The book begins with the dramatic story of Karl Schmidt, a herpetologist at the Chicago Field Museum in the 1950s who was bitten by a boomslang and died. After describing his death, the book explains the different types of venom, how snakes use it, a few more gruesome snake bite stories, and how antivenom is made. Three of the deadly snakes in the book are profiled at the end - boomslangs, king cobras, and western diamondback rattlesnakes. There is a glossary, index, brief bibliography (two titles), two more titles about snakes to read, and a sentence about the author.
There were a couple things that disappointed me about this book - I would have liked more emphasis on how snakes generally only bite people who bother them - everyone in the book who was bitten was playing with, teasing, or otherwise carelessly handling snakes. I was also disappointed that not all the snakes pictured were identified. The background of the cover is fuschia scales, which I think are just for show, but there's a picture of sort of purple/indigo snake with black and white markings eating some kind of lizard and I want to know what it is! I've never seen anything like that before! From some searching I think it might be a species of cobra? Anyways, I need more information!
Other titles in the series include frogs, lizards, scorpions, spiders, and mammals (all venomous in some way).
Verdict: While I wouldn't make this your only or primary resource on snakes and other venomous creatures, it's a fun supplemental resource and the gruesome stories will get kids interested in reading more about these cool reptiles.
ISBN: 9781684026555; Published 2018 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library
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