After the Kill

Illustrated by Catherine Stock
Paperback
$7.99 US
| $9.99 CAN
On sale Jul 01, 2011 | 32 Pages | 9781570917448
Age 6-9 years | Grades 1-4
Reading Level: Lexile 980L | Fountas & Pinnell Q
Life in the grassland is a constant, dramatic struggle for survival between predator, prey, and scavenger. This delightfully gory narrative follows the life cycle of one carcass as it feeds a whole ecosystem of meat-eaters. 

A hungry lioness attacks a grazing zebra on the plains of East Africa. She bites it in the throat. The zebra is dead. After the kill, the lioness and her pride rip the carcass open and eat. Vultures swoop in and fight over scraps of meat, and cunning jackals compete with bone-crushing hyenas for a piece of the feast.
It is early in the morning, and a hungry lioness is on the prowl. She sees a herd of zebras grazing in the distance. Mmmm—zebra! Her mouth begins to water.

The lioness crouches in the grass and creeps forward.

One of the zebras seems weaker than the others, and she focuses on it. The zebra twitches its ears,
but it does not see her. The lioness creeps closer . . . closer . . . and then—

She springs from the grass, chases down the zebra, claws it in the back, pulls it to the ground, and bites it in the throat.

The zebra is dead. The lioness has killed it.

The Serengeti Plain of East Africa is home to some of the largest concentrations of animals on earth. Vast herds of wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes thrive on the plain, as do the predators and scavengers that feed on them.
Darrin Lunde has worked as a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute. His work has brought him into contact with all kinds of animals, big and small, throughout the remote forests of South America, Africa, and Asia where he camped for months at a time to survey species diversity and to discover new species. He is the author of Hello, Bumblebee Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book, After the Kill, and other books about animals. He lives in Washington, DC. View titles by Darrin Lunde
Catherine Stock was born in Sweden, the daughter of a diplomat stationed in Stockholm. After graduating college, Catherine taught art and art history at a teacher's training college in South Africa. Soon she moved to London to get her teaching certificate and taught at the Loughton School of Further Education in the East End. Catherine is the illustrator of books for children, including Vinnie and AbrahamEmily and CarloAfter the Kill, and the Gus and Grandpa series (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). She is the author and illustrator of A Spree in Paree (Holiday House) and Porc in New York (Holiday House). Catherine lives part time in New York City and part time in France. View titles by Catherine Stock

About

Life in the grassland is a constant, dramatic struggle for survival between predator, prey, and scavenger. This delightfully gory narrative follows the life cycle of one carcass as it feeds a whole ecosystem of meat-eaters. 

A hungry lioness attacks a grazing zebra on the plains of East Africa. She bites it in the throat. The zebra is dead. After the kill, the lioness and her pride rip the carcass open and eat. Vultures swoop in and fight over scraps of meat, and cunning jackals compete with bone-crushing hyenas for a piece of the feast.

Excerpt

It is early in the morning, and a hungry lioness is on the prowl. She sees a herd of zebras grazing in the distance. Mmmm—zebra! Her mouth begins to water.

The lioness crouches in the grass and creeps forward.

One of the zebras seems weaker than the others, and she focuses on it. The zebra twitches its ears,
but it does not see her. The lioness creeps closer . . . closer . . . and then—

She springs from the grass, chases down the zebra, claws it in the back, pulls it to the ground, and bites it in the throat.

The zebra is dead. The lioness has killed it.

The Serengeti Plain of East Africa is home to some of the largest concentrations of animals on earth. Vast herds of wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes thrive on the plain, as do the predators and scavengers that feed on them.

Author

Darrin Lunde has worked as a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute. His work has brought him into contact with all kinds of animals, big and small, throughout the remote forests of South America, Africa, and Asia where he camped for months at a time to survey species diversity and to discover new species. He is the author of Hello, Bumblebee Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book, After the Kill, and other books about animals. He lives in Washington, DC. View titles by Darrin Lunde
Catherine Stock was born in Sweden, the daughter of a diplomat stationed in Stockholm. After graduating college, Catherine taught art and art history at a teacher's training college in South Africa. Soon she moved to London to get her teaching certificate and taught at the Loughton School of Further Education in the East End. Catherine is the illustrator of books for children, including Vinnie and AbrahamEmily and CarloAfter the Kill, and the Gus and Grandpa series (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). She is the author and illustrator of A Spree in Paree (Holiday House) and Porc in New York (Holiday House). Catherine lives part time in New York City and part time in France. View titles by Catherine Stock