This is one of the Secrets of the Museum series. The Museum is designed for curious minds. In this charming book a curious curator invites the young explorer to step through the keyhole on the cover and enter their collection of predators. The expedition takes us to the rainforest, fresh water, the ocean, the African Savanna, the desert heat and the temperate forest. As we journey we encounter a diverse range of predators. Threaded through the museum are special plaques with questions about predators. The reader’s mission is to find the missing words and collect the clue words. Together they will reveal a sentence about the animal kingdom at the end of the book. I like this interactive approach as encourages involvement. The introductory page to each habitat is a double page spread with an attractive illustration that repays close scrutiny. Across the bottom of both pages is a strip listing the various predators that are numbered in the illustration. Subsequent pages give more information about individual species. There is a paragraph of text, an illustration and key information is presented as bullet points. Then there is an in-depth study of an individual predator with text, illustration and pages from a notebook. The different formats are accessible and help sustain interest.
The language is straight-forward and age-appropriate – the Alligator snapping turtle “opens its alligator-like jaws and waggles its unusual tongue to attract prey. When a fish comes within striking distance, the turtle snaps its jaws shut, either cutting the fish in two or swallowing it whole.” Some of the predators are fascinating – the Archer Fish seems unassuming but once it spots its prey it breaks through the surface and spits a jet of water that hits the insect and causes it to fall. I did not know that the Sperm Whale uses echo location to lock into its prey. It eats up to 900kg of food daily. Or that the Aardwolf uses her sensitive ears to locate termites, and she consumes over 100,000 termites in a single night. Or that a mountain lion can leap up to 5.5 m high and climbs tress with ease so it can ambush its prey with a burst of speed.
There is an index and a Glossary. At the end of the book readers are encouraged to keep exploring and be ready for the next adventure. A great introduction to the world of predators with plenty of awe-inspiring information.
Brenda Marshall
Secrets of the Museum: Predators Curated by Tyus D. Williams
Illustrated by Hannah Bailey
Big Picture Press
ISBN 9781835873861
£14.99
Published 2026
