Cute Animals that Could Kill You Dead

Written by Brooke Hartman, Illustrated by Maria Garcia

Five stars for the catchy title and cute illustrations! But alas, opening the book I was a bit disappointed. The illustrations are very over the top and cartoonish and at a 2nd grade level; the text is more of a 4th grade level. The illustrations will draw the kids in and they might learn a fact or two, but they will probably lose interest in the lengthy text. I would have loved to see an actual photo mixed in with the cartoons. The premise for this book was fantastic, but the execution fell flat for me.

Reviewed by Laura Schmidt, Librarian, Fox Hills Elementary
Review shared in October 2025
Rating: ★★★✩✩ (3 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 2-4

Cute Animals that Could Kill You Dead
Written by Brooke Hartman, Illustrated by Maria Garcia
Sourcebooks Explore
48 pages
Release Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 978-1-72828-529-0
A review copy was provided by the publisher.