Almost Gone: The World's Rarest Animals (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Features

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Cover Type: Paperback with 40 pages
• Published by: HarperTrophy January 31, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0060536004
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0060536008
• Book Dimensions: 11 x 8.9 x 0.2 inches
• Weighs: 7 ounces

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 3–This engaging title is informative as well as visually stunning. Jenkins captures the essence of his subjects with appropriately colored, cut-paper collage illustrations on stark white backgrounds. Each endangered animal is introduced in a single paragraph that typically contains a fact or two about its range, behavior, diet, and those conditions that threaten its welfare. The actual number remaining is poignantly noted. A middle section, Gone Forever, memorializes animals no longer on Earth with an indication of when they were last seen. In a hopeful third section, Jenkins discusses the Indian crocodile, whooping crane, and Alpine ibex, three animals that are coming back, due to the efforts to protect their habitats. All the animals included in this book are numbered and appropriately placed on a double-page world map. Those who have enjoyed Patricia Mullins V for Vanishing (HarperCollins, 1997) or Alexandra Wrights Will We Miss Them? (Charlesbridge 1991) will definitely gravitate toward this offering. Report writers may need more extensive information but the beauty of this book justifies its inclusion on most library shelves.–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. Caldecott Honor Book illustrator Jenkins applies his considerable talents to the cause of conservation in this book in the long-running Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Using his signature cut-and torn-paper collages, he shows 21 endangered species, accompanying each image with a few sentences about the animal's habitat, a particular characteristic, and, sometimes, the reason for its endangered status. The art is not to scale, but Jenkins often works in text references to give kids an idea of relative size: a Yangtze River Dolphin "may grow to be eight feet long"; an Assam rabbit weighs "four or five pounds." As usual, Jenkins' artwork is fascinating. His papers, apparently handpainted, are carefully matched to catch subtle variations of an animal's skin or a sense of the shagginess of its coat. The last spreads consider four extinct animals and three species brought back from the brink by breeding or protection programs. A map designating the range of each species concludes this nicely accomplished entry in a generally stellar series. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reader Reviews
My son received this book as a gift from his first grade teacher for entering a project into the science fair. He enjoys reading this book over and over again. This book has made him think about all the different types of animals and how the envoriment can cause them harm. This book gives the description of the animal, size, location and what may be the cause of their extinction. It not only teaches about the worlds rarest animals but in the back of the book there is a world map of all the locations listed within the book. I believe that this book is great for educating our children on both science and geography. I would recommend this book to any science and animal lover.