Dr. Rebecca E. Hirsch & Eugenia Nobati
A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants - Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds
“Should you encounter any of the plants in this book, do not treat them lightly. They can kill you. Or cause you unbearable agony. Or land you in jail. Consider yourself warned.”
Explore the strange and remarkable stories of poisonous and even deadly plants.
Science, history, and true crime converge in an informative and exciting look at Mother’s Nature’s ghoulish garden. From a hallucinogenic fungus linked to the Salem Witch Trials to the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln’s mother, learn how certain plants evolved toxicity to avoid being consumed by predators and became the predator on their own.
In A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds author Rebecca Hirsch takes you on a wild journey to look at how toxic chemicals in the natural world have been used for medicine, warfare, and sinister acts of foul play. Tread lightly as we explore these plants’ ominous deeds.
Zest Books
Non-Fiction
Age 12+
200 pp | US$ 18,99 (pb)
hc & pb | 140 x 210 mm
Publication: October 2024
Author: Dr. Rebecca E. Hirsch
Illustrator: Eugenia Nobati
All rights available, excl. Chinese (simpl. & compl.), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish
- Interview with the Author
- Book trailer
- Detailed illustrations and photographs add valuable visual learning component to help identify poisonous plants
- Award-winning expert author Rebecca E. Hirsch provides knowledge of how toxic plants have harmed or even killed humans, while also being a vaulable medical source
- Factual historical incidents written in gothic mystery/horror style make for a fun and engrossing red while also being highly educational
Awards
- YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers Top Ten, Winner, 2025
- School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Winner, 2024
- Kirkus Best Teen/YA of 2024, Winner, 2024
- Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices, Winner, 2025
“The striking page design evokes a strong sense of the macabre and is reminiscent of dark academia . . . An engaging, visually appealing guide for science buffs, true-crime enthusiasts, and herbalists alike.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews, 29 July 2024
“Promising “myth, mayhem, and murder,” this diabolical botanical guide delivers on all fronts . . . Deliciously macabre and almost conspiratorial in tone, Hirsch’s coverage is nicely rounded, pulling in traditional uses of many of these plants, some of which have medicinal treatments in small doses.”—Booklist, 28 August 2024
“Beautiful color photographs and drawings throughout the book make the plants easy to identify and bring their use throughout history into vivid focus. A memorable, enjoyable reference book, A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants combines often gruesome historical anecdotes with edifying botany lessons.”—Foreword Reviews, 18 September 2024
“Each chapter opens with a full page, gorgeously rendered illustration of a plant in all its glory, set against a sepia-toned background that evokes a well-used, old-fashioned guidebook, and captioned photos throughout bring added appeal. While the organization makes this eminently browsable, it’s possible readers just won’t put it down.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 19 September 2024
“This compendium is perfect for science buffs, true-crime lovers, herbalists, and teens drawn to the macabre. A must-have for anyone with a curiosity about nature’s most sinister secrets.”—starred, School Library Journal, 15 December 2024
By the same author and illustrator