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Who Would Win? #10
Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra
Find out what would happen if a Komodo dragon and a king cobra got in a fight and who would win. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Beginning Readers is an imprint of Spotlight, a division of ABDO.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published November 1, 2011
14 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Pallotta
234 books111 followersMy full name is Gerard Larry Pallotta but my mom always called me "Jerry". I was born on March 26, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. My mom's name is Mary, and she came from a family of ten children. My dad's name is Joe, and he came from a family of five children. My grandparents were immigrants of Italian descent. I have the nicest parents in the world. They have always been unselfish and ready to help me, even today. I have four brothers and two sisters: Joey, David, Andrew, Danny, Cindy and Mickey. I have seventy-two first cousins. When I was growing up, there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 29, 2015
My daughter recommended this book. She felt it would help with my understanding of reptiles. We have debated the the outcome of the fight between the Komodo Dragon and the King Cobra. I tend to dispute the outcome in the book, but as she points out, I am not a herpetologist. She knows this word because it was one of the Fun Facts listed in the book.
May 9, 2024
Eh, I kinda just read it because I had nothing else to read.
November 12, 2024
I have read a couple of books from this series before with children that I babysit. I like how interestingly these books present facts for children to draw them in more. Comparing two species through a "competition" really keeps children engaged with the story, wanting to know who would win. This book is no exception to the rest of the series, it was entertaining and would be great for children. In my classroom, I would like to have a bin of the books from this series for children to pick from when they want. I think these books do a great job of making the informational genre more appealing to students. To draw them in, I may choose to read one of the books from this series to begin and maybe more if they fit with anything else we're learning. Overall, I would definitely purchase this book along with others in the series for my classroom.
June 22, 2021
I’m a big fan of this series!
August 4, 2019
This is a very educational and entertaining book of science. The Komodo Dragon and King Cobra are two of the most dangerous reptiles on Earth. The Komodo Dragon can weigh as much as 300 pounds and has serrated teeth that are venomous and rip flesh like a saw. The King Cobra can inject enough venom to kill an elephant, much more than needed to kill a Komodo Dragon, since the effectiveness is largely based on body weight.
The proper descriptive backgrounds of both creatures are put forward, explaining their physical characteristics and how they capture and kill their prey. In answering the question in the title, the real issues regarding the hypothetical confrontation are due to the potential for one to surprise the other and whether the skin of the Komodo Dragon is thick enough to resist the fangs of a striking King Cobra. The scenario put forward here is that it is a direct confrontation and since the skin of the Komodo Dragon is not impervious to the fangs of the King Cobra, in the description here, the Cobra successfully strikes.
This is science writing at its best, the two antagonists are described very well, making the conclusion thoroughly reasonable and understandable. It is an excellent book of science setting the scenario and thoroughly justifying the conclusion. Great reading for the late years of elementary school.
The proper descriptive backgrounds of both creatures are put forward, explaining their physical characteristics and how they capture and kill their prey. In answering the question in the title, the real issues regarding the hypothetical confrontation are due to the potential for one to surprise the other and whether the skin of the Komodo Dragon is thick enough to resist the fangs of a striking King Cobra. The scenario put forward here is that it is a direct confrontation and since the skin of the Komodo Dragon is not impervious to the fangs of the King Cobra, in the description here, the Cobra successfully strikes.
This is science writing at its best, the two antagonists are described very well, making the conclusion thoroughly reasonable and understandable. It is an excellent book of science setting the scenario and thoroughly justifying the conclusion. Great reading for the late years of elementary school.
May 18, 2017
I must admit that I am addicted to this series right now. The ones that I don’t have in my possession, I have on hold at the library. I took four of them into a sixth-grade classroom I was subbing in the other day and they were an instant hit with the kids. I asked the question on the front of the book to the kids, I had them raise their hands to see which species got the most votes. I then gave them a picture walk of the information contained in the book and then I quickly walked them through how the fight went on at the end of this nonfiction children book. They were all ears, hoping that the species they choose won. Some decided to change their original hypothesis after I told them some of the facts inside the book but I loved how they all were listening and wanting to know the outcome. Afterwards, I had some of the kids wanting to read the books for their read-to-self books. Now, that is a testament to these books.
With bright, colorful, realistic, illustrations these books are a gem. Using a variety of font styles and sizes the information is scattered throughout the pages in an easy to read format. With one side of the page devoted to one species and the other species devoted to the other. I liked how the author compared and contrasted the information of the species inside the book, whether it be its habitat, it’s size, how fast it moves, it’s skeleton or what it eats, etc... Each book also has text boxes with Did You Know? Information and some other text boxes with Fun Facts, Bonus Facts, Important Facts that contain interesting information. At the end of the book, is the duel between the species. I find these duels rather comical as they are like watching a WWW match. Every move, every piece of action is written down so it feels as if you are actually there. In the end, there is only one winner. Will it be the one that you had chosen?
In Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra, I learned a great deal as I knew nothing about Komodo Dragons. Everything about them was interesting and new to me. Some of the students also didn’t know much about them so I was happy about that. The information on both these species babies was interesting, the skeletons was cool, their venom was interesting and their teeth got some aahhs from the class. Again, they predicted the fight outcome although they didn’t want it to occur.
So now I have to wait for the books at the library to come in, can’t wait to see what things I don’t know.
With bright, colorful, realistic, illustrations these books are a gem. Using a variety of font styles and sizes the information is scattered throughout the pages in an easy to read format. With one side of the page devoted to one species and the other species devoted to the other. I liked how the author compared and contrasted the information of the species inside the book, whether it be its habitat, it’s size, how fast it moves, it’s skeleton or what it eats, etc... Each book also has text boxes with Did You Know? Information and some other text boxes with Fun Facts, Bonus Facts, Important Facts that contain interesting information. At the end of the book, is the duel between the species. I find these duels rather comical as they are like watching a WWW match. Every move, every piece of action is written down so it feels as if you are actually there. In the end, there is only one winner. Will it be the one that you had chosen?
In Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra, I learned a great deal as I knew nothing about Komodo Dragons. Everything about them was interesting and new to me. Some of the students also didn’t know much about them so I was happy about that. The information on both these species babies was interesting, the skeletons was cool, their venom was interesting and their teeth got some aahhs from the class. Again, they predicted the fight outcome although they didn’t want it to occur.
So now I have to wait for the books at the library to come in, can’t wait to see what things I don’t know.
February 26, 2025
My reaction to this book is that it is very informational about both the Komodo Dragon and the King Cobra it was exciting and sparked curiosity. The way Pallotta presents factual information through the lens of a hypothetical showdown between the Komodo dragon and the king cobra is both entertaining and educational. The pages are filled with captivating details about each animal, from the Komodo dragon's powerful bite and impressive size to the king cobra's venomous abilities and agility. This format encourages children to think critically about the strengths and weaknesses of each creature, fostering a sense of wonder about the animal kingdom.
The illustrations in the book are vibrant and visually appealing, bringing the creatures to life and helping readers visualize their environments. The artwork effectively complements the text, making the information more accessible and engaging for young readers.
I would recommend Who Would Win? Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra for students in grades 2-5. The book’s language is straightforward, making it suitable for early readers, while the intriguing premise can spark interest in animal behavior and biology among slightly older students.
In my classroom, I would use this book as a springboard for discussions about adaptations and survival in the animal kingdom. After reading, I would engage students in a debate-style activity where they would choose a side (either the Komodo dragon or the king cobra) and present arguments supporting why their chosen animal would win in a hypothetical battle. This would encourage critical thinking and public speaking skills. I would have students research additional facts about each animal to use in their debates, creating a visual poster that includes interesting details, habitats, and adaptations. This activity would not only reinforce the knowledge gained from the book but also promote creativity and research skills.
The illustrations in the book are vibrant and visually appealing, bringing the creatures to life and helping readers visualize their environments. The artwork effectively complements the text, making the information more accessible and engaging for young readers.
I would recommend Who Would Win? Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra for students in grades 2-5. The book’s language is straightforward, making it suitable for early readers, while the intriguing premise can spark interest in animal behavior and biology among slightly older students.
In my classroom, I would use this book as a springboard for discussions about adaptations and survival in the animal kingdom. After reading, I would engage students in a debate-style activity where they would choose a side (either the Komodo dragon or the king cobra) and present arguments supporting why their chosen animal would win in a hypothetical battle. This would encourage critical thinking and public speaking skills. I would have students research additional facts about each animal to use in their debates, creating a visual poster that includes interesting details, habitats, and adaptations. This activity would not only reinforce the knowledge gained from the book but also promote creativity and research skills.
March 24, 2024
I think that this book is very informative, as it talks about the anatomy of both the king cobra and the Komodo dragon. Although this book is relatively short, it is a good read for any child who has any interest on questions like "why do some types of snakes have hoods, and what gives them a hood?" and questions like that. However, the end of the book showed only one of the two animals winning, I would prefer if they showed what would have happened if the other animal won. Other than that, it was a really fun book.
November 12, 2024
I like how this book compares both animals and describes their similarities and differences. I liked how it took the reader step by step with the animal's mannerisms and how the fight would most likely go down. It does a good job of continually drawing the student in to want to read more. I think this series would be good in my classroom library so students can explore and learn about different animals independently.
September 17, 2017
Boys' excitement is so fun with these books! Ages 7 and 3! They gathered together in Emerson's room and we read on the floor. Another exciting Who would win! Chock full of exciting and educational tidbits about the animals, boys love to read aloud. We all guessed Komodo dragon. Hmmm. No spoilers here.....
November 23, 2019
I read this along with my second grader and we absolutely enjoyed it. He and I debated the ending. However, we learned quite a bit about these two venomous reptiles. After we were done reading the book, we set off to YouTube to learn more. A great, easy read and we will definitely read the other books in the series.
5🐍🌟🐊 I couldn't find any komodo dragons!🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣
5🐍🌟🐊 I couldn't find any komodo dragons!🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣
August 2, 2018
My severely special needs cousin loved these. It was a tough read at the time, but it got a struggling student to want books. I picked this up and wondered what took me so long to find them? (But I think the author picked the wrong winner!)
August 14, 2017
The title really says it all; what's not to like about this series?
June 5, 2019
This is part of a popular series of nonfiction books at my branch. I decided to finally read one. It did well at presenting the facts.
September 30, 2019
I think if you are a researcher for these type of animals then this book then this is the book for you.
January 20, 2020
January 2020 - this series has been super popular at the library for a while, and I can see why. Ben's specifically asked for books about king cobras, and was really happy with this one.
November 10, 2020
so good read to others
January 12, 2021
the fight wasn't exciting but the facts were pretty cool
August 15, 2021
I was really upset with who won but still liked it
November 23, 2021
My six-year-old loved this one - great for an aspiring herpetologist.
December 19, 2021
Lots of interesting facts and information.
September 13, 2022
Very good artwork and I learned a lot, for example; ophiology is the study of snakes. Once again I was wrong about which creature I thought would win.
September 18, 2022
Both educational and for our two young boys also had an entertaining premise to keep them engaged through the factual portion.
February 13, 2023
excellent book!
Read
February 28, 2023These books are great for students during independent reading time. Learning about different types of animals and their attributes can help in the animal science portion of science.
March 14, 2024
I ate these books uppppp as a preschooler
October 25, 2024
This one seemed a little short but otherwise entertaining as usual!
November 8, 2025
Kids who like learning animal facts might enjoy learning a few tidbits about king cobras and Komodo dragons.
February 5, 2017
This book was another great addition to a really awesome non-fiction series for kids. Once again the two animals are described and compared for many pages, and then they're pitted against each other in a fight. I didn't know much about either of these animals, so I learned a lot. The fight wasn't as dramatic as some of the others in the series, but we still enjoyed this book quite a bit.
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/01/juv...
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/01/juv...
January 25, 2013
Mommy's review from 12/13/11 -
This was one of the books we found at Julia's Scholastic book fair. After we finished this and looked at the back cover we found there are a handful more like it that we want to find in the near future. Jerry Pallotta (and probably Rob Bolster I'd guess) also have these:
Tyrannosaurus Rex Vs. Velociraptor
Polar Bear Vs. Grizzly Bear
Lion Vs. Tiger
Killer Whale Vs. Great White Shark and
Hammerhead Vs. Bull Shark
(Two listed I could only find included in a 5 book package here.)
There's a lot of information here to digest. Not just for children, for adults as well. Julia and I picked who we thought would win if these two went up against each other, she picked the Komodo Dragon for it's size and I picked the King Cobra because of the venom and speed and ironically, the size.
The scientific names are given right up front in all their unpronounceable glory and then Pallotta goes on to give actual definitions of certain words mixed into a ton of other info.
Length, weight, special facts about each creature are all included. Habitats, teeth/fangs, diet, colors, skin/scales, just about everything you could wonder is in here.
I'd definitely recommend for any young person into the animals in the book. I think most young boys for sure could get into this. My daughter loves dinosaurs and lizards so the Komodo is what drew her here. I do have to say though that I was mighty interested myself the entire way though. (Once I got past the scientific name that is.)
This was one of the books we found at Julia's Scholastic book fair. After we finished this and looked at the back cover we found there are a handful more like it that we want to find in the near future. Jerry Pallotta (and probably Rob Bolster I'd guess) also have these:
Tyrannosaurus Rex Vs. Velociraptor
Polar Bear Vs. Grizzly Bear
Lion Vs. Tiger
Killer Whale Vs. Great White Shark and
Hammerhead Vs. Bull Shark
(Two listed I could only find included in a 5 book package here.)
There's a lot of information here to digest. Not just for children, for adults as well. Julia and I picked who we thought would win if these two went up against each other, she picked the Komodo Dragon for it's size and I picked the King Cobra because of the venom and speed and ironically, the size.
The scientific names are given right up front in all their unpronounceable glory and then Pallotta goes on to give actual definitions of certain words mixed into a ton of other info.
Length, weight, special facts about each creature are all included. Habitats, teeth/fangs, diet, colors, skin/scales, just about everything you could wonder is in here.
I'd definitely recommend for any young person into the animals in the book. I think most young boys for sure could get into this. My daughter loves dinosaurs and lizards so the Komodo is what drew her here. I do have to say though that I was mighty interested myself the entire way though. (Once I got past the scientific name that is.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews