annieb123's Review of Atlas of Extinct Animals

Atlas of Extinct Animals

The first book in the Large Encyclopedias series presents animals that once walked the Earth but have vanished due to the actions of humankind.

In Atlas of Extinct Animals, award-winning poet Radek Malý tells the stories of forty-one extinct species and studies the causes of their sad demise. The large-format in Atlas of Extinct Animals is supplemented with beautifully expressive full-page illustrations by gifted artist Jiri Grbavcic and detailed pictures by renowned scientific illustrator Pavel Dvorsky.

The gorgeous, detailed depictions and descriptions of species and their eventual extinction serves as a reminder and a warning of how much life has already disappeared from the Earth. The atlas also shows that species continue to disappear. As we get closer and closer to present day, we are introduced to creatures that still existed in recent years, like the Zanzibar leopard (until 1996) and the Chinese river dolphin (until 2007). And in the end, we are left with a bitter question: Which creature will next be added to this atlas?

This book was selected by White Ravens 2020 for the annual catalog of book recommendations in the field of international children’s and youth literature.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Atlas of Extinct Animals is a colorful and sobering nonfiction look at animal species which have become extinct as a result of human activity. Originally released in Czech in 2019 this English language edition is due out 29th March 2021 from Albatross. It's fully illustrated in color, 88 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

There are 41 species included here: from the auroch (ca. 1627) to the Zanzibar leopard (1996). Each of the entries contains name and zoological (Latin) nomenclature, date of extinction where known, range, habitat, and other information about how and why they disappeared. The species detailed include the expected long distant mammoth which elicit a pang of regret, through to vividly gut-punch immediate sadness over recently departed species such as the Pyrenean ibex (2000) and river dolphin (2007).

I remember many of these animals from Mark Cawardine and Douglas Adams' sobering Last Chance to See, and it's just awful that so many of them are now, sadly, not just going, but gone.

Five stars. The illustrations are detailed and very well rendered and they add a lot to the book. This would be a good selection for public or school library or for any young reader aged ca 9-12 years.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Atlas of Extinct Animals

Reviewed by annieb123 on Mar 11, 2022

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