ALA Booklist

Davies takes advantage of her zoological expertise to inform readers not only how certain animals have the potential to kill humans but also how they kill one another. Included are the expected animal baddies, such as wolves and sharks, but also the innocuous looking mantis shrimp and peregrine falcon. The most entertaining lethal adaptations are described in detail, including a bombardier beetle's explosive backside and the poison arrow frog's noxious skin. As expected, considering the topic, Layton's wacky cartoon illustrations are a bit graphic. But they also elevate the text to a high-interest timbre, offering an irreverent wink that kids will find irresistible. While on the surface it is a book of animal facts and trivia, a coherent message is implied throughout at although some animals may be scary or ferocious, ecosystems are built on interdependence, and conservation efforts must include all creatures in any given environment.

Kirkus Reviews

Davies (Talk, Talk, Squawk!, 2011) rips viciously into another popular topic with this gallery of animals "decked out for killing"--from tiny venomous spiders to big cats for whom humans are just slow-moving "meals-on-legs." Dishing up appetizing facts and observations ("The pack may start to eat even before their victim is actually dead"), the author opens big with "Killer Cats," feral canines, sharks and other carnivorous macro-creatures. Then she seats a guest list of such smaller fry as owls, snakes, "[t]eeny and [t]oxic" box jellyfish and spiders around Nature's table, leaving room for latecomers with defense mechanisms like noxious sprays (bombardier beetle) or poison skin (puffer fish). Following delicious cautionary notes about smart and stupid human behavior around wild animals (and an off-flavored remark about the dangers of working in "poor tropical countries"), she rounds out the banquet with assorted amuse-bouches relating to the importance of predators to ecosystems and the potential uses of venoms in medical research. Layton garnishes his doodled cartoons with can't-end-well dialogue ("here snakey, snakey…") in balloons and occasional splashes of gore. Despite all this, all these creatures look like Twinkies next to the unmentioned microbial clan. Easily digestible, if not particularly nutritious. (index, glossary) (Nonfiction. 7-9)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Nature isn-t always pretty-in fact, sometimes it-s 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-s 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 -sprays boiling toxic liquid out of its rear end,- and a crocodile devours a bespectacled zebra (-The crocodile then performs the so-called -death roll,- clamping its jaws around a body part-such as a head or leg-and spinning in the water to twist it off-). 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-up. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6 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