BEWARE THE BURMESE PYTHONS

In a mix of fanciful cartoon panels and narrative snippets, Kaner and Nicholls sound the alarm about 10 invasive species.

As creatures from nutrias and cane toads to tawny crazy ants and killer shrimp mug ferociously in the art, Kaner explains with much hand-wringing how each was introduced to a new locale by either hitchhiking in or being released by a well-meaning importer, to the detriment of native species and ecosystems. The concern is certainly justified (even if humans, the most destructive ones of all, didn’t make the cut), but not only are the entries subject to occasional carelessness with facts—no, feral cats are not native to Europe—but remediation strategies are often facile, with suggestions like having farmers control ants by getting rid of aphids and holding a contest to design a ship that would somehow prevent potential pests from hitching a ride. Still, the message that it’s a bad idea to release imported pets certainly gets its proof here (see: starlings, northern snakehead fish, and the titular pythons), and the author’s “If you were a scientist or conservation officer, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?” challenge at the end of each profile may well motivate constructive thinking. Nicholls adds human figures with a range of skin tones to the panels and larger scenes of animal invaders and victims.

A lightweight introduction to an increasingly serious issue.