Ben Hoare

Endangered Animals by Tom Jackson is both a beautiful and a heartbreaking book, for obvious reasons.

As an attractive coffee table book it succeeds very well. Who doesn't love pictures of animals, and these pictures are a nice mix of mid-range shots as well as close-ups. In some ways it is the close-ups that are the most heartbreaking. If you are the type of person who loves animals individually as well as in the broader abstract sense, you look into those eyes and see sentient beings that show more are threatened with extinction, largely because of our species' abuse of the planet. Yes, extinction is a normal function of life on the planet, but the rate has been accelerated thanks to our greed and lack of caring for those we share the planet with.

While any good coffee table book induces a person to pick it up and flip through it, the best can generate discussion. Most spark nostalgic or fanciful conversation, which is always great fun. This one, however, may spark more melancholic conversation, which is not a bad thing if it raises awareness about what we are doing to our planet.

I would recommend this for both those who just want a beautiful book to display and for those who want a discussion starter on an important topic for the next time you have guests over.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

Sure, I knew that I share characteristics with other mammals, but finding out what I have in common with birds and snakes was pretty cool! I appreciate that this book is in a nice picture book format. There's a lot of info here! It's the kind of book that has several little snippets of facts on each page, expanding on the main point of the page. However, unlike the books that just splash those extra bits randomly on the page, this book keeps the layout more structured. This is a LOT easier show more for my brain to comprehend and I appreciate that.

At 48 pages, including glossary and index, this book was too long for me to read in one sitting. I took my time with it, enjoying a few pages here and there. I am still healing from some cognitive difficulties and I love learning through children's nonfiction because I can get all the facts without a bunch of long-winded filler, and, if I'm lucky, some great pictures, also. I was lucky with 'We Are All Animals'. I loved the illustrations!

My only negative: I wish the glossary had included help with pronunciation.

My biggest positive: the skillful and sensitive way death was presented. I am currently grieving and I admit I dreaded reaching the page that discussed the end of life. But...it was okay. It was written well.

This is a beautiful book and I enjoyed learning what I have in common with bats, turtles, elephants, and other animals. show less

I usually stop and appreciate a cover before opening a book. The cover of An Anthology of Intriguing Animals from DK Canada is so beautiful. A rich dark turquoise with gold title and images. Take the time to look at the pictures on both front and back - they're quite detailed. Little Guy and I had fun picking out the different animals pictured. The edges of the pages are also gold. We couldn't wait to see what was inside!

And what we found was absolutely wonderful! One hundred and four show more creatures from the animal kingdom - sky, land and water - are profiled. Each animal is showcased on a double page layout. A full colour, detailed photo accompanies the text. (The photo of the mandrill is stunning.)There are two paragraphs of what Little Guy likes to call 'interesting facts' for each animal. Those 'interesting facts' also include stories and myths. The amount of information provided is just right for small ones. And I was thrilled when I heard him sharing some of what he learned with Mom.

We decided to start at the beginning and use the built in satin bookmark to mark our progress. Little Guy was able to identify many of the creatures, but there were a few new to even Gramma - the viscacha, pangolin and the loris. The facts were fascinating - and yes, Gramma learned as well! Did you know that elephants can recognize themselves in a mirror? And also remember the faces of elephants they have not seen for years. Hence the phrase 'elephants never forget.'

There's a Tree of Life layout at the end of the book that explains mammals, invertebrates etc. A glossary covers key words such as herbivore, blowhole etc. and there's on last visual guide on each animal.

As with all DK books, they layout and information is just right and the photos are amazing. You could call it a coffee table book for kids! An Anthology of Intriguing Animals would make a wonderful gift for any child - one that would be treasured for years to come. Adults will be leafing through it as well. show less

This book highlights similarities across swaths of the animal kingdom. What makes this book stand out is that it includes some big ideas that may be new and unexpected: We are tubes! We are ecosystems! We are recycled!

Each similarity has a two-page spread with the title "We [Are] All _____". The wording was a little confusing, as some of the listed traits are not shared across the entire animal kingdom. However, unique differences are also highlighted within the text. For example, the first show more paragraph of "We are all tubes" ends with "That is, unless you're a jellyfish, coral, or sea anemone, who have one hole for everything!"

With plenty of illustrations, interesting facts, and tantalizing mysteries of what we still don't know, this book was simultaneously satisfying while leaving me hungry for more! Thankfully, the back matter includes a glossary, index, and a list of selected sources which I am eager to explore. Highly recommended! show less