Deadly! The Truth About the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth

Nature isn%E2%80%99t always pretty%E2%80%94in fact, sometimes it%E2%80%99s downright nasty. In this squat volume, the sixth nature-themed collaboration from this duo, Davies strikes a light tongue-in-cheek tone to explore hostile animal behavior. Layton%E2%80%99s characteristically deadpan cartoons show animals using an arsenal of defense mechanisms and demonstrating predatory prowess. A viper injects poison into a mouse, a bombardier beetle %E2%80%9Csprays boiling toxic liquid out of its rear end,%E2%80%9D and a crocodile devours a bespectacled zebra (%E2%80%9CThe crocodile then performs the so-called %E2%80%98death roll,%E2%80%99 clamping its jaws around a body part%E2%80%94such as a head or leg%E2%80%94and spinning in the water to twist it off%E2%80%9D). While educating readers about the fascinating ways animals kill one another, Davies also speaks to the importance of nature conservation and the human impact on wildlife. Ages 8%E2%80%93up. (Mar.)