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Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead
These animals may put the "aww" in aww-dorable, but their deadly venom and killer instincts will also knock your socks off! From powerful poison to super strength, get ready to turn your squee into screams with this crew of killer cuties.
Isn't the furry little face of a hedgehog so cute? Not so much when he turns into a prickly little ball and all those quills poke you! Or what about the big, round eyes of the floofy northern pygmy owl? They draw you in but watch out for this small hunter where EVERYTHING is on the menu! Maybe the sweet, adorable ladybug will be kind. At least until they chomp their way through piles of aphids!
This informative yet humorous picture book introduces readers to some of the most adorable animals around and their killer instincts!
Isn't the furry little face of a hedgehog so cute? Not so much when he turns into a prickly little ball and all those quills poke you! Or what about the big, round eyes of the floofy northern pygmy owl? They draw you in but watch out for this small hunter where EVERYTHING is on the menu! Maybe the sweet, adorable ladybug will be kind. At least until they chomp their way through piles of aphids!
This informative yet humorous picture book introduces readers to some of the most adorable animals around and their killer instincts!
48 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2025
22 people are currently reading
4207 people want to read
About the author
Brooke Hartman
22 books146 followersBrooke Hartman is an Alaskan mom and award-winning author of books for children. When she isn’t writing, you can find her flying, fishing, and having fun with her family, enjoying all the magic life has to offer.
Follow her writing adventures at BrookeAHartman.com, or on Instagram and Facebook @BrookesBooksAK.
Follow her writing adventures at BrookeAHartman.com, or on Instagram and Facebook @BrookesBooksAK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 4, 2025
This is a cute, albeit sometimes icky, non-fiction kids book. From icky spiders, to sea otters, to hedgehogs, to sea bunnies (new one for me!!) the animals are all (maybe?) cute in some way, surely the illustrations try to make them look that way, then you flip the back and on the back side it tells us why the animal is dangerous, and has silly little ‘scary’ or angry looking illustrations. It honestly doesn’t really evoke a lot of concern with the layout, colours and illustrations (well, except maybe the spider but I detest them!!). I might have preferred the cute illustrations alongside one or two actual photos of the animal/arachnid/bug.
My biggest critique however is that there is no cute snake! I mean ladybugs and spiders; but not snakes? Seems like a bizarre oversight. (Yes I legit love snakes, and own a couple).
For me this is a decent library book but maybe not a necessity for the home library.
Informative? Certainly.
Interesting? Sure.
Engaging? Not bad, but I could see a lot of kiddos losing interest quickly.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
My biggest critique however is that there is no cute snake! I mean ladybugs and spiders; but not snakes? Seems like a bizarre oversight. (Yes I legit love snakes, and own a couple).
For me this is a decent library book but maybe not a necessity for the home library.
Informative? Certainly.
Interesting? Sure.
Engaging? Not bad, but I could see a lot of kiddos losing interest quickly.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
January 25, 2026
The title of this book is deceiving, as the majority of the animals featured could not, in fact, kill me dead. I appreciated the facts in the book, but not the silly jokes or comic illustrations. Actual photos of the animals show up in the back of the book. If the photos had been used throughout this would have been a better book in my opinion.
April 30, 2025
Okay so the mathematical error on the Tarsier page aside (15 feet is NOT 4.5 kilometers), a lot of these animals can't actually kill YOU. Other animals, sure. Bugs, you bet? But a ladybug isn't going to kill any human. A Northern Pygmy Owl isn't going to eat a child for dinner. In that regard, I thought the title was misleading and purely for shock value. Like I said, I couldn't get past the mathematical error on page three and it spoiled the rest of the book for me.
August 25, 2025
Good premise but poor execution.
Each of the 17 animals included has two pages devoted to it. The first has a cute illustration, a short intro paragraph filled with puns, and some basic information, including scientific name, size, habitat, and favorite food. The second page has less cute illustrations showing claws, teeth, and hunting with a couple paragraphs about each animals hunting habits (how much and what they eat, number of teeth, how high they can jump, etc.). The final page spread has a photograph of each of the animals.
Of course the animals look cute when they are drawn as cutesy kawaii style animals! Some of the illustrations were similar to the photographs, but some differed significantly. In addition, “kill you dead” just referred to their prey, not you, the reader.
The book didn’t have any cited sources, no table of contents, not even any page numbers. The author doesn’t mention any research that she did, and doesn’t seem to have any kind of scientific background. There were also a few errors that I noticed, which makes me wonder if things were fact checked.
Each of the 17 animals included has two pages devoted to it. The first has a cute illustration, a short intro paragraph filled with puns, and some basic information, including scientific name, size, habitat, and favorite food. The second page has less cute illustrations showing claws, teeth, and hunting with a couple paragraphs about each animals hunting habits (how much and what they eat, number of teeth, how high they can jump, etc.). The final page spread has a photograph of each of the animals.
Of course the animals look cute when they are drawn as cutesy kawaii style animals! Some of the illustrations were similar to the photographs, but some differed significantly. In addition, “kill you dead” just referred to their prey, not you, the reader.
The book didn’t have any cited sources, no table of contents, not even any page numbers. The author doesn’t mention any research that she did, and doesn’t seem to have any kind of scientific background. There were also a few errors that I noticed, which makes me wonder if things were fact checked.
March 25, 2025
The artwork is stunning even though it's about deadly animals.
It's very informative about animals we find cute and would never think could kill us. Granted, I don't think any of these animals could kill a human being, but it's still interesting to read about the different ways these animals protect themselves and catch their prey.
It's very informative about animals we find cute and would never think could kill us. Granted, I don't think any of these animals could kill a human being, but it's still interesting to read about the different ways these animals protect themselves and catch their prey.
September 3, 2025
Very interesting!
February 28, 2025
This was such a great read to introduce kids to the importance that animals may be cute but they can also pack a punch. I loved the adorable vs ah some meter featured with each creature. It was also full of interesting facts about each creature including habitat info and what makes them so fearsome. I also really enjoyed the artistic style used for the illustrations which helped ramp up the adorable factor. The only thing of note is that it’s on the longer side for younger kids where you may need to break it up. Those that are a little older should have no problem reading start to finish.
eARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Kids
eARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Kids
January 1, 2026
The illustrations of the animals are so cute! I really loved learning more about these animals!
February 25, 2025
Thank you for the ARC. This wasn’t just a book for kids but educational for me as well. Learned a lot of facts I never knew about these animals. The illustrations were a bit over the top. I would prefer more realistic but overall it was a cute book.
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February 24, 2025Excellent book talk title and just generally really well thought out and put together.
March 23, 2025
**I received an ARC of this.**
This is a very cute book for animal lovers, especially younger ones, that gives basic information on some of the cuter predators in the world. I loved the illustrations, but also really appreciated that they included real photos of the animals at the end. The groupings for the animals, as well as the puns, were great. I find the title to be misleading, as the book is less about how these animals could hurt humans, and more to do with how they hunt. And some of the cut-off sentences threw me off as well, and I'd have to go back and re-read a sentence, though that could just be from how I read the little bios.
Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves cute animals.
This is a very cute book for animal lovers, especially younger ones, that gives basic information on some of the cuter predators in the world. I loved the illustrations, but also really appreciated that they included real photos of the animals at the end. The groupings for the animals, as well as the puns, were great. I find the title to be misleading, as the book is less about how these animals could hurt humans, and more to do with how they hunt. And some of the cut-off sentences threw me off as well, and I'd have to go back and re-read a sentence, though that could just be from how I read the little bios.
Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves cute animals.
November 23, 2024
17 animals that might win awards for good looks and dangerous adaptations and special skills. Brooke Hartman’s text includes an intro paragraph and a chart of basic size, geographical region, category based on risk of extinction on page 1 for each creature and a second page describing not only the attractive attributes but the ways each hunts and defends itself. Surrounding the text are cartoonish drawings of the handsome hunter. The book closes with a captioned photograph of each of the 17.
The information provided in this book is written on at least a 4th grade reading level and with the science terms, could be even higher. The Photoshop illustrations are well done but are in a style that will likely appeal most to preschool and younger elementary learners. This makes the target age range difficult to pinpoint. However, skilled readers in early elementary school are sure to enjoy this one.
Thanks for the arc, Sourcebooks Kids.
The information provided in this book is written on at least a 4th grade reading level and with the science terms, could be even higher. The Photoshop illustrations are well done but are in a style that will likely appeal most to preschool and younger elementary learners. This makes the target age range difficult to pinpoint. However, skilled readers in early elementary school are sure to enjoy this one.
Thanks for the arc, Sourcebooks Kids.
February 8, 2026
Thanks to Sourcebooks kids and Netgalley for this eARC.
Not only is this book cute and appealing to kids, it is also important in that it lets kids (who are taught from a young age that animals, both stuffed and domestic, are their friends) that some, despite their cuddly exteriors, are indeed dangerous and/or deadly.
Brooke Hartman’s Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead is a delightful contradiction: a picture book that pairs irresistible charm with razor‑sharp factual bite. It’s the literary equivalent of a sugar‑coated truth bomb—adorable on the surface, quietly ferocious underneath.
Hartman leans into the tension between appearance and reality, using humor as a Trojan horse to deliver genuinely fascinating animal facts. The book’s premise—creatures that look like plush toys but harbor lethal capabilities—could easily have become a gimmick. Instead, Hartman treats it as an opportunity to explore the natural world’s complexity with a wink and a scientist’s respect. The tone is playful, but the information is solid, and that balance gives the book its staying power.
The structure works beautifully: each animal gets its moment of cuteness before Hartman flips the lens and reveals the surprising, sometimes shocking truth about its defenses or predatory instincts. The effect is both funny and oddly empowering. Kids get to feel “in the know,” and adults will find themselves learning something new while laughing at the juxtaposition.
The illustrations (by Alex Willan) elevate the concept even further. They’re expressive, mischievous, and perfectly tuned to the book’s comedic rhythm. The art doesn’t just accompany the text—it amplifies the joke, leaning into the gap between what we think we see and what nature actually designed.
This book is especially successful due to its refusal to talk down to its audience. Hartman respects children’s intelligence and curiosity, trusting them to handle the idea that the world is cute yet dangerous, wonderful yet wild. That honesty, wrapped in humor, gives the book a spark that many nonfiction titles for young readers lack.
Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead is clever, informative, and wickedly fun. It’s the rare children’s book that entertains across age groups while sneaking in real science. A perfect pick for curious kids, animal lovers, and anyone who enjoys a little danger with their adorableness.
Not only is this book cute and appealing to kids, it is also important in that it lets kids (who are taught from a young age that animals, both stuffed and domestic, are their friends) that some, despite their cuddly exteriors, are indeed dangerous and/or deadly.
Brooke Hartman’s Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead is a delightful contradiction: a picture book that pairs irresistible charm with razor‑sharp factual bite. It’s the literary equivalent of a sugar‑coated truth bomb—adorable on the surface, quietly ferocious underneath.
Hartman leans into the tension between appearance and reality, using humor as a Trojan horse to deliver genuinely fascinating animal facts. The book’s premise—creatures that look like plush toys but harbor lethal capabilities—could easily have become a gimmick. Instead, Hartman treats it as an opportunity to explore the natural world’s complexity with a wink and a scientist’s respect. The tone is playful, but the information is solid, and that balance gives the book its staying power.
The structure works beautifully: each animal gets its moment of cuteness before Hartman flips the lens and reveals the surprising, sometimes shocking truth about its defenses or predatory instincts. The effect is both funny and oddly empowering. Kids get to feel “in the know,” and adults will find themselves learning something new while laughing at the juxtaposition.
The illustrations (by Alex Willan) elevate the concept even further. They’re expressive, mischievous, and perfectly tuned to the book’s comedic rhythm. The art doesn’t just accompany the text—it amplifies the joke, leaning into the gap between what we think we see and what nature actually designed.
This book is especially successful due to its refusal to talk down to its audience. Hartman respects children’s intelligence and curiosity, trusting them to handle the idea that the world is cute yet dangerous, wonderful yet wild. That honesty, wrapped in humor, gives the book a spark that many nonfiction titles for young readers lack.
Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead is clever, informative, and wickedly fun. It’s the rare children’s book that entertains across age groups while sneaking in real science. A perfect pick for curious kids, animal lovers, and anyone who enjoys a little danger with their adorableness.
May 3, 2025
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the eGalley!
As much as I love the concept of the book, the title is a tad misleading--the animals featured in this book are some of the deadliest on the planet, yes, but most of them are only deadly to what they eat. Only a handful of them could kill a human (though a large group of them? That could probably get the job done). Still, the concept is the definition of the "cute but deadly" phrase.
There are 17 animals featured in this book and they are divided into punny categories (puns abound in this book): Precious Primates; Nibble, Nibble, Little Critter; Weensy Wingers; Water Babies; Baby Buggies; Deep Blue Squee!; Cold-blooded Cuties; and Fuzzy and Fur-ocious. Each animal's entry gives their common name, scientific name, size, habitat, favorite foods, and conservation status. There is also a meter that measures their "aww-dorable" and "aaah!-some" levels (I sense a bit of author bias toward one way or the other, but it's a fun gauge to get kids debating).
The illustrations portray how adorable these creatures are on the biography page but then show off how awesome and terrifying they can be on the elaboration page. For those of you who want kids to know what they look like using real-life photos, there is a--frankly--cute scrapbook-like spread in the back that shows off the real animals. It's an excellent learning tool and I just know some kids are going to have some killer (I couldn't help myself) trivia expertise when they're done with this one. If you're a fan of Casual Geographic (IYKYK) or just want to impress someone, pick this one up.
As much as I love the concept of the book, the title is a tad misleading--the animals featured in this book are some of the deadliest on the planet, yes, but most of them are only deadly to what they eat. Only a handful of them could kill a human (though a large group of them? That could probably get the job done). Still, the concept is the definition of the "cute but deadly" phrase.
There are 17 animals featured in this book and they are divided into punny categories (puns abound in this book): Precious Primates; Nibble, Nibble, Little Critter; Weensy Wingers; Water Babies; Baby Buggies; Deep Blue Squee!; Cold-blooded Cuties; and Fuzzy and Fur-ocious. Each animal's entry gives their common name, scientific name, size, habitat, favorite foods, and conservation status. There is also a meter that measures their "aww-dorable" and "aaah!-some" levels (I sense a bit of author bias toward one way or the other, but it's a fun gauge to get kids debating).
The illustrations portray how adorable these creatures are on the biography page but then show off how awesome and terrifying they can be on the elaboration page. For those of you who want kids to know what they look like using real-life photos, there is a--frankly--cute scrapbook-like spread in the back that shows off the real animals. It's an excellent learning tool and I just know some kids are going to have some killer (I couldn't help myself) trivia expertise when they're done with this one. If you're a fan of Casual Geographic (IYKYK) or just want to impress someone, pick this one up.
March 16, 2025
Thank you, @sourcebookskids and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of "Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead."
This delightfully punny and informative book gives readers an insight into the strangest, wildest, and most ADORABLE animals on our planet.
I've highlighted my top three cuties:
🦇 Bumblebee Bat: this tiny flyer is only about 1-1.3 inches and is no bigger than a thumb. However, don't underestimate this weensy winger; it can eat up to four thousand bugs every night!
🕷️ Jumping Spider: this baby buggy has binocular vision, is extremely smart, and can jump up to fifty times the length of its body! They're cute, but I'd prefer to just read about them. 👀
🐇Sea Bunny: this page made me do a double take and a quick Google search, because I had never heard of this crazy creature. It might look sweet, but the Sea Bunny is actually a toxic carnivore! This sea slug might be slow, but they feast on toxic sea sponges that they use to convert to poison in their skin. This information might be enough to stop me from petting a Sea Bunny, but I'll have to use all my self control.
If you have an animal lover in your family, you NEED this book! Brooke Hartman's writing makes you laugh out loud, and Maria Garcia's illustrations make you say "awwww." Combined, this book makes you want to dive deeper and learn more about each animal, which is a teacher's dream.
This is a must add to any school, classroom, or home library! I already have at least 10 students in mind that this book would be perfect for.
This delightfully punny and informative book gives readers an insight into the strangest, wildest, and most ADORABLE animals on our planet.
I've highlighted my top three cuties:
🦇 Bumblebee Bat: this tiny flyer is only about 1-1.3 inches and is no bigger than a thumb. However, don't underestimate this weensy winger; it can eat up to four thousand bugs every night!
🕷️ Jumping Spider: this baby buggy has binocular vision, is extremely smart, and can jump up to fifty times the length of its body! They're cute, but I'd prefer to just read about them. 👀
🐇Sea Bunny: this page made me do a double take and a quick Google search, because I had never heard of this crazy creature. It might look sweet, but the Sea Bunny is actually a toxic carnivore! This sea slug might be slow, but they feast on toxic sea sponges that they use to convert to poison in their skin. This information might be enough to stop me from petting a Sea Bunny, but I'll have to use all my self control.
If you have an animal lover in your family, you NEED this book! Brooke Hartman's writing makes you laugh out loud, and Maria Garcia's illustrations make you say "awwww." Combined, this book makes you want to dive deeper and learn more about each animal, which is a teacher's dream.
This is a must add to any school, classroom, or home library! I already have at least 10 students in mind that this book would be perfect for.
December 19, 2024
Whether kids like cute and cuddle creatures or oddball and dangerous ones, they’ll get a kick out of these animals. Each animal or insect gets a few pages filled with information. First, comes an illustration of the cute critter with a text box that has statistics such as scientific name, size, habitat, favorite foods, conservations status, and a graphic scale of their aww-doraable level and aaaah!-some level. There is also a write up about the creature detailing what makes them similar to and/or different from others. Lastly, there is a picture of the animal’s more dangerous features. Interesting facts are included for each animal that help keep the attention of young readers. The illustrations are creative, cute, and often funny. Adults will even learn a lot if they read along with their kids.
Animals detailed in the book are the: tarsier, slow loris, grasshopper mouse, hedgehog, northern pygmy owl, bumblebee bat, sea otter, platypus, ladybug, jumping spider, bottlenose dolphin, sea bunny, poison dart frog, flying gecko, black-footed cat, fennec fox, and honey badger. Some of these animals have defenses I’ve never heard of before, like the slow loris who licks its body with poisonous venom, and kept my interest while I learned right along with my kids. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Animals detailed in the book are the: tarsier, slow loris, grasshopper mouse, hedgehog, northern pygmy owl, bumblebee bat, sea otter, platypus, ladybug, jumping spider, bottlenose dolphin, sea bunny, poison dart frog, flying gecko, black-footed cat, fennec fox, and honey badger. Some of these animals have defenses I’ve never heard of before, like the slow loris who licks its body with poisonous venom, and kept my interest while I learned right along with my kids. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
April 1, 2025
I was immediately drawn in by the title and knew that my son (Kindergarten) and I would love it. It didn't disappoint! The author did a great job balancing quality information with fun, humor, and suspense. For each animal, it includes a cutesy drawing of the animal along with lots of quality information. I really appreciated that the author included information on if the animal is threatened or in danger of being extinct and why that might be, including habitat loss. This provided great conversation and context with my son without being too heavy or detailed. He's been learning about animals, their habitats, and people's effect on animals in Kindergarten so he's very interested in that and this provided good continuity for his learning. The author also did an excellent job balancing the length of this book. While it could be read to students as young as Kindergarten, readers through fifth grade would enjoy this and could read it on their own. This could be a fun addition to a unit or study on animals, habitats, pollution, predators/prey, or nature. I would definitely recommend this to any animal lover, elementary library, or as a gift for any child grades K-5 especially paired with something like zoo tickets or a stuffed animal. Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
March 17, 2025
Okay, y'all, we've got multiple factual issues with the ARC I got from NetGalley and the publisher. Hopefully it can be cleared up in the next two weeks before publication, but right now, I can't recommend it. Which is a shame, because otherwise it'd be a five-star book.
Sea otters: 'Habitat: Oceans on all continents except Australia and Antarctica.'
Nope. *Otters* are found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica, *sea otters* are found in the Pacific Ocean off North America, Russia, and Japan.
'Conservation Status: Some otter species in California and Alaska are listed as threatened.'
I'm sure the author meant 'populations' instead of 'species'.
Flying gecko: 'These agile amphibians'
Nope. Geckos are reptiles.
Black-footed cat: '...weighing no more than a can of soup'
Nope. Your standard can of soup is 10-16 oz. 2.4 lb (38.4 oz) is the low range for female black-footed cats (males can be over five pounds). They're tied for the smallest cat species in the world, but they're not that small.
Like I said, otherwise this is a fantastic book and hopefully this will all be fixed before publication, but right now it's a pass for me.
Thank you very much to Sourcebook Kids and NetGalley for the ARC!
Sea otters: 'Habitat: Oceans on all continents except Australia and Antarctica.'
Nope. *Otters* are found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica, *sea otters* are found in the Pacific Ocean off North America, Russia, and Japan.
'Conservation Status: Some otter species in California and Alaska are listed as threatened.'
I'm sure the author meant 'populations' instead of 'species'.
Flying gecko: 'These agile amphibians'
Nope. Geckos are reptiles.
Black-footed cat: '...weighing no more than a can of soup'
Nope. Your standard can of soup is 10-16 oz. 2.4 lb (38.4 oz) is the low range for female black-footed cats (males can be over five pounds). They're tied for the smallest cat species in the world, but they're not that small.
Like I said, otherwise this is a fantastic book and hopefully this will all be fixed before publication, but right now it's a pass for me.
Thank you very much to Sourcebook Kids and NetGalley for the ARC!
May 30, 2025
This book is all about animals that look precious but are also deadly predators.
First let's meet Tarsiers. I did not recognize the name of these little primates but when I saw the photograph in the back, it looked familiar! Either way - they are impressive animals! And the Slow Loris another precious but impressive primate! They have venomous fur! Because they have a gland filled with a toxin on their arm and they lick that all over their fur - which makes their fur venomous and also their bite. I will be sure to stay out of their way.
Not all of these adorable but deadly animals are lethal to humans (flying geckos, for instance) but you definitely would not want to mess with many of these cute and cuddly looking animals. Lots of them are endangered (that information is included with their description) or live in somewhat unpopulated areas. Their endangered status is a direct result of a depletion in the environment they need to survive. Though some are also hunted.
This book is super interesting and filled with lots of great facts. It also includes some very silly puns! And at the back, there are photos of all the animals.
First let's meet Tarsiers. I did not recognize the name of these little primates but when I saw the photograph in the back, it looked familiar! Either way - they are impressive animals! And the Slow Loris another precious but impressive primate! They have venomous fur! Because they have a gland filled with a toxin on their arm and they lick that all over their fur - which makes their fur venomous and also their bite. I will be sure to stay out of their way.
Not all of these adorable but deadly animals are lethal to humans (flying geckos, for instance) but you definitely would not want to mess with many of these cute and cuddly looking animals. Lots of them are endangered (that information is included with their description) or live in somewhat unpopulated areas. Their endangered status is a direct result of a depletion in the environment they need to survive. Though some are also hunted.
This book is super interesting and filled with lots of great facts. It also includes some very silly puns! And at the back, there are photos of all the animals.
September 23, 2025
I loved this book! The illustrations are gorgeous and the facts are very interesting. I already love animals so this was a fun way to learn about them. The setup is really cool because they give you a cute intro on the front page with the name, description, where it's from, and even it's conservation status. When you go to the back of the page they give the killer facts and have cute illustrations of them being feral.lol My favorite animal in it was the Grasshopper Mouse. The one that really surprised me was the hedgehog! Read this and find out why that is crazy! Read all the way to the end because they have photos of all the animals so you know what the really look like. It was a little too punny for my taste, but I know kids would love it. So much fun!
October 29, 2025
Profiles the surprising killer instincts of 17 seemingly benign animals, from the fennec fox to the bumblebee bat, rating the "aww-dorable" and "aaaah!-some" level of each. Colorful illustrations amp up the cuteness while punny text keeps the "aaah!-some"ness from overwhelming.
This was fun, but I often found myself disappointed by the big reveals of these creatures' "aaah!-some"ness. The animals profiled here are all predators, and while they each have some cool and interesting features, most aren't dangerous to humans--so the title, while a great hook, fell flat for me.
I like that the text ends with a two-page spread of actual photos of the creatures profiled. I was disappointed to see that there's neither a table of contents nor an index.
This was fun, but I often found myself disappointed by the big reveals of these creatures' "aaah!-some"ness. The animals profiled here are all predators, and while they each have some cool and interesting features, most aren't dangerous to humans--so the title, while a great hook, fell flat for me.
I like that the text ends with a two-page spread of actual photos of the creatures profiled. I was disappointed to see that there's neither a table of contents nor an index.
December 2, 2025
"What's the first thing that comes to mind when you see a cute, cuddly face; big gentle eyes; or soft, fuzzy paws?" Many would tilt their heads and say "aww," but you should run from the animals in this book. Despite their often tiny size, these animals are ferocious and can easily kill many animals, like purposefully licking their bodies to spread toxins all over themselves or using their venomous body parts to kill their prey easily. The animal puns are over the top but not for younger kids. I'm glad real photos are included at the end. The cartoon illustrations do emphasize the "aww-dorable level" of these animals. The title is a bit misleading because these animals can't kill humans, but they can kill many other creatures on our planet.
March 16, 2025
Awesome book!! I had so much fun reading this book, and I know for certain that kids will have just as much fun (if not more) as I did. This book definitely lives up to its title - all of the animals included in the book are certainly deadly and utterly adorable. Additionally, the vocabularly used was absolutely perfect. There are a few advanced words that promote expansion of vocabulary, but it doesn't distract from the overall book, and everything still makes sense for young readers. Lastly, the illustrations were spectacular! I don't exactly know how to put it, but the illustrator definitely understood the assignment of creating vivid pictures for this book. Bravo!!
May 20, 2025
Too cartoony and over-the-top, and takes a tone that is really not helpful in a world where so many animals (cute and otherwise) are struggling to make it as a species. The featured animals are all awesome and don't need super-hyped-up illustrations and text to be introduced to readers. I love to see actual PHOTOGRAPHS of animals along with illustrations when possible, especially so when the illustrations are intentionally very tongue-in-cheek digital cartoon style.
That said, I'll ALWAYS say yes to a book about deadly animals or a book about cute animals--honestly, any animals--so I obviously could not let this one pass me by.
That said, I'll ALWAYS say yes to a book about deadly animals or a book about cute animals--honestly, any animals--so I obviously could not let this one pass me by.
July 29, 2025
When I saw this book floating around Instagram I knew I needed to grab it for my daughter and her very inquisitive self and her spooky girl heart.
I wasn’t wrong, she wanted to read this right away and all at once, it is a very long read so we did read it in 3 instalments. We really enjoyed the cute photos and then when you flip the page they are ready to attack! My daughter even water to hear the animals scientific names, I probably butchered them all ahha. I did love how this book teaches us a lot and about many different animals.
We would recommend it to other readers. I’d also read more if this author publishes more books similar to this.
I wasn’t wrong, she wanted to read this right away and all at once, it is a very long read so we did read it in 3 instalments. We really enjoyed the cute photos and then when you flip the page they are ready to attack! My daughter even water to hear the animals scientific names, I probably butchered them all ahha. I did love how this book teaches us a lot and about many different animals.
We would recommend it to other readers. I’d also read more if this author publishes more books similar to this.
March 9, 2025
I was having so much fun with this that I thought the only thing missing was real photos of the animals -- and then at the end there were completely adorable pictures of these wonderful dangerous creatures. Each animal has its own section with scientific details and then the trivial that shows off their special skills. There are hedgehogs in my neighborhood and I will look at them differently knowing how many sharp teeth they have! Every classroom should have this book. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.
April 17, 2025
This book had adorable illustrations even though all the animals featured were fierce and vicious in some way.
This was an educational book, and was a bit word-heavy for younger children. My four year old enjoyed it, but she only wanted to read about one animal each night - so it did take us awhile to get fully through it. That said - I learned so much from this book! I think it’s a great resource tool, and I think kids who are slightly older than my own would absolutely love this!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this one!
This was an educational book, and was a bit word-heavy for younger children. My four year old enjoyed it, but she only wanted to read about one animal each night - so it did take us awhile to get fully through it. That said - I learned so much from this book! I think it’s a great resource tool, and I think kids who are slightly older than my own would absolutely love this!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this one!
January 12, 2026
You know, I really do love this book. I love how it gets kids interested in animals and curious about how they interact with each other. That said, this is a click bait title. It’s not as if the animals represented aren’t dangerous in their own way, but they are not going to kill YOU—a human adult or child— which might be good, if you don’t wanna give kids nightmares. But I don’t know, kids can learn about honey, badgers, and how they are wacko. Just little unsuspecting animals that can pack a punch.
March 6, 2026
Hmmm, I'm going back and forth on this one. It's a fun concept and the illustrations are cute, but I actually wished there were real pictures of the animals (there are very small ones at the end). Also, most (all?) of these animals can't actually kill a human, so if you're a pedant like me, the title, while very catchy, doesn't work as fact. I still think kids who love animals would be into it, and I like the idea of showing the more predatory side of animals that we think of as soft and fluffy and cute. 2.5 stars, rounded up.
March 17, 2025
I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Kids through NetGalley.
Hartman presents information about a variety of animals that may look adorable but are deadly to their prey. I appreciate the way Garcia extenuates the cuteness factor in her illustrations. Elementary level readers will enjoy the contrast between the illustrations and actuality of these animals. I appreciate the text boxes with facts for each that go along with the information provided.
Hartman presents information about a variety of animals that may look adorable but are deadly to their prey. I appreciate the way Garcia extenuates the cuteness factor in her illustrations. Elementary level readers will enjoy the contrast between the illustrations and actuality of these animals. I appreciate the text boxes with facts for each that go along with the information provided.
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