rice in fact also offers broad views of the roles spiders play in food chains and ecosystems in general. She presents a sort of arachnid reality show that gives readers opportunities to pick the deadliest candidate and to come away appreciating the eight-legged horrors for their place in nature. "We have them! We need them! Let's love them!" she proposes in her frothy narrative. She notes that widow spiders come in white, red, and blue as well as black (and recluses come in shades other than brown), observes that Australian funnel-web spiders like to hide out in enclosed spaces such as shoes, and, with particular relish, details the painful, if seldom fatal, symptoms of being bitten by each of the contestants. Along with cartoon depictions of sick or terrified human victims of diverse hue, Temescu tucks in lots of close-up views of spiders, both anthropomorphic and anatomically correct, from spinnerets to "Fangs! Fangs!" All six are melodramatically posed along a "Death-O-Meter" at the end, next to a revelation that while almost no one dies from spider bites today, air pollution takes a far more lethal toll globally; even video games are deadlier. Terrifyingly informative. (drawing lesson)(Informational picture book. 6-8)

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January 1, 2025
Grades 3-6 The Deadliest series (2 titles) captures the imaginations of young readers through dynamic illustrations that incorporate comics conventions and heart-pounding narratives that focus on dangerous yet fascinating members of the animal kingdom. Each title compares six animals in a taxonomic family or order as the creatures compete in a fictional contest to determine which is the deadliest. The animals' lethal qualities get top billing, but the text also emphasizes their importance to their ecosystems. Spider provides an equally engaging look at six fearsome arachnids: the black widow, the brown recluse, the funnel-web spider, the mouse spider, the Brazilian wandering spider, and the six-eyed sand spider. Each spider's hunting techniques and venomous bite are portrayed with a mixture of fascination and fear. Both books conclude by positioning the animal contestants on a "Death-o-Meter" followed by a reveal of the "ultimate deadly"" winner, determined through carefully analyzed statistics. The entertaining presentation of material utilizes concise writing with enough dialogue, humor, and descriptive text to inform readers while letting the artwork drive much of the action, and the volumes close with a ""Draw Your Own Ultimate Deadly"" activity. A ferociously fun series.

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