A wonderful launchpad for children and adults to spend some fun time learning and laughing about the darker side of nature.
Goosebumps has nothing on nature! Science writer and plant expert, Rebecca Hirsch has put together a deliciously sinister book for young kids about the nasty plant life that isn’t necessarily as beautiful as it first seems.
The narration is slow so younger listeners can keep up as Hirsch outlines eight different species of plants that can be deadly or harming to the wildlife surrounding it. So as not to terrify the young audience completely, she explains how plants that “kidnap, murder and invade” don’t have a brain to plot and plan. They’re on an instinctive quest to survive only, and she backs this up with stories that demonstrate how each of the plants attack in self defence only.
Her stories cover a good variety of plant types and locations, including the Australian stinging tree (Gympie), which is considered to be the most painful plant in the world due to the poison in its stingers. She also covers an African tree that houses ants to protect itself from elephants, the Venus Flytrap, a carnivorous King Pitcher, the Pisonia tree (known as a bird catcher), a sinister vampire vine, and an invasive kudzu climbing vine.
The stories are factual, creepy and fun. They are sure to delight young listeners and their significant adults alike, while educating both age groups quite a bit.
Running at just over an hour, When Plants Attack is a wonderful launchpad for children and adults to spend some fun time learning and laughing with their own further investigations into the darker side of nature.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Distributed by: Audible Australia
Released: August 2020
RRP: $19.49 or $16.45 through a monthly Audible subscription
More News
