Don't Let Them Disappear

PreS-Gr 2–Clinton's latest picture book is an ode to 12 animal species in danger of extinction. Those familiar with her past works will recognize the format: a collection of factual blurbs rather than one long narrative. A spread is devoted to each animal, always accompanied by a short explanatory paragraph. The text may be sparse, but there is not one wasted word. Readers will enjoy engaging with fun facts and vocabulary for animal groups (an "embarrassment" of giant pandas or a "crash" of rhinos, for example). In addition to the informational paragraph, bullet points are included for each animal which state its endangerment status, the reason for that status, and its geographic location. Marino's gouache illustrations are accurate yet whimsical and convey the personality of each animal. This book will get a lot of traction as a science or social studies curriculum addition and does not need to be read in order to be useful as a learning tool. It will also be an appealing cover-to-cover read for animal lovers. Useful endnotes include an explanation of the human-made reasons some animals are in danger of disappearing, as well as action items for those who want to do more to save them.