The Deadliest: Big Cat

by Eleanor Spicer Rice, Max Temescu (illustrator)

Six big cats face off against the Death-O-Meter to determine which will be crowned the deadliest of the species.


Meet the deadliest big cats on Earth.


Whose bite is the most lethal? Is it the stylish tiger? The sneaky leopard? The speedy cheetah? Or someone else?


The host of this stiff competition, Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice, teaches the rules for big cat interactions (Do not get one as a pet! Do not encroach on their territory!), gives a digestible breakdown of these apex predators, and introduces the contestants.


This tale of claws and jaws invites readers into the world of big where they live, what they eat—and what could happen if you ever encountered one. It also encourages readers to appreciate them, showing how they survive, why they’re important to the places they live—and why we should protect them. With humor, accessible science, and a colorful graphic format by best-selling artist Max Temescu, The Big Cat shows that there’s a lot to learn about these deadly creatures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens

43 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2025

About the author

Eleanor Spicer Rice is an award-winning author with a Ph.D. in entomology. She studied ants and how they shape the natural world. After publishing six books on ants, she now writes books for children about the amazing life with which we spend our days.

​Eleanor is also the senior science editor at Verdant Word, a science communication company she co-founded with Robin Sutton Anders.

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another insightful book by Eleanor Spicer Rice!!!

[Katy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a MUST read! Just like The Deadliest Spider, this one is engaging, exciting, a little bit scary, and just plain fun. The Deadliest: Big Cat is a fantastic example of how great non-fiction can be. My almost 6 year old absolutely loved this one and did not want to stop reading. The author cleverly designed the book so that you are on the edge of your seat guessing which one will be the winner; this automatically keeps you engaged, guessing, and checking your understanding of what you're reading -- you have to understand the information to guess who the deadliest cat will be. This is absolutely a MUST add to any collection but especially public and elementary libraries. Give this to kids who are looking for thrills but aren't quite ready for horror, animal lovers, non-fiction fans, graphic novel lovers, or fans of this series. Can't recommend enough! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars (I really liked it)

This was super interesting. I like the voice of the book. It was informative but also funny/snarky. I'm skeptical about the inclusion of the cheetah as a big cat. I volunteer at the zoo and we are told that cheetahs aren't considered big cats (okay actually we are told that scientists debate on whether or not cheetahs are considering big cats so I guess I can let it slide). But also they exclude snow leopards because they are too small. A google search just confirmed that snow leopards are bigger than cheetahs...

Besides that, I found this book to be really engaging and informative. I think it's a series and I'd love to read more from it.

[Roy Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the absolutely perfect book for a 7 year old whose interest in large feline wildlife crosses over with a taste for the macabre.

There’s lots of facts about big cats, several jokes with visual puns on cat behavior, and heart-pounding descriptions of how a big cat would kill *you* (written in the second person) and then evaluating whether that makes it the deadliest of the big cats. My kids completely adored it.

[Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Cool book about the world's deadliest cats with a fun storyline. Some of it a little to frightening for young readers. My son enjoyed the pictures and learning more about each cat

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very appealing science-based nonfiction. I liked the drama, the illustrations and the excellent facts.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick fun read for animal loving students! In my classroom we’d read this as a game, students would make a guess before reading, after hearing the facts for each cat; then, see who is right!

[Thea DeLoreto · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome for animal loving kids

This is a fun read that is perfect for science and animal loving kids! We read it together and it sparked a lot of fun discussions!