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Killer Ants
A mesmerizing picture book containing extraordinary facts about ferocious ants from around the world, featuring the fearsome appearances, habitats, and hunting skills of killer ants.
- GenresScienceAnimalsNonfiction
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 9, 2021
There have been several movies where colonies of ants were encountered and led to the deaths of one or more of the players. This is one example of the dangers of nature that are not exaggerated. There are species of ants where even the largest and mightiest of animals cannot stand against them, for they devour everything in their path. Fortunately, when they are on the move, they are easy to avoid, as they generally follow a narrow path and don’t travel very fast.
The deadliest of ant species are featured in this book. They are the army ants, driver ants, fire ants and bulldog ants. As the final section states, ants are one of nature’s most successful life forms. Where the killers live, they are at the apex of the predator chain, keeping insects and other species they prey on in check.
Written at the level of the middle school student, this is an excellent book about one of the most fascinating of creatures. In many ways they are a demonstration of the superior nature of the hive society.
The deadliest of ant species are featured in this book. They are the army ants, driver ants, fire ants and bulldog ants. As the final section states, ants are one of nature’s most successful life forms. Where the killers live, they are at the apex of the predator chain, keeping insects and other species they prey on in check.
Written at the level of the middle school student, this is an excellent book about one of the most fascinating of creatures. In many ways they are a demonstration of the superior nature of the hive society.
March 23, 2015
"Deep in a tropical forest, a million soldiers are on the march. They hold their heads high. Their huge hooked jaws are wide-open. They are ready to do battle"
Thus begins the engaging and beautifully illustrated Killer Ants by Nicholas Nirgiotis. This text weaves information about the three types of killer ants species with anatomically correct illustrations in a manner that is easily accessible for a third to fifth grade reader. Students will be engrossed as they discover how the vicious army ants of South and Central America hook their bodies together to form temporary homes known as bivouacs, or how the fire ants of the southern United States avoid drowning during floods by connecting their bodies to form a rotating raft. Killer Ants does not sacrifice knowledge for the sake of readability; rather, it uses key features of scientific texts, such as diagrams, mini-blurbs, and realistic illustrations, to enhance the reader's understanding of how these fascinating and dangerous creatures live.
This book would be an excellent resource in a unit on insects and animals and could be included in a text set about "extreme" animals. Teachers could use Killer Ants to discuss how illustrations and diagrams convey information in nonfiction texts. Because Killer Ants combines elements of a narrative and informational text, it could also be used to compare and contrast the two types of texts. In addition, teachers could discuss why the author might have chosen to combine the two types of writing and what purposes each type serves. Overall, highly recommended. I know a text is effective, if as a college student, I end up engrossed and learning!
Thus begins the engaging and beautifully illustrated Killer Ants by Nicholas Nirgiotis. This text weaves information about the three types of killer ants species with anatomically correct illustrations in a manner that is easily accessible for a third to fifth grade reader. Students will be engrossed as they discover how the vicious army ants of South and Central America hook their bodies together to form temporary homes known as bivouacs, or how the fire ants of the southern United States avoid drowning during floods by connecting their bodies to form a rotating raft. Killer Ants does not sacrifice knowledge for the sake of readability; rather, it uses key features of scientific texts, such as diagrams, mini-blurbs, and realistic illustrations, to enhance the reader's understanding of how these fascinating and dangerous creatures live.
This book would be an excellent resource in a unit on insects and animals and could be included in a text set about "extreme" animals. Teachers could use Killer Ants to discuss how illustrations and diagrams convey information in nonfiction texts. Because Killer Ants combines elements of a narrative and informational text, it could also be used to compare and contrast the two types of texts. In addition, teachers could discuss why the author might have chosen to combine the two types of writing and what purposes each type serves. Overall, highly recommended. I know a text is effective, if as a college student, I end up engrossed and learning!
November 19, 2009
The opening gouache on watercolor illustrations draw the viewer in as a captivating story details the march of Army Ants. This interesting book details facts about a variety of killer ants including Army Ants, Driver Ants, Fire Ants and Bulldog Ants. Drawings of the specific ants are highlighted with captions that clearly explain amazing details about each of the four species of ants mentioned in the book. An index is included at the end of the book.
August 8, 2010
All the information one could ever need about the most dangerous of ants can be found here. This would be a good book for the person who is into "extreme" animals.
November 24, 2012
Everything you ever wanted to know about ants and more.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews