I read another book from this series at the end of last year which impressed me to the core. I think that would be the best way to read them. We first must understand what we lost to appreciate what we still have. This encyclopedia contains information and illustrations for about 40 species of endangered animals. It's professionally researched and explained beautifully. As with the previous volume, the left pages display one detailed illustration, and the right page is dedicated to information and several technical illustrations depicting age progression, anatomy, or comparisons. The book teaches us why these animals are going extinct in an attempt to slow it down, even stop it. Every one of us is responsible for the well-being of wildlife and we all have the power to make a change. Diana Livesay, reviewer
This superb book is coming to the British-language market a month after its twin, which concerns Extinct Animals. In following the original order of production, as far as I can find out from a publishing house that is very quiet on crediting translators and other vital people, you might initially think the Extinct book should be the sequel - after all, little can get to the extinct stage without being endangered first. But as the introduction here says, this is the right way round to do things. The two books are a 'before' and 'after' - with everybody sane hoping this is coming after the sea-change that might actually prevent critters jumping volumes in future editions. We have to have fingers crossed that things will stop being allowed to become extinct soon, and that that change in approach to our planet was taken yesterday.
Would that we could really be that optimistic. Sure, we now have a $1000 charge to go to the islands home to the Komodo dragon, and a kakapo is on facebook, but nothing happened yesterday and probably little will happen tomorrow. The Chinese are of course still polluting, damming and building the shit out of anything and everything, and yet pretty much everything in my year's extended reading list that has mentioned the Yangtze has come in consecutive books, on consecutive evenings.
They are both wonderful books, although a change in portrait artist is regrettable, even if the results are still wondrous here. Said portraits are the left-hand pages, with the right-hand getting the scientific illustrations, and a short essay filling the rest of the page about the creatures' ways, distinctive features, and where we're going wrong in letting them die away. Vivid blue New Zealander rails, butterflies, and yes anything that the Chinese think can be called medicine or food are all here. The survey does not stick to the meet-cute charity efforts, where the charge can be laid that it's only the photogenic that gets the effort put its way, and all in all it's a relief to say that there is just about enough optimism to stop the spirit sapping too much. Would that we never had either of these nigh-on perfect books to read, mind. John Lloyd, reviewer
This is a coffee table book for the teenage set. It is large, hard bound, and populated by beautiful illustrations and informative write-ups of endangered animals. It is a reference work designed to have its passages read as needed or desired, not straight through. Most people know that dodo birds and passenger pigeons are extinct. The elimination of both aviary creatures resulted from human impact on the animal's environment and ignorance. There are many more endangered animals which are in danger of becoming extinct. The Chinese pangolin looks different from any other animal but is hunted for its tasty meat as well as its scales, which are said to have traditional Chinese medicinal uses. So little is known about it that it may be extinct before it is understood. Other, more popular animals-such as the golden lion tamarin, the Siberian tiger, the giant panda, and the mountain gorilla-are so well-loved they may be a little more protected. This protection can be in the form of funding for environmental efforts or government intervention. Each animal is shown in stunning illustrations accompanied by its stats. The gharials are up to twenty-two feet long and weigh up to four hundred forty pounds. The kakapo, the largest parrot in the world, can be two feet tall and weigh up to eight pounds. The common denominator for each animal's status in this book is threatened status due to humans. It may be habitat destruction, overhunting, pesticides, and more that has caused their dire situation. These animals are fascinating to learn about. This is a book that would make a doctor or dentist office more enjoyable, and it is one that would be at home in school and public libraries. Spread the word that our actions hurt other creatures of this world.
Children's Literature