Red Alert!: Endangered Animals Around the World

K-Gr 3—A very brief introduction to 15 animals on the Red List, a grouping of endangered species created by scientists working for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the book, for each creature, there are two descriptive paragraphs, several bulleted facts, and a short survey of some dangers it is currently encountering. Rather than read from beginning to end, students are asked to choose a place (deserts, forests, mountains grasslands, rivers, or oceans), choose an animal (by selecting an illustration), turn to the pages where the creature is discussed, and then turn to the back to find out ways they can help, which typically consists of referral to a website. There are many directions to follow, but the purpose for this is unclear. This is an attractively illustrated and formatted book that children might enjoy looking at, but not enough information is provided to connect the work of the IUCN with the plight of endangered animals or to truly understand the problems these creatures are facing.