14 Oct The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals

Dangerous animals get a bad rap but this new illustrated encyclopaedia helps us appreciate the incredible adaptions they have made to survive.

                          The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals

Written and Illustrated by Sami Bayly (Lothian Children’s Books HB $32.99) Age Group 5 years and over.

Also by the same author:  The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals

This is a fascinating book, illustrated in exquisite detail by award-winning author and illustrator, Newcastle  based (NSW) artist and natural history illustrator, Sami Bayly.

Its hard to believe that this is Sami’s second detailed book and she is only 23 years old!

By allowing her ‘dangerous’ animals to be shown at their best using watercolour drawings, Sami can incorporate emotion and angles that you wouldn’t normally get using wildlife photography.

With more that 60 deadly and dangerous animals from across the world, each animal is illustrated on a single page, with the details of their scientific name, danger factor, conservation status, diet, habitat and fun facts listed on the opposite page.

Many of the creatures that feature look harmless but can bite, sting, poison, strangle and carry harmful parasites — generally causing havoc to humans!

Sami said it takes about 2-3 days to draw each animal so that she can concentrate on the part of the animal that is considered dangerous. Her favourite illustration is the one of the Common Hippopotamus, with its wide-open hairy mouth and huge pointy teeth.

The book is clearly set out listing the animals (birds, insects, marine creatures, amphibians etc) in alphabetical order. The information provided in the description of each creature is fascinating for both children and adults alike. Definitely a reference book for Gift Giving and for a home library!

Main image: African Buffalo (illustrations by Sami Bayly)