AMARA AND THE BATS

A girl is moved by her love for bats—unique, increasingly endangered, and unfairly vilified creatures.

Amara’s love for bats began when one was rescued from the attic of her old home. When Amara, her single mom, and her older brother, Samir, move, she cannot wait to see the bats of her new town. To her disappointment, none show up at dusk. She learns about habitat loss from a park ranger and also reads in a magazine about children taking action to protect wildlife and the environment around them. Amara decides to do the same and, together with new school friends, campaigns to create a natural reserve for bats in the park. Even after it’s established, the bats do not come for a long, long time, but Amara tries to stay brave and hopeful. At last, there is good news. The book is illustrated with child-friendly cartoons that help readers see bats as Amara does, and it’s full of informative, fun, and engaging messages about bats, such as what it takes for them to thrive and the food chains they’re part of. The community is diverse; one adult wears a headscarf, and one child uses a wheelchair. Amara and her family have light-brown skin and dark hair. The story is followed by several well-designed pages full of bat-related facts and suggestions for protecting them. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A captivating book about nature, bats, and environmental activism.