a really cool mix of herbology, chemistry, true crime, history, and mythology to present poisonous plants from tobacco to wolfsbane set up through anecdotes, how it was discovered and used, and the effects it has on the body. Some of the information got a bit repetitive and I felt the layout of the pages felt a bit messy, especially with some of the pictures, but that's just me being nitpicky

This is a very engaging, beautifully illustrated book that nonfiction readers will love. I can see many of my students reading this and sharing it with their friends. It's a great blend of history and science with wide appeal

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants is a very well written monograph for middle grade readers about poisonous botanicals curated and written by Rebecca E. Hirsch. Released 22nd Oct 2024 by Lerner Publishing on their Zest Books imprint, it's 204 pages and is available in library binding, paperback, and ebook formats.

This is a beautifully presented book, with elegant photos and illustrations. It's aimed at middle grade+ readers, so the language is purposefully simple and direct. Proper nomenclature is used throughout alongside common names. Each of the plants (and they are myriad and varied) gets its own profile.

There are "true crime" historical tidbits and stories scattered throughout as well as scientific based items like what poison types each plant contains and sometimes their effects. If the author occasionally goes a tiny bit overboard with the sensationalistic "gross info incoming", it should be remembered that this book is aimed at youngsters for whom a good gross bit of info is ambrosia.

Well written and visually appealing, it would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition (school acquisitions personnel are strongly advised to vet the content beforehand and evaluate in light of liability concerns). It would also be a neat addition to gardening / allotment / community garden library, and home use.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you, Netgalley and Rebecca E. Hirsch for the chance to review this book!

This is a vastly different read from my usual, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'm interested in plants and their various uses and discovering how many poisonous concoctions there are was fascinating. As someone who is working on writing her first novel, I like to learn about different things I can incorporate and I have a feeling this one will come in handy :)

Definitely read this book, but uh...don't put it into practice.

This fascinating book is filled with so much information. It covers the science and some of the history behind a number of deadly plants. It also presents anecdotal accounts of incidents where the plants were used to harm others. There are even relevant quotes at the start of each new plant—a fun glimpse into historic sentiments.

Nice pictures and an aesthetically pleasing layout. I was thoroughly captivated by the dangerous knowledge and lore surrounding these deadly plants.

This book is gorgeous. The bright-colored illustrations and photographs are enhanced by the beautiful typography. It’s the kind of book that you can sit out and let people get sucked into because it’s just so pretty. I’d strongly consider getting a coffee table version to show off.

Each plant had a variety of interesting things about it, from the gory details of how the plant’s poison worked to information about how these poisons were used historically or in specific true crime cases. The sections cover mythology when relevant and other interesting tidbits about how this plant has been important.

It was such a delight to read and look at that I really wanted it to be longer. I also wish the sections had been a little more organized, and I would have loved for more details on some of the information.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.

“A Deadly Compendium of Poisonous Plants” is an informative and well-researched compendium that serves as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in botany, herbal medicine, or environmental science. This comprehensive volume delves into a wide variety of plants known for their toxic properties, providing detailed descriptions, images, and essential identification tips.

The book is organized systematically, making it easy to navigate through different categories of plants. Each entry includes crucial information such as habitat, toxic components, symptoms of poisoning, and safe handling practices. The author’s expertise shines through in the clarity and depth of the content, offering readers both scientific insights and practical advice.

Illustrations are plentiful and enhance the learning experience, allowing readers to easily identify plants in the wild. Additionally, the inclusion of historical anecdotes and cultural references adds an engaging layer to the text, making it not only educational but also fascinating to read.

I think the first thing that needs to be spoken about here is the gorgeous cover and illustrations. What a wonderful addition to this book. I loved them and spent some time looking at them and noticing all the details. inside, every plant is prefaced by a story, then usually there is a photo, then an explanation of what happened in the story, then the science behind how the poison works. Overall it was an enjoyable read, Some parts were pretty gruesome, so I wouldn't recommend this particular book for children. I like that is also includes a glossary, source notes, a bibliography, and a further reading section. A really good book. It exceeded my expectations. 4 out 5 stars.

This book had beautiful illustrations and was factual but managed to keep me interested.
The only issue I had was the overall format didn’t seem to flow.

I really like the illustrations at the beginning of this book. I wish there had been continuity in photographs OR illustrations. I think this would’ve brought the book up a level in stars. I know many students that will line up to get this book from my library whether it is for the illustrations/pictures or for the topics (older students) such a fun book.

I loved this book! Learning about various deadly plants was very interesting. The writing was both humorous and informative, and I liked that each plant came with at least one account of how someone was poisoned by it.

Discover the dark side of nature in this exploration of poisonous plants. From their historical uses in medicine and warfare to their roles in infamous crimes, this book reveals how plants evolved toxicity and became agents of death.

This fun-to-read book is full of fascinating information. It’s a must-read for gardeners and mystery authors. It will also appeal to history buffs and true-crime fans. Written in an entertaining style, it’s educational and spine-tingling. A perfect Halloween read!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Laugh out loud hilarious writing about each of nature's most deadly plants.
I loved this book, and every entry has full-color illustrations and facts that will blow your mind.
Highly entertaining, informative, and intriguing. I love the author's way of delivering stories about how each plant was used in espionage and skullduggery.

Such a great read! Highly recommend this book. Loved the attention to detail in explaining how in particularly the plant affects the body. I also like the little cases that introduce the plant. Overall a great book.

This book is filled to the brim with fascinating insight into the world of poisonous plants! I kept pausing my reading to share the facts I was learning with my husband. It reminded me in the best way possible of the science & history fact books every library used to have when I was small. Pared with a gorgeous interior full of beautiful illustrations & pictures from both nature & history, it was a joy to read. I highly recommend it, and will watch for other works from this author!

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants comes to us with the goal of getting children into botany. And how will it do so? Well by the most effective method I could possibly think: telling them all the gruesome ways one could kill a person with it. It's an extremely visual book with illustrations made to look like paper from an old field guide and photo references to the plants in question and other related objects and figures, such as a a 19th century Amazonian quiver or an image of Georgi Markov in 1978 before he died of a poisoned umbrella. This book really had me texting my friends with fun facts. The entries are relatively consistent, including history, folklore, and/or mythology before getting into the scientific name and lists of symptoms and a bodily harm section on exactly how the poison in question attacks the body. I find the strongest point of this set up is that every entry begins with a real account of how someone died by that plant, told in an urgent or intriguing present tense. The creative non-fiction really reads like a short crime story, and I expect it will pull any age in to read more. I think it really does well with what it sets out to do, with rapid-fire info and choppy humor and wordplay. However, its strengths may also be its weaknesses, depending on the reader. The color may seem too busy and a wasteful expense to some, and others may be let down by the low page count. I however think it will be great for its target audience. Then again, I was a kid who read the AMA poisonous plant handbook to compare with how nightshades worked in mystery stories, so I'm clearly biased. Overall great job. Would totally recommend as a gift to a younger reader.

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants
By Rebecca E. Hirsch
Wow, I really enjoyed this awesome informative book! I like science, especially when mixed with exciting history and the alure of deadly poisons. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book! I hope this author writes another book with similar topics.
This book tells the reader about several plant's descriptions and where they grow. Then, she tells a true story or two about how deadly these plants are. Some stories are from hundreds of years ago and some very recent.
A drawing and description with the technical details are also shown. The reason or how the poison is harmful is broken down is also explained for the reader.
Some of the plants include Gympie-Gympie, Belladonna, Datura, Caster Bean, Ergot, Heartbreak Grass, Mandrake, and more.
This is definitely one of my favorite books this year. Easy to understand. Entertaining and informative regardless of the deadly topic. I also think this book would be enjoyed by middle grades to adults. I know that I would have been attracted to this book at 7th grade on up. I'm an old lady now and still enjoy learning.

If you are interested in strange histories, odd plants, people behaving badly, and cool science facts, this is a great book for you. It is full of beautiful illustrations, sharp writing that keeps the information interesting without getting bogged down in too much technical language, and stories of how not every plant plays nice with others.

I did wish that there was a bit more organization in the presentation of the plants and poisons. It seemed a bit random, without a throughline to tie everything together into a cohesive narrative. Even a compendium like this can have a narrative thread, and I think that would have helped highlight some of the families of poisonous plants even more (or plants with similar toxins or methods of toxin delivery). A few details about how the immune system responds to some toxins were a bit muddled as well (speaking as an immunologist by trade).

Overall, this was an interesting collection of deadly fauna. It is presented in easy-to-read language with just enough humor to keep it fun, making it accessible to a wide audience. This would make for a fun coffee table book.

I love it so much! I can't wait to buy a copy for my shelves. Beautiful illustrations! Enjoyed learning about the plants, the history, the folklore...it was just fun. This would be a great book to display, good conversational piece.

4. Beautifully decorated with art and photographs. Easy to read sections for each poisonous plant. I love that arch section starts with a case of someone being poisoned by the featured plant. I do think this would be a fun writing and research opportunity for a class. Perhaps assign a plant to each student. Have them read their assigned section and use the bibliography of the book as a springboard to more research. I really like the wide variety of poisonous plants, too. Students will pick this up, read a section, and learn something new each time they do so. Would be a good addition to classroom libraries.