Let's Save the Animals

This book is a powerful invitation to young children to care about ten endangered animals. The attractively curved cover with vibrant lettering encourages them to look inside where they learn about each animal’s life and surroundings. The environments under threat are created with a soft, lyrical palette. Take the pages showing the gentle greens and browns of the tropical rain forest of Borneo where Orang-utans live in richly leafed trees – trees that are being cut down for timber and farming. The cut-away gives immediacy to their exuberance as they swing through the branches. Large flaps and die-cuts add interest and surprises here as on every page. Whether it is the Black Rhinoceros ‘wallowing in a muddy river’ in the grasslands of central Africa, the Giant Panda ‘chomping bamboo’ in the forests of China or the Emperor Penguin ‘skidding across the ice’ in the Antarctic, children are helped to understand the beauty and value of each habitat and of each creature. The use of the first person ‘voice’, active verbs and simple but rhythmic language also help to make the book involving. It is when children see what could be lost that they will understand the need for conservation of the environments in which these wonderful creatures live. This is an excellent first conservation book for the fives and under, but it will appeal to slightly older children too as there is interesting extra information on how we can help.