Apex Predators

May 1, 2017
There have always been top-of-the-food-chain predators—“creatures too tough, too big, or too well-armed to be hunted by other animals”—and Jenkins’s commanding collages bring these “apex predators” to vivid life. Some two dozen creatures are examined in all, a mix of the contemporary (Komodo dragon, electric eel) and extinct, such as the 10-foot-tall “terror bird,” a flightless creature native to South American that could weigh “as much as a present-day lion or tiger.” Pithy headlines introduce each animal (a marsupial saber-tooth earns the headline “Fangs—and a pouch”), followed by short descriptive passages: “It was probably an ambush hunter, leaping on a deer or other grazing animal and stabbing it to death with its curved canine teeth.” The intricacy of Jenkins’s distinctive artwork will capture readers’ imaginations, as will the predator face-offs he stages between pairs of predators. Great white shark vs. Dunkleosteus, anyone? Ages 6–9.

March 15, 2017
Face-to-face introductions to over two dozen creatures it would be better to avoid.Labeling each predator as either extinct or modern-day, Jenkins arranges his paper-collage portraits--most of them rendered, as usual, with seemingly miraculous realism--in no readily obvious order. Starting off with the cruel-beaked -terror bird- (extinct) of South America and toothy views of a gaping Siberian tiger and T. Rex, he proceeds past African wild dogs (-some of the most successful predators on earth, with nine out of ten hunts ending in a kill-), the electric eel, killer pig Daedon, 48-foot-long (14.5 m) Titanoboa, and like threats to the spiderlike Trigonotarbid, just an inch long (2.5 cm) but 400 million years ago one of the largest predators on land. Then, in true browser-rousing fashion, he proposes several matchups, like the Siberian tiger vs. Utahraptor. Place your bets! Each creature comes with descriptive notes and a small silhouette posed next to a human (-The deadliest predator-) for scale. Measurements for each creature are provided in first English and then metric units. The bibliography includes an unremarkable assortment of reference works and websites. No red--but lots of tooth and claw on display. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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June 1, 2017

Gr 1-4-By definition, apex predators are the biggest and the "baddest," the rulers of their ecosystem. Jenkins provides a thrilling overview of these top hunters, from prehistory to the present day, in this illustrated collection that concludes with an "Apex Predator Face-Off." The parade begins with currently existing animals and continues backward, in huge leaps through land, sea, and air, from 11,000 years ago to more than 500 million. Extinct players include the T. rex, which could bite off 500 pounds of flesh at once, and the tylosaurus, a 50-foot marine reptile that ate whatever dared to venture into its waters, including other dinosaurs. Jenkins covers contemporary creatures, such as the agile fossa of Madagascar, the giant freshwater ray of Southeast Asia, and the great white shark. His signature illustrations deftly portray the power and movement of the animals featured. Scale drawings that compare each subject to a human only further the terror. The final spread matches up extinct and still-living challengers-the extinct beast wins every time. However, Jenkins has one last trick up his sleeve: the deadliest predator ever is indeed just regular old humans. VERDICT Jenkins has done it again-all nonfiction collections will want this title.-Dorcas Hand, formerly at Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017
Grades 2-5 Making good use of his trademark paper-collage style, Jenkins focuses his attention on one specific facet of the animal kingdom: apex predators, of both the modern world and the prehistoric. Jenkins investigates inhabitants of the modern world who have no predators of their own (great white sharks, African wild dogs, electric eels), and top killers that are now extinct (terror bird, daeodon, sea scorpion). This latter section is arranged chronologically, from the most recent (giant short-faced bear, extinct 11,000 years ago) to the most ancient (Anomalocaris, 500 million years ago). Each page contains the animal, some details on the features that made it a top predator, and a size chart comparing it to an average human (or, in the case of the tiny Trigonotarbid, a human hand). Ending spreads compare modern land and sea predators with their prehistoric counterparts. It's a clear and simple addition to Jenkins' books of animal infographics, and browsers interested in the fiercest of the animal world will snap it quickly up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
Striking torn- and cut-paper collage illustrations enliven this survey of the world's apex predators from present day back to ancient times. The informative behavior-focused main text is complemented by additional facts, such as size comparisons to humans; the final spread explains how today's top predators of land and sea would be completely outclassed in a speculative battle with their prehistoric forerunners. Bib.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)