Jaguar Talk; Tiger Talk; Zebra Talk

A trio of short but fascinating picture books printed on thin card with die-cut pages which depict the perils faced by three vanishing species in the form of conversations between young and old zebras/jaguars/tigers. These conversations provide an account of the factors which have led to near extinction in language which is concise and informative but very child friendly in its naturalness and clarity.

The books are ingeniously designed, the play of shape and colour on the pages providing a palpable semblance of the plights faced by the animals: the jaguars flee through an encroaching forest fire; the tiger glares balefully from the centre pages; the zebra pelt occupying a print-free double spread is peppered with shot. In all of the books the page size dwindles significantly as the heart of the account of decline is approached. The tiger book ends on an optimistic note, but there are gloomier prognoses for the zebra and jaguar. Each book concludes with an admirably crisp information page, and a reminder to the reader of the responsibility we all have for safeguarding the diversity of life on earth. These books are very highly recommended for all readers. The vivid subject matter combined with interesting text structure, brevity and natural language might make them a particularly good choice for beginner readers or children reluctant to read more conventional books.