The answer to the subtitle is habitat destruction, pollution, global warming, reduction of prey, war, poachers and often all of the above. There are few surprises in these photo essays of disappearing large predators by the prolific author of science titles for young readers. However, the glossy full-color photos, strong conservation message and the selection of familiar and appealing predators will invite browsing by nature enthusiasts. Included here are lions, tigers, cheetahs, cougars, grizzly bears, polar bears and killer whales. The author urges people to “practice tolerance” sharing the wilderness with large predators. For example, when encountering a cougar: “shout at the cat, make yourself look big, and even throw objects in its direction.” That works, provided the cougar also practices tolerance. The author suggests the reader can “reduce conflicts” between cougars and domestic animals by making sure pets and livestock are protected within shelters and fences. The Endangered Species Act, eco-tourism and land purchases for protective refuges are discussed as efforts to reduce extinction. Readers are urged to “take action” by recycling and joining environmental groups, and the author provides websites for more information. A minor effort. (Nonfiction. 9-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59078-435-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2007
Bishop’s spectacular photographs of the tiny red-eyed tree frog defeat an incidental text from Cowley (Singing Down the Rain, 1997, etc.). The frog, only two inches long, is enormous in this title; it appears along with other nocturnal residents of the rain forests of Central America, including the iguana, ant, katydid, caterpillar, and moth. In a final section, Cowley explains how small the frog is and aspects of its life cycle. The main text, however, is an afterthought to dramatic events in the photos, e.g., “But the red-eyed tree frog has been asleep all day. It wakes up hungry. What will it eat? Here is an iguana. Frogs do not eat iguanas.” Accompanying an astonishing photograph of the tree frog leaping away from a boa snake are three lines (“The snake flicks its tongue. It tastes frog in the air. Look out, frog!”) that neither advance nor complement the action. The layout employs pale and deep green pages and typeface, and large jewel-like photographs in which green and red dominate. The combination of such visually sophisticated pages and simplistic captions make this a top-heavy, unsatisfying title. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-87175-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
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