OPERATION PANGOLIN

A look at this scaled mammal, illustrated with full-color photos.

Spotlighting Thai Van Nguyen, who as a small child in Vietnam witnessed hunters taking a mother pangolin and her baby and vowed to spend his life trying to save them, this well-designed book is full of clear, fascinating facts about the pangolin and the efforts to save them from extinction. Van Nguyen founded Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, which rescues and cares for injured pangolins and disseminates information about Vietnam’s mammals. Readers will learn that there are eight species of pangolin, that they can be found in Africa and Asia, and that their diet primarily consists of ants and other insects. To that end, pangolins’ tongues can be up to 16 inches long—longer than their bodies. They’re also the only mammals to have scales, and they curl up when threatened to protect their vulnerable bellies. The information is simplified for younger readers, with words like nocturnal and rheumatism defined within the text. A section about what readers can do to help includes ideas like becoming a species ambassador—finding out more about pangolins and telling family and friends. Readers will come away feeling empowered to help and more knowledgeable about this amazing creature. Humans pictured are Asian.

Attractive and brimming with intriguing facts.