Nature's Nasties

A fascinating collection of bizarre and mind-blowing stories about nature’s nastiest creations with a bite-sized format and boxouts, perfect for reluctant readers aged 8-12.

Step into the dangerous, deceptive, and downright deadly world of plants with creepy illustrations and even a chapter on video games.

From the eerie wolfbane that inspired werewolf legends to the real-life fungus behind Salem’s witch trials, young readers will discover how nature’s most dangerous greenery has shaped history, inspired myths, and sent a shiver up humanity’s spine for centuries. Learn all about:

how “mad honey” defeated a Roman armythe deadly plants in The Legend of Zelda and whether they're just as poisonous in real lifehow mandrake root was used to create sleeping potionsShakespeare’s witches and their cauldrons of deadly plantsfour silent-but-deadly plants, shoo-ins for the "awful smell" awardhow taste tasters throughout history made sure important people weren't poisoned (spoiler: there were dog testers!)
With fascinating sidebars and gross-but-awesome tidbits, each spread of this awesome nature book dives into weird science, historical mishaps, video games, and entertainment, and the quirky ways humans and animals have tangled with vegetation that can kill, maim, or simply make their life miserable.

Matthew Wilson Taylor's eerie and fantastical illustrations bring the demon dogs, creepy werewolves, screaming plants and more to life for young readers aged 8-12.