Some of these animals died out thousands of years ago, but some of them still walked the earth a few years ago and now they are gone. Read about the impact of humankind on nature and how easy a whole species can vanish from the Earth‘s surface and let us wonder – will humankind become the next chapter?
„And they all lived happily ever after. The fairy-tale adage applies to none of the 41 creatures introduced in this atlas. Mammoth, dodo, and Neanderthal man: all extinct.“ White Ravens review
I loved reading this compilation of the intriguing and beautiful animals that used to inhabit our planet. The illustrations were an added bonus and contributed needed visual aid in picturing not only the animal itself but the environment that they would have inhabited. An interesting, beautiful, and useful addition to any and all animal lovers library. ―Tina Hewitt, blogger
Five out of five is the only response to a book that does exactly what it wants to do, and does it better than expected. Check the artwork – the standard is of the "how does this man ever not have a commission" quality, giving great and realistic poses to the critters concerned, and putting just as much care into the background detail as the fur and feathers that are the prime subject. He gets every verso page, while the recto is for the text – although that too is illustrated in a more scientific manner. Here we learn of many extinct animals, some of which chances are you've not heard of, unless you have a specialist knowledge in what man has slaughtered. Steller's sea cow was a huge galumphing bulge of meat and oil, and never left its partner when s/he was shot. Giant tortoises from several places were so docile and low-maintenance they were even packed up to live on board ship as a living larder. Here are birds bludgeoned with the last ever egg just trampled on, species hunted for game or exterminated deliberately, and here is Tibbles the cat putting paid to a cute, dusky-looking wren.
Of course, just while some people argue we're trying to keep the cuter animals alive that are endangered today (hello, giant panda), nobody was lookist in determining what should get killed off – and much of the time it wasn't really deliberate, although mahoosive eagles I'd never heard of were soon despatched from New Zealand. What surprised me was the fact that even if these beasts survived somewhat to the world of science, we still have so little proof of what they were like – the quagga is not exactly everywhere, even stuffed or skeletally. Elsewhere it could be said there are few surprises in this volume, but the quality of it is still undeniable. ― John Lloyd, reviewer
The Atlas of Extinct Animals is a beautiful book filled with
incredibly detailed illustrations. As a parent who is often asked about extinct
animals or "was the dodo bird actually real?" it is great to have a
resource that provides a visual example of what these extinct beings looked
like as well as details about them and where they lived. Absolutely loved this
book. - Media 876444
I cried when I read this beautifully illustrated account of
41 species and their heartbreaking demise. How could these gorgeous creatures,
including the Zanzibar leopard and the Chinese river dolphin, no longer exist
and what can the world do to prevent another species from being added to the
list? Geared to readers aged 9 to 17, but an important reminder for adults too
of the fragility of life. Out March 22. - Literary R, Reviewer
A highly informative, no-nonsense reference text that provides insights into a variety of 41 extinct animals. Dates of extinction, scientific illustration, currently living reference animal for size comparisons, scientific name, common names, map of regional locations, and historic accounts are included. Causes for extinction are listed, where possible, based off current information. A superb resource for middle grade and high school students researching climate, ecological, and human impacts on fauna. - Educator 901032
