Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse, written by Susannah Buhrman-Deever and illustrated by Bert Kitchen. Candlewick Studio, Penguin Random House. 2019. $24.99 ages 8 and up

"Today
you may have won
but there will be a time
when the first
hint
of me
will be
the feel
of my talons
as they strike
your fluttering ... "

Predator and prey both fight for survival. It is the way of the natural world. Predators must have food to live; prey want to avoid capture at all cost. The predator and prey presented as partners in this amazing book of poetry use their voices to defend themselves.

A poem for two voices opens the book - an assassin bug and spider both have what it takes to turn the table on the other. One or the other will come out the winner. They both proclaim to be hunter, and in unique voice express their own reason for an expected triumph. Bert Kitchen uses watercolor and gouache to bring the two to what could prove to be an impasse. They face off on a delicate, but intricate, web on the verso page that mirrors their conversation. The author adds an information box at the bottom of the recto to inform her readers:

"One species of assassin bug from Australia hunts spiders. Spiders "listen" to the movements of their webs to learn when prey has been caught. The assassin bug takes advantage of this. The bug plucks the silken threads of the spider's web with its front legs to mimic the movements a trapped insect would make. The spider goes in for the kill, but the assassin bug is the one to get the meal."

Conniving little beast!

Bats and frogs are next, pictured on a double page spread showing the bats scooping frogs from the water. Gatefolds open on both sides to reveal another poem for two voices, and an information box with three short paragraphs that describe the combative pair. Such encounters fill the pages, with Mr. Kitchen providing stunning art for each.

I really like the first person voice for each of the pairs, as it makes the battles more personal and
dramatic. Each of the paired prey-predator creatures give readers a sense of the unique skills they bring to the match.

Patience of a Snake

I am patient.                                 
I am primed.
I am coiled muscle,                HOT-TEMPERED 
expertly designed.                  SQUIRREL 
I am loaded spring
I am ...                                     I'm hot
               LIGHTNING!             and bothered.
                                                 I'm hot
                                                 under the collar.
                                                 I'm fur - rious
                                                 FURIOUS!
                                                 Flag waving.
                                                 I boldly scold:
                                                 "Hey, you! Get off my lawn!!"

What wonderful teamwork for a book that combines, poetry, science and brilliant design!