Written by Etta Kaner, Illustrated by Phil Nicholls
This book is fascinating! I had no idea there are so many invasive species in the United States, including Nutria, Cane Toads, Starlings, feral cats, and the big one: Burmese pythons! These species were all brought to the United States or other countries at some point, but were released into the wild and became invasive by disrupting ecosystems and causing all kinds of problems. The book is divided into chapters about each of the invasive species, their origins, the problems they cause and what can be done about them. The chapter on Burmese Pythons is the real draw here. Did you know from 1996-2006 the U.S. imported 99,000 Burmese pythons from southeast Asia? Many of them have been illegally released by their owners into the Florida Everglades. These pythons are about as wide as a telephone pole and can reach up to 23 feet long! And Florida holds a python-catching competition with prizes every year (no thank you)!
This book represents some of the best elements in kids’ nonfiction right now: lots of colorful illustrations, pop-up text boxes with cool facts, comparison pictures to show size and scale, and even funny graphic novel-style comic strips in each chapter. Important to note: there are no actual photographs of the animals, everything is illustrated. But I think that adds to the charm of the book and the illustrations are very well done. Kids who love trivia, animals (especially snakes) and Guinness books will love this one. I’m excited to book-talk this with my 4th and 5th graders.Reviewed by Andrea LeBaron, Librarian, Upland Terrace Elementary
Review shared in January 2023
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 3-8
Beware the Burmese Pythons and Other Invasive Animal Species
Written by Etta Kaner, Illustrated by Phil Nicholls
Kids Can Press
48 pages
Release Date: October 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-52530-446-0
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
