Sneed B. Collard III—Little Killers: The Ferocious Lives of Puny Predators

LITTLE KILLERS:
THE FEROCIOUS LIVES OF PUNY PREDATORS
Sneed B. Collard III
Millbrook Press, March 1, 2022
Hardcover, $31.99, eBook $9.99
Interest Level: Grades 3–6
ISBN-10:‎ 1728415691, ISBN-13: 978-1728415697
ASIN:‎ 1728415691

Collard reports:

I have been fascinated with tiny predators since first looking at a ctenophore, or “comb jelly,” under a microscope in my invertebrate zoology course at UC Berkeley. Not only was the animal astonishingly beautiful, it represented an eat-and-get-eaten world almost totally alien to most people.

For decades the idea to write about ctenophores and other “little killers” simmered in my brain. I felt it unfair that sharks, wolves, and other macro-predators get the, ahem, lion’s share of attention while small predators are every bit as interesting.

One day while talking with Carol Hinz at Millbrook/Lerner, I pitched this topic for a book. Carol seemed interested—and had an open slot on her list—so I wrote a formal proposal. We signed a contract within weeks.

The book’s format allowed room to feature eight different predators. One of my first goals was to select from a wide variety of taxonomic groups, from protozoans and flatworms to spiders and insects. Creating a list proved surprisingly easy since I’d had some experience with most of the organisms and had been waiting to write about them.

To research each subject, I shunned general books and websites and relied almost exclusively on original scientific papers and interviews with scientists. That has always been my preference because it gives a book authenticity and accuracy that you’ll never find elsewhere. I was fortunate to connect with scientists to help me with almost every chapter. I am especially grateful to marine biologist Steven Haddock of the Monterey Bay Research Institute for reading over the entire book.

Working with a new publisher always involves a few growing pains. I had to reorganize some chapters to shape them into a consistent format, but the book turned out better as a result. I was also grateful not to have to round up the book’s photos, leaving that job to Lerner’s excellent staff of photo researchers. I felt especially proud to wrap up with a final chapter on the vital importance of tiny predators, both as useful and harmful species. I hope the book will increase awareness in both young and older readers.

Contact Info:

• Sneed B. Collard III: sbcollardiii@gmail.com, https://www.sneedbcollardiii.com/, Blog: https://fathersonbirding.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SneedBCollardIII, Twitter: @sneedcollard; Instagram: @sneedcollard
• Book: https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/21615
• Publicist: Megan Ciskowski, publicityinfo@lernerbooks.com

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Hero photo via NOAA, public domain