The Polite predator Series
Illustrated by Kathryn Durst
Published by Tundra Books
In this hilarious non-fiction chapter book series, a savvy cockroach shares wise tips and tricks to surviving an encounter with a charming predator who may (or may not) want to be your friend.
How to promenade with a python (and not get eaten)
Celeste is a classy cockroach, so who better to give advice on surviving an encounter with a polite predator?
Taking a moonlit promenade with a deadly reticulated python (named Frank) is a very bad idea. But Celeste loves very bad ideas, and she is willing to put your life on the line to prove herself right!
Need to stop a python from swallowing your head? Wear a lamp shade as a hat! Want to speed up a three-hundred-pound snake? Try roller skates!
Using her superior pythonine knowledge, Celeste comes up with various very good ideas—many dangerous, most absurd, but all based on the biology of pythons. Meanwhile, Frank is hatching his own plans.
Reviews
“Durst's digitally finished crayon pencil pictures are appropriately lively and goofy, and her naïve anatomical graphs are equally comical and effective. Try this at storytime, when it’s likely to please both snake-lovers and snake-haters.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Rachel Poliquin has given Celeste a chatty voice that keeps the facts-filled text from sounding pedantic, and Kathryn Durst . . . extends it with her comically funny depiction of the characters and their actions.” —Montreal Gazette
“A clever and entertaining approach to discovering the pertinent factual aspects of pythons while enjoying a goofy, easy-to-read story.” —CM Magazine
AWARDS and NOMINATIONS
Winner of the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award
One of CCBC’s Best Books for Kids and Teens, Fall 2021
How to High tea with a Hyena (and not get eaten)
High teas are dainty meals with pretty teacups: you nibble tiny cakes, sip milky tea and chit-chat about not-so-important things like why doughnuts have holes and if fish have eyebrows.
But Ruby the hyena is loud, ferocious and tends to slobber. High-speed gobbling makes good sense in the wild, but it is a definite no-no in the tearoom! And Ruby just happens to be Queen of a very large clan of hungry hyenas.
Will high tea be ruined by uninvited guests? Is Ruby peckish for something other than Celeste’s famous cream buns? Using her vast knowledge of hyenas, Celeste comes up with lots of strategies to get through high tea in one piece.
Reviews
"This [is] an adorable and funny story . . . but it [is] also a good teaching tool." —Jill's Book Blog
"Humorous and entertaining, and worthy of a place at the table." —School Library Journal
"[A] clever approach to the natural world, convincing in its message that . . . there is always more to learn." —Imaginary Elevators
“Snappy, kid-friendly portions of text supported with generous illustration drive the pace of this book . . . Readers will get caught up in the fun without even realizing how much they are learning.” —CM: Canadian Review of Materials
AWARDS and NOMINATIONS
Winner of the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award