Review - Hidden Dangers: Seek and Find 13 of the World's Deadliest Animals

Hidden Dangers: Seek and Find 13 of the World's Deadliest Animals
by Lola M. Schaefer
illustrated by Tymn Armstrong
Date: 2017
Publisher: Chronicle Books (CA)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

These 13 deadly creatures can be difficult to spot until you're right on top of them . . . or they're right on top of you. Look for each animal in its environment--look closely!--and learn all the ways you could perish--or survive--depending on how smart, well-informed, and good at running away you are. From the deathstalker scorpion and the poison dart frog to wasps, alligators, and many more, young readers will gain a new appreciation for the animal kingdom, and the dangers it hides in plain sight!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Who thought this book would be a good idea? No, seriously, I'm asking. If the goal was to make kids aware of all the horrible ways they could die when they step out their front door, then this book did what it set out to do. But if it intended to promote a safe love of the outdoors, it failed miserably. Had I read this as a child, I never would've wanted to set foot outside again.

It's kind of alarmist, really. I'm apparently supposed to be afraid of random moose attacking me because I live in Canada (apparently, you have to worry about this if you're merely near Canada). I guess I also have to worry about bald eagles and grizzly bears. I'm also a bit confused as to why porcupines are in this book, since it's supposed to be about deadly animals, not just ones who can make your day miserable.

The only thing I really got out of this book was, "Everything out there has the potential to kill you, and probably will." It's more likely to induce paranoia than any sort of healthy respect for nature. Nobody's going to encounter all of these creatures in one place, anyway, so having them all clumped together in one book is just kind of overwhelming.

I don't even know why the book bothered with the checklist for hiking supplies at the end. I mean, if you've just finished this book, you're probably not going to want to go outside ever again... never mind actually go where there are lots of animals and insects. 'Cause they'll kill you, you know. (The style of illustrations also contradicts the dire message. The cutesy animals only look menacing because of their frowny, drawn-on eyebrows. It's not exactly scientifically accurate.)

Thanks, book. Now I know I've been slacking in my worrying about moose and bald eagles.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 0/5

Overall: 1.67 out of 5