Apex Predators: The World's Deadliest Hunters, Past and Present

There have always been top-of-the-food-chain predators--"creatures too tough, too big, or too well-armed to be hunted by other animals"--and Jenkins's commanding collages bring these "apex predators" to vivid life. Some two dozen creatures are examined in all, a mix of the contemporary (Komodo dragon, electric eel) and extinct, such as the 10-foot-tall "terror bird," a flightless creature native to South American that could weigh "as much as a present-day lion or tiger." Pithy headlines introduce each animal (a marsupial saber-tooth earns the headline "Fangs--and a pouch"), followed by short descriptive passages: "It was probably an ambush hunter, leaping on a deer or other grazing animal and stabbing it to death with its curved canine teeth." The intricacy of Jenkins's distinctive artwork will capture readers' imaginations, as will the predator face-offs he stages between pairs of predators. Great white shark vs. Dunkleosteus, anyone? Ages 6-9. (June)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 1-4--By definition, apex predators are the biggest and the "baddest," the rulers of their ecosystem. Jenkins provides a thrilling overview of these top hunters, from prehistory to the present day, in this illustrated collection that concludes with an "Apex Predator Face-Off." The parade begins with currently existing animals and continues backward, in huge leaps through land, sea, and air, from 11,000 years ago to more than 500 million. Extinct players include the T. rex, which could bite off 500 pounds of flesh at once, and the tylosaurus, a 50-foot marine reptile that ate whatever dared to venture into its waters, including other dinosaurs. Jenkins covers contemporary creatures, such as the agile fossa of Madagascar, the giant freshwater ray of Southeast Asia, and the great white shark. His signature illustrations deftly portray the power and movement of the animals featured. Scale drawings that compare each subject to a human only further the terror. The final spread matches up extinct and still-living challengers--the extinct beast wins every time. However, Jenkins has one last trick up his sleeve: the deadliest predator ever is indeed just regular old humans. VERDICT Jenkins has done it again--all nonfiction collections will want this title.--Dorcas Hand, formerly at Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Jenkins has done it again—all nonfiction collections will want this title." -SLJ

"It's a clear and simple addition to Jenkins' books of animal infographics, and browsers interested in the fiercest of the animal world will snap it quickly up." —Booklist

"The intricacy of Jenkins's distinctive artwork will capture readers' imaginations, as will the predator face-offs he stages between pairs of predators. Great white shark vs. Dunkleosteus, anyone?" —Publishers Weekly