Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2016 is a weekly celebration of imaginative children’s nonfiction materials hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy.
Title: How to Save a Species
Author: Marilyn Baillie, Jonathan Baillie and Ellen Butcher
Publisher: Owl Kids
Publication Date: 2014
Genre/Format: Nonfiction
My Two Cents: It only takes a cursory glance through the pages of How to Save a Species to come to the sad conclusion that planet Earth is in pretty poor shape. The sheer number of animals on the endangered species list is both mind-boggling and heart-breaking, and some of the stories covered in this nonfiction title are just staggering (there are only 4 Red River Giant Softshell Turtles alive in the wild!). The challenge facing authors Marilyn and Jonathan Baillie and Ellen Butcher is how to balance these stark facts with just enough hope and inspiration to keep the text from becoming overwhelming and discouraging for young readers.
How to Save a Species accomplishes just this by countering tales of dire straights with inspiring accounts of survival and resurgence. Profiles of scientists and researchers from around the world help bring the roles of conservationists to life. And of course there are plenty of vivid, brightly-coloured illustrations of these beautiful and threatened creatures. I appreciate that the authors have chosen to highlight a wide range of endangered creatures, including cute and cuddly favourites like sloths, and stranger creatures like wild yams, newts and pitcher plants. A living creature need not be cute to be worth saving!
The book includes a table of contents, a glossary and an index, all of which I like to see in a nonfiction text as they help young researchers develop and hone their skills. It also finishes with a great map showing where all of the animals in the book can be found (for now…), and a list of the world’s 100 most endangered species adds even more information to the book.
Another strong Red Cedar Award nominee, and another strong Canadian nonfiction book!
Sounds like a book that we need to read despite the facts in it. Too much habitat is going away. Thanks for sharing, Jane.
It sounds like a great book about an important topic. I love the cover photo.
The photography’s really eye-catching in thisbook, which is great since so many of the animals in the book will likely be entirely new to readers.
Oh no! Such a sad, important topic, but it is a truth that we need our students to know about. I actually just had students who chose to write a research paper all about sloths being endangered, and it is just so sad how humans are just killing species by cutting down their habitat.
I will have to look this one up. It looks like my kind of book. Thank you sharing.
I hope reading this book will inspire readers into action!