Don't Touch That!: The Book of Gross, Poisonous, and Downright Icky Plants and Critters

by Jeff Day MD

You’ve probably heard the warning about poison ivy: “Leaves of three, leave it be.” If only it were that simple! Do you know that a plant that has been dead for years can still cause a rash, or that if you burn poison ivy you can get a skin reaction just by walking through the smoke? And that’s just one species to avoid--if you’re not careful, you can also run into poison oak, poison sumac, trumpet creeper, giant hogweed, stinging nettle, and all sorts of cacti. There are also things that can run into you--critters and creepy crawlies such as velvet ants, killer bees, pit vipers, wasps, scorpions, mosquitoes, tarantulas, bats, black widow spiders, gila monsters, and more. What’s a kid to do? Doctor Jeff Day offers helpful advice on how to avoid getting stung, bit, poked, jabbed, or poisoned . . . and what to do if you are. You’ll learn about everything from rashes to anaphylaxis, tetanus to spider bites, bee stings to rabies. And though the information he provides is serious, Day’s cartoons will have you laughing and scratching along.

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Matthew Noe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations in this are cute and hilarious. The premise is solid, but I worry that there is simply too much text still. Kids who have an interest will probably not mind, but to reach those who are hesitant, breaking the text up more would have helped.

[Jonah Willard. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very informational book, I used to carry it with me all the time.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just gave away another copy of DON'T TOUCH THAT (the fourth one I've owned, I can't resist sharing this book with parents). As an reader, I am amazed by the high level of information Day make accessible, both through his writing and adorable illustrations. Great for any child (and perfect for a budding naturalist), this book is an asset to parents, as well, giving a fun, detailed primer about how some of nature works. This is one book I can't wait to share with my future children, and in the meantime, I enjoy giving it away to share with others.

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in the basic ways of running into things that will cause you to scratch or be stung, then this is a cute book. Meant for readers around the age of 9 or so, it's filled with cute illustrations and funny examples. It covers things from Poison Ivy, Bee stings, to Snake bites. A cute book that has some nice resource information in it. Meant as a informal resource book.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellently humorous little book.