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Who Would Win?
Rattlesnake vs. Secretary Bird (Who Would Win?)
What if a rattlesnake and a secretary bird had a fight? Who do you think would win? This nonfiction reader compares and contrasts two ferocious animals. Readers will learn about each animal's anatomy, behavior, and more. Then compare and contrast the battling pair before finally discovering the winner!This nonfiction series is full of facts, photos, and realistic illustrations, and it includes a range of mammals, sea creatures, insects, and dinosaurs to satisfy all kinds of animal fans.
32 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2016
93 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Pallotta
232 books110 followersMy full name is Gerard Larry Pallotta but my mom always called me "Jerry". I was born on March 26, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. My mom's name is Mary, and she came from a family of ten children. My dad's name is Joe, and he came from a family of five children. My grandparents were immigrants of Italian descent. I have the nicest parents in the world. They have always been unselfish and ready to help me, even today. I have four brothers and two sisters: Joey, David, Andrew, Danny, Cindy and Mickey. I have seventy-two first cousins. When I was growing up, there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 5, 2022
Me and my four-year-old have a great time reading these awesome books. The fight at the end of this one was a highlight!
September 14, 2022
I had trouble buying the premise. The rattlesnake is indigenous to the Americas, while the secretary bird is found in Africa. It can fly, but only short distances. They are not noted for swimming ability so how would they get to America? I think I would have enjoyed a roadrunner as an opponent for the snake, Meep! Meep! A fun fact I learned from this book; "Birds don't have arms. They have wings!"
The book also mentions elephant birds. More about them please.
The book also mentions elephant birds. More about them please.
May 10, 2022
I had so much fun reading this book with my sons. It had great information and easy words for them to be able to read along. Bubbles on each page with fun facts. Also the battle at the end was super trilling. My sons made me read the battle a second time. However I sure was wrong on my pick of who would win. Who would have thought. Fun book and looking forward to reading more in the series.
January 25, 2024
It taught me a lot of stuff I already know
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October 3, 2016This book gives great information and facts on the Secretary Bird and the Rattlesnake, but it does it in a way that keeps you guessing on who would win in a fight. You'd think that because the rattlesnake has poisonous venom, that it would win in a fight. But actually, you learn that the Secretary Bird would win because its legs are too thin for the rattlesnake to bite and the secretary bird stuns the rattlesnake from above with its sharp claws.
August 25, 2021
My kids love guessing and hypothesizing who was going to win so it is teaching them about also in a way teaching them about the scientific method which I love.
December 31, 2020
In the alligator vs. python books, on page 7, it says a reticulated python can be up to 30 feet long.
In this book it says a reticulated python can be 23 feet long.
You would think the same author would be consistent.
Fourth book - still the second animal in the title that wins.
I didn't like this book because rattlers and secretary birds don't even live in the same part of the world, and including a map will not help kids understand that. As they read the book, they can think this scenario can actually happen in normal life. Why not use a snake native to Africa?!
I did enjoy the speed with which this book read, meaning that I was engaged and enjoying it.
In this book it says a reticulated python can be 23 feet long.
You would think the same author would be consistent.
Fourth book - still the second animal in the title that wins.
I didn't like this book because rattlers and secretary birds don't even live in the same part of the world, and including a map will not help kids understand that. As they read the book, they can think this scenario can actually happen in normal life. Why not use a snake native to Africa?!
I did enjoy the speed with which this book read, meaning that I was engaged and enjoying it.
February 17, 2022
A relatively short read with facts about the Diamondback Rattler and the Secretary Bird. At the end the author gives one way that the bird could win. The author then asks the reader to come up with another ending. It gave my son the opportunity to use the facts and his imagination to come up with his own ending.
December 29, 2023
My six-year-old nephew adores these books, and we enjoy reading them together. The fiercer the competition within the stories, the more he's captivated by them. This one was his favorite so he was super excited when Santa left it for him this year.
October 15, 2019
I highly recommend these books. My boys love learning about both animals & then predicting the winner at the end.
January 12, 2021
it was good
June 27, 2021
This series is always super interesting. Plus, I had no idea what a secretary bird was before reading this!
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January 11, 2024who would win: it is a fight between two animals
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews