Steve Parker is an author, editor and consultant specializing in illustrated information books on the natural world. Steve is a Senior Scientific Fellow of the Zoological Society of London and has worked on the staff of London's Natural History Museum. He is based in Suffolk, UK, and has written over 250 books, including dinosaur titles such Extreme Dinosaurs.

6-7 All kinds of animals; 8-9 The animal kingdom; 10-11 Heavyweight champion - the blue whale; 12-13 Biggest fish - the whale shark; 14-15 Fastest sprinter - the cheetah; 16-17 Fastest flier - the peregrine; 18-19 Slowest swimmer - seahorses; 20-21 Fastest fish - sailfish; Greatest traveller - arctic tern; 24-25 Longest swim - grey whale; 26-27 Record-breaking reptile - saltwater crocodile; 28-29 Largest lizard: Komodo dragon; 30-31 High-rise home - yak; 32-33 Biggest bird - ostrich; 34-35 Smallest bird - hummingbird; 36-37 Brain box - sperm whale; 38-39 Smartest thinker - chimp; 40-41 Tallest - giraffe; 42-43 Laziest - Arctic ground squirrel; 44-45 Most daintily built - royal antelope; 46-47 Largest on land - African elephant; 48-49 Fierest fish - great white shark; 50-51 Strongest bite - alligator; 52-53 Longest snake - reticulated python; 54-55 Biggest baby - blue whale; 56-57 Longest tooth - narwhal; 58-59 Deadliest snake - Asian cobra; 60-61 Biggest beetle - Goliath beetle; 62-63 Biggest butterfly - Queen Alexandra's birdwing; 64-65 Biggest invertebrate - colossal squid; 66-67 Smallest crab - pea crab; 68-69 Greatest growth spurt - ocean sunfish; 70-71 Supersized shell - giant clam; 72-73 Prettiest disguise - pink orchid mantis; 74-75 Boggliest eye - chameleon; 76-77 Prickliest character - porcupine; 78-79 Highest jumper - common flea; 80-81 Oldest on land - Jonathan the giant tortoise; 82-83 Most skilful spinner - tropical orb weave spider; 84-85 Best builder - beaver; 86-87 Biggest home - coral polyp; 88-89 Deadliest poison - box jellyfish; 90-91 Sneakiest fish - stonefish; 92-93 Biggest kiler - mosquito; 94-95 Most massive meat-eater - polar bear; 96-97 Deadliest frog - golden poison dart frog; 98-99 Loudest voice - howler monkey; 100-101 Loneliest life - devil's hole pupfish; 102-103 Biggest show-off - bird of paradise; 104-105 Smelliest animal - zorilla; 106-107 Most upside-down - sloth; 108-109 Smallest bird's nest - hummingbird; 110-111 - Biggest spider - Goliath spider; 112-113 Snappiest spider - Brazilian wandering spider; 114-115 Most sinister seashell - geographer cone; 116-117 Hottest home - stripped tube worms; 118-119 Best weightlifter - rhinoceros beetle; 120-121 Freakiest fish - the deep-sea angler fish; 122-123 Best shot - archer fish; 124-125 Most recently extinct - Baiji dolphin; 126-127 Most recent discovery - Dorcopsulus wallaby.