DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Don't Mess with Me

The Strange Lives of Venomous Sea Creatures

Paul Erickson author Andrew Martinez illustrator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Tilbury House,U.S.

Published:9th Jul '19

Should be back in stock very soon

Don't Mess with Me cover

Scorpions and brown recluse spiders are fine as far as they go, but if you want daily contact with venomous creatures, the ocean is the place to be. Blue-ringed octopi, stony corals, sea jellies, stonefish, lionfish, poison-fanged blennies, stingrays, cone snails, blind remipedes, fire urchins—you can choose your poison in the ocean. Venoms are often but not always defensive weapons. The banded sea krait, an aquatic snake, wriggles into undersea caves to prey on vicious moray eels, killing them with one of the world’s most deadly neurotoxins, which it injects through fangs that resemble hypodermic needles.

"Striking photographs and informative text introduce venomous ocean-dwellers…fast facts about the 28 different species described in this tempting title…Most spreads include a boxed text headed "How Nature Works," which may describe open scientific questions, settled theories, or applications. Erickson doesn't pander to his readers: He uses appropriate terminology. Martinez's clearly captioned photographs show the creatures in their habitats; there are also diagrams and microscope images. Colorful pages and varied design add interest. Though the text in this entry in an admirable series may be challenging for young readers, the subject has guaranteed kid appeal. (timeline, further resources, glossary)" -- Kirkus Reviews
"An eye-catching and pleasingly gross introduction to venomous sea creatures, with extremely helpful back matter." -- Sheri Reda, Wilmette Public Library, IL - School Library Journal
"I like that the author explains the difference between poisonous and venomous sea creatures. I also like that they point out that some are invasive species, so you don't want them in your aquarium or released into the sea. I recommend this non-fiction book for classroom libraries, school libraries, and public libraries everywhere." -- Chat with Vera

ISBN: 9780884485513

Dimensions: 262mm x 211mm x 10mm

Weight: 436g

48 pages