A wild child's guide to endangered animals by Millie Marotta

This is not specifically a children's book, per say, Baker and Taylor categorizes it as adult and the text is fairly dense and complex. However, the beautiful illustrations will make this one that adults and children alike can enjoy poring over.

Marotta, after an introduction explaining her own interest in endangered wildlife, divides the books into habitats and creates a spread on each strange, rare creature. Each animal is shown in her beautiful, stylized art, and various interesting facts, sometimes including its current status, are included in the text. The animals include the tiny tiger tail seahorse, shown in brilliant yellows amid a forest of green and orange, the wandering albatross, a symphony of gray and black patterns against a gray sky, and the Tasmanian giant freshwater lobster, rich in jewel-toned patterns. An okapi stretches across the page to reach leaves above, a komodo dragon stares out from amid patterned scales and vegetation, and the Nilgiri Tahr stands alone against a blue and white sky, on a patchwork of stones and rocks.

Each portrait includes a brief, sometimes humorous caption and there is a map of the animals at the end of the book. A final spread explains the threats to each animal, known numbers, and status. A final page lists ways people can help reduce pollution and a list of websites. I am generally opposed to these kind of lists, (and I don't believe that "Small changes like turning the tap off while you brush your teeth can make a huge difference.") but since this book is not specifically aimed at children I will pass it this time.

There are no sources for the information on the animals, but Marotta explains in the introduce how she researched them and where she got the information included.

Verdict: This is definitely a browsing book and the gorgeous pictures make it worth the slightly higher price. Not surprisingly, Marotta is an extremely popular creator of coloring books for adults. A great present for children or adults who love animals or a nice addition to your general animal collection for kids to pore over. Pair with Brown's Lesser Spotted Animals to highlight some less-known animals who are endangered.

ISBN: 9781452176864; Published October 2019 by Chronicle; Review copy provided by LT Early Reviewers; Donated to the library