Skip to main content

Mysteries of the Komodo Dragon

By
Mysteries of the Komodo Dragon: The Biggest, Deadliest Lizard Gives Up Its Secrets
by Marty Krump
Boyds Mills Press, 2010. 40 pages. Nonfiction.

Komodo dragons are intriguing creatures, and have fascinated people for thousands of years. This book is an interesting look at this mysterious, scary, and somewhat maligned lizard. One of the first scientists to study the dragons was Dr. Auffenburg, a herpetologist from the University of Florida. In the 1960s, he took his wife and three enthusiastic sons, ages five, eight, and fifteen, to Komodo Island and spent eleven months studying everything they could about them. Part of the fun of this book is reading about the boys and seeing pictures of them handling the lizards.

Since Dr. Auffenburg's groundbreaking work, scientists have found out many things about Komodo dragons. You have probably heard how deadly Komodo dragon saliva is--there are fifty-four potentially deadly kinds of bacteria in it--but the dragon's blood has substances that counteract this bacteria and might work as antibiotics for humans. It has also been discovered Females can reproduce with or without a male--the eggs don't have to be fertilized. Believe it or not, Komodo dragons have personalities; some are even playful and friendly!

This is a fascinating book with great pictures that should appeal to even reluctant readers.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

By
Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Umami

By
  Umami By Jacob Grant New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book. Umami is a little penguin who is sick of eating the same thing everyday, cold fish --ugh! She becomes determined to find new foods and flavors, so Umami begins a journey across the sea in search of something different to eat. She reaches a place with a plethora of delicious options, and tries bitter, sweet, sour, and foods with umami (just like her name!) among others. Umami decides to bring all these delicious new flavors back for the other penguins to try in a feast. But, will the other penguins enjoy this new experience?  Filled with charm and humor, Umami is a diverse romp through a universal experience --am I willing to try something new? What will it be like? The idea of trying new foods and flavors make it especially relatable, and the appealing illustrations will have many readers ready to hop out on a culinary adventure. A humorous and sweet ending, caps off this delig...
Post a Comment
Read more

Five Faves: Easy Readers of 2024

By
Hello world! I know you have been anticipating the release of this list all year... my favorite easy readers! Whether they're funny or sweet, these titles are all great for kids taking their first steps for reading. So without further ado...here are my five favorite easy readers of 2024. Lone Wolf Goes to School Written by Kiah Thomas Illustrated by K-Fai Steele New York: Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Easy Reader.  Lone wolf would spend all of his time alone if he could. Unfortunately, he has to go to school with the "snotty" kids, and even when he leaves school there's people at the beach, on the mountains, and at the movie theater. What's a wolf to do? Invite them all to a party at his house and then leave so that all the places he wants to be are empty, of course! If you're looking for a moralistic read-aloud that will teach the virtues of making friends so that you aren't lonely, you should definitely look elsewhere. However, if you're loo...
Post a Comment
Read more