Stonefish

This entry in the Afraid of the Water series introduces the deadly stonefish, which offers unwary waders the daunting combination of a powerful venom injected by needlelike dorsal spines and a camouflage so effective that the fish is manifestly hard to see—even in abundant closeup color photos with added pointers. These photos of the almost unbelievably unappealing beast appear on nearly every page, along with brief cautionary captions or easy to absorb text that covers the stonefish’s habitat, life cycle, predators, and prey. The text, meanwhile, is well distinguished by a green coral-reef background. Closing with advice about how to treat a sting, plus glimpses of other venomous fish and a well-constructed reading list, it will very likely make addictive reading for hydrophobic middle graders.