Komodo Dragon Vs. King Cobra

Who Would Win? #10

by Unknown

This nonfiction Reader compares and contrasts two ferocious reptiles. Kids learn about the Komodo dragon and king cobra's anatomy, behavior, and more. Book is packed with photos, charts, illustrations, and amazing facts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Childrens, Picture Books, Nature

32 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Unknown" when the author or editor (as applicable) is not known and cannot be discovered. If at all possible, list at least one actual author or editor for a book instead of using "Unknown".

Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous.

Reviews

[Brian M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter recommended this book. She felt it would help with my understanding of reptiles. We have debated the the outcome of the fight between the Komodo Dragon and the King Cobra. I tend to dispute the outcome in the book, but as she points out, I am not a herpetologist. She knows this word because it was one of the Fun Facts listed in the book.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eh, I kinda just read it because I had nothing else to read.

[Kenzie Votaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a couple of books from this series before with children that I babysit. I like how interestingly these books present facts for children to draw them in more. Comparing two species through a "competition" really keeps children engaged with the story, wanting to know who would win. This book is no exception to the rest of the series, it was entertaining and would be great for children. In my classroom, I would like to have a bin of the books from this series for children to pick from when they want. I think these books do a great job of making the informational genre more appealing to students. To draw them in, I may choose to read one of the books from this series to begin and maybe more if they fit with anything else we're learning. Overall, I would definitely purchase this book along with others in the series for my classroom.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of this series!

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very educational and entertaining book of science. The Komodo Dragon and King Cobra are two of the most dangerous reptiles on Earth. The Komodo Dragon can weigh as much as 300 pounds and has serrated teeth that are venomous and rip flesh like a saw. The King Cobra can inject enough venom to kill an elephant, much more than needed to kill a Komodo Dragon, since the effectiveness is largely based on body weight.
The proper descriptive backgrounds of both creatures are put forward, explaining their physical characteristics and how they capture and kill their prey. In answering the question in the title, the real issues regarding the hypothetical confrontation are due to the potential for one to surprise the other and whether the skin of the Komodo Dragon is thick enough to resist the fangs of a striking King Cobra. The scenario put forward here is that it is a direct confrontation and since the skin of the Komodo Dragon is not impervious to the fangs of the King Cobra, in the description here, the Cobra successfully strikes.
This is science writing at its best, the two antagonists are described very well, making the conclusion thoroughly reasonable and understandable. It is an excellent book of science setting the scenario and thoroughly justifying the conclusion. Great reading for the late years of elementary school.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit that I am addicted to this series right now. The ones that I don’t have in my possession, I have on hold at the library. I took four of them into a sixth-grade classroom I was subbing in the other day and they were an instant hit with the kids. I asked the question on the front of the book to the kids, I had them raise their hands to see which species got the most votes. I then gave them a picture walk of the information contained in the book and then I quickly walked them through how the fight went on at the end of this nonfiction children book. They were all ears, hoping that the species they choose won. Some decided to change their original hypothesis after I told them some of the facts inside the book but I loved how they all were listening and wanting to know the outcome. Afterwards, I had some of the kids wanting to read the books for their read-to-self books. Now, that is a testament to these books.

With bright, colorful, realistic, illustrations these books are a gem. Using a variety of font styles and sizes the information is scattered throughout the pages in an easy to read format. With one side of the page devoted to one species and the other species devoted to the other. I liked how the author compared and contrasted the information of the species inside the book, whether it be its habitat, it’s size, how fast it moves, it’s skeleton or what it eats, etc... Each book also has text boxes with Did You Know? Information and some other text boxes with Fun Facts, Bonus Facts, Important Facts that contain interesting information. At the end of the book, is the duel between the species. I find these duels rather comical as they are like watching a WWW match. Every move, every piece of action is written down so it feels as if you are actually there. In the end, there is only one winner. Will it be the one that you had chosen?

In Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra, I learned a great deal as I knew nothing about Komodo Dragons. Everything about them was interesting and new to me. Some of the students also didn’t know much about them so I was happy about that. The information on both these species babies was interesting, the skeletons was cool, their venom was interesting and their teeth got some aahhs from the class. Again, they predicted the fight outcome although they didn’t want it to occur.

So now I have to wait for the books at the library to come in, can’t wait to see what things I don’t know.

[Laura Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My reaction to this book is that it is very informational about both the Komodo Dragon and the King Cobra it was exciting and sparked curiosity. The way Pallotta presents factual information through the lens of a hypothetical showdown between the Komodo dragon and the king cobra is both entertaining and educational. The pages are filled with captivating details about each animal, from the Komodo dragon's powerful bite and impressive size to the king cobra's venomous abilities and agility. This format encourages children to think critically about the strengths and weaknesses of each creature, fostering a sense of wonder about the animal kingdom.

The illustrations in the book are vibrant and visually appealing, bringing the creatures to life and helping readers visualize their environments. The artwork effectively complements the text, making the information more accessible and engaging for young readers.

I would recommend Who Would Win? Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra for students in grades 2-5. The book’s language is straightforward, making it suitable for early readers, while the intriguing premise can spark interest in animal behavior and biology among slightly older students.

In my classroom, I would use this book as a springboard for discussions about adaptations and survival in the animal kingdom. After reading, I would engage students in a debate-style activity where they would choose a side (either the Komodo dragon or the king cobra) and present arguments supporting why their chosen animal would win in a hypothetical battle. This would encourage critical thinking and public speaking skills. I would have students research additional facts about each animal to use in their debates, creating a visual poster that includes interesting details, habitats, and adaptations. This activity would not only reinforce the knowledge gained from the book but also promote creativity and research skills.

[Trevor Hu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is very informative, as it talks about the anatomy of both the king cobra and the Komodo dragon. Although this book is relatively short, it is a good read for any child who has any interest on questions like "why do some types of snakes have hoods, and what gives them a hood?" and questions like that. However, the end of the book showed only one of the two animals winning, I would prefer if they showed what would have happened if the other animal won. Other than that, it was a really fun book.

[Madison Schumacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how this book compares both animals and describes their similarities and differences. I liked how it took the reader step by step with the animal's mannerisms and how the fight would most likely go down. It does a good job of continually drawing the student in to want to read more. I think this series would be good in my classroom library so students can explore and learn about different animals independently.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boys' excitement is so fun with these books! Ages 7 and 3! They gathered together in Emerson's room and we read on the floor. Another exciting Who would win! Chock full of exciting and educational tidbits about the animals, boys love to read aloud. We all guessed Komodo dragon. Hmmm. No spoilers here.....

[fer_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this along with my second grader and we absolutely enjoyed it. He and I debated the ending. However, we learned quite a bit about these two venomous reptiles. After we were done reading the book, we set off to YouTube to learn more. A great, easy read and we will definitely read the other books in the series.

5🐍🌟🐊 I couldn't find any komodo dragons!🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

My severely special needs cousin loved these. It was a tough read at the time, but it got a struggling student to want books. I picked this up and wondered what took me so long to find them? (But I think the author picked the wrong winner!)

[Marya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title really says it all; what's not to like about this series?

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of a popular series of nonfiction books at my branch. I decided to finally read one. It did well at presenting the facts.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think if you are a researcher for these type of animals then this book then this is the book for you.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

January 2020 - this series has been super popular at the library for a while, and I can see why. Ben's specifically asked for books about king cobras, and was really happy with this one.

[Aveon · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good read to others

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

the fight wasn't exciting but the facts were pretty cool

[Ian Camacho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really upset with who won but still liked it

[Mikhaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

My six-year-old loved this one - great for an aspiring herpetologist.

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting facts and information.

[John of Canada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good artwork and I learned a lot, for example; ophiology is the study of snakes. Once again I was wrong about which creature I thought would win.

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both educational and for our two young boys also had an entertaining premise to keep them engaged through the factual portion.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent book!

[David McCallister]

These books are great for students during independent reading time. Learning about different types of animals and their attributes can help in the animal science portion of science.

[Daniel Yao · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ate these books uppppp as a preschooler

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one seemed a little short but otherwise entertaining as usual!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids who like learning animal facts might enjoy learning a few tidbits about king cobras and Komodo dragons.

[PottWab Regional Library]

A

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. My family and I had fun coming up with alternate endings as well. Not sure I ever want to visit Indonesia after reading this.