Emotional children's book that carries an important message

#Gifted

March 2021 Button Books published 100 Endangered Species by Rachel Hudson. 

MAY 2021 / HB / RRP £12.99
ISBN: 9781787081055

It is a book that will take you on a journey of discovery where you will meet 100 endangered species from around the world, and explore the important work being done to save them. 

Packed with exquisite illustrations, fascinating facts, and essential maps and charts, you’ll join animals perching in tree canopies, crossing vast savannas, and diving into deep oceans, to find out what makes each of them so special, and why – if we don’t act now – we’re in danger of losing them forever. 

The foreword is written by natural history radio presenter and author Brett Westwood who you may know from BBC Radio 4's series The Living World and Nature.

About 100 Endangered Species

This is a little book with a BIG ambition: to highlight 100 endangered species from around the world and look at the incredible work being done to save them. It began as part of the 100-Day Project on Instagram, where the author teamed up with the People’s Trust for Endangered Species to illustrate one new species every day for 100 days. 

Over thousands of years, each of the 100 animals in this book has evolved to adapt to its environment, from the frozen North and arid desert to lush rainforests and tropical seas. Many play a vital role as an engineer, gardener or caretaker of their neighbourhood, creating new habitat, dispersing seeds, pollinating or tidying up.  A few are top of their food web, helping to keep a balance among other animals.  Some are indicator species telling us how healthy a habitat really is.  Losing any one of these species may have serious consequences for their entire ecosystem and a host of other plants and animals, including us. 

From giant anteaters to Andean bears, panda bears to Patagonian bumblebees and seahorses to sungazer lizards, 100 Endangered Species explores the incredible species that we’re in danger of losing forever, highlighting their plight and the conservation efforts having a direct, positive impact on the ground. Packed with exquisite illustrations, fascinating facts and essential maps and charts, it is both a beautiful gift and a shout-out to future generations to get involved with protecting our precious wildlife.

Our thoughts on 100 endangered Species

My son loves this book but also fills him with sadness, but as he reads what conservationists are doing to help our endangered animals it then fills him with hope.  He has really been going through some big emotions with this book.

As some of my readers will know, he likes to do his bit for the environment, and will often go on a beach cleanup or pick up the rubbish (mainly masks) in our area, so to read that more animals are in danger and struggling than just those he knows about in the sea has really caught his attention.

He doesn't put this book down.  He is learning about new animals he wasn't aware of, what the threats to their survival is and how we can help.  He has recently studied deforestation at school, so is aware of the damage this is causing, but the book is also opening up questions such as 'what is poaching, wildlife trade, and vessel strikes).

It is wonderfully illustrated, really informative and a must-have book to have around, we need to be aware of what is happening to creatures of this planet, and we need to help make sure they are around for generation to come.

100 Endangered Species* can be purchased from Amazon for £12.99.  A colourful, enlightening and important book aimed at children between 8 - 12 years old.

About the illustrator: 

Illustrator and author Rachel Hudson collaborates with leading conservation organizations in the UK including Butterfly Conservation, the National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts. She has illustrated for BBC Wildlife Magazine and was awarded Best Rural Creative Business in the South East and Greater London region in the Rural Business Awards 2019/20. She lives in Hampshire, England, on the edge of the South Downs National Park.

*Affiliated link