Nonfiction Monday: Deadly Adorable Animals by Nadia Higgins

This is a new series called "Shock Zone, Deadly and Dangerous" and it definitely aims for the wacky/scary facts audience. Each spread features an adorable animal on the left and its deadly skills on the right with lots of eye-popping freaky facts.

The reader will learn about cute dolphins...and their serial killer behavior. Sweet little kittens...and the deadly diseases they spread. Some of the animals, like puffer fish and poison dart frogs, are ones kids will probably expect. Others, like giant otters and swans, are a bit different.

There are lots of eye-catching photographs and splashy colored graphics. Reluctant readers will scoop this one up, as will most kids who like facts, especially scary or gross ones. There are additional websites and books to peruse and a brief index.

Verdict: This is one of those books that kids will gobble up, but is it worth it? It's a very short title - only 36 pages. It's definitely not worth $20 for a library bound volume, but a paperback might easily vanish on the shelf. I will probably buy this and a few others from the series in paperback, but I think they'd make better summer reading prizes or browsing collection books.

ISBN: 9781467705981; Published March 2013 by Lerner; Egalley provided by the publisher through Netgalley; Added to the library's wishlist [updated - bought the library edition for super cheap at ALA Midwinter!]