CAN WE SAVE THE TIGER? by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Vicky White (Candlewick 2011)

If you haven’t seen this book yet, beware. The tiger looks as if it could walk right off the cover. This book provides a marvelous overview of a variety of endangered species with engaging illustrations by Vicky White.

Young readers can pick and choose which animal they want to read about, although most will want to read about them all. By looking at extinction from several perspectives, readers will appreciate the complexity, as well as the finality, of extinction.  A passionate story about why we should care that amazing animals are disappearing from the earth every year.

BIRD, BUTTERFLY, EEL (Simon & Schuster 2009) written and illustrated by James Prosek, presents a look at the life cycles, changing of seasons, and something else that these three animals have in common – migration. The author uses a subtle “compare and contrast” of the “why” as he shows three very different, but equally amazing, migration stories.

A WHIFF OF PINE, A HINT OF SKUNK: A FOREST OF POEMS (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009) by Deborah Ruddell and Joan Rankin.

This collection of poems about forest animals is just plain fun – and funny. Even the simplest forest animals (slugs, toads, and skunks) become amazing (or a little stinky).  This poetry collection is an accessible compliment to an early-grade science curriculum studying animals, plants, or an ecosystem community such as a forest. The poems are also a great entry to invite students to write their own creature poems.