The Dream of the Thylacine

Gr 2–5—Wild and Brooks combine lyrical language with contrasting illustration styles to focus on an animal not often discussed: the Thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian Tiger). Wild's minimalist poetry packs a punch (although some of the lines are a bit Yoda-like in their structure-"Trapped am I,/in a cage of twisty wire"), and the suffering of a beast in captivity shines through. The art is the most powerful element of the book. Softly colorful, painterly, and mostly wordless spreads of the Thylacine free in the wild are juxtaposed against stark, sad, and sepia-toned pages that portray the animal in captivity. (The latter pages were made from photographic stills of a BBC film from 1937 about the last-known living example of the species.) A short note at the end gives more information on the Tasmanian Tiger and explains that it is most likely extinct. A compelling look at how we treat (or ultimately mistreat) precious wild animals.—Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY