Grade 3-5. Profiling 20 creatures, including a couple of imaginary ones that have been considered "monsters," he begins each section with a vivid description of the dangerous aspects of a creature, and then goes into facts that may or may not support the popular view. The author includes the gila monster, the great white shark, killer bees, the Loch Ness monster, the tiger, and the Tasmanian devil. Full-color photos or illustrations of the subjects are included, often with mouths agape showing teeth or fangs. Through this lively presentation, readers will learn that some animals really are dangerous, others just need to be left alone, and still others are completely harmless is spite of terrible reputations. It seems rather disingenuous to promote the "scary monster" aspects of these animals so thoroughly in the illustrations and introductory paragraphs, but the book does present interesting and accurate information.
