The 5 Best Endangered Animals Books Everyone Should Have
More than 16,000 species of animals are considered endangered, and many more have reached threatened status. You may have heard about the plights of black rhinos, African forest elephants, and also mountain gorillas. Every species has a vital role to play in the food chain and ecosystem.
Making the planet a better place—specifically, more hospitable to all animal species—starts with the younger generations. It’s never too early to start educating your kids, nieces, nephews, and also other young ones about the importance of Earth’s creatures.
What is an Endangered Animals Book, Exactly?
An endangered animal book can educate kids and also adults on the circumstances that have led certain species to become endangered. Books may concentrate on one species or provide information on a wide array of endangered species. Having a lot of pictures may help your young child become engrossed in this important topic.
Many books on endangered animals cover why, exactly, humans should care about species whose livelihoods hang in the balance. One reason is the delicate balance our food chains depend on. For example, although nobody likes bee stings, these insects are vital in bolstering plant populations that provide food for humans. Additionally, bears, birds, spiders, and other important species also depend on bees for sustenance.
Reading to infants and toddlers is also crucial for helping them develop communication skills. Language and also communication skills are critical building blocks for other important milestones for children, including emotional and social skills. Helping children imbibe these important skills while covering the importance of endangered animals is great for young minds.
Top 5 Endangered Animals Books: How We Chose
In compiling this list, we hope there is something for everyone—kids, teens, and adults. For the kids, we made sure to include books with engaging pictures.
No matter the age of your reader, though, each book is sure to contain fascinating information on a wide variety of endangered species. They come highly recommended by many readers and have consistently received stellar ratings.
Our Picks
All featured products are chosen at the discretion of the author and DGHQ editors. However, Do Good HQ may make a small affiliate commission if you click through and make a purchase.
1. Don’t Let Them Disappear
| By | Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Gianna Marino |
| Price at Publishing | $13.83 |
Don’t let them disappear, indeed! This title is sure to catch your attention, and the pages inside don’t disappoint. This endangered animals book, perfect for elementary-aged kids, takes readers through a typical day with 12 amazing creatures.
Highlights
Rich, colorful pictures help bring these animals’ plights to life. While not very heavy on text, every word is sure to inform, entertain, and inspire. By the end, readers will have learned the importance of each species and actionable steps to help preserve their existence. Chelsea Clinton’s book is also not short on light, fun facts as reprieves for the sometimes-heavy subject matter.
Things to Consider
Don’t Let Them Disappear bears a resemblance to books in Clinton’s She Persisted series, which covers extraordinary women throughout history. If gender equality and also social justice are important to you, consider checking out her other books.
2. Endangered – Recommended for Grown Ups
| By | Tim Flach; prologue by Jonathan Baillie, text by Sam Wells |
| Price at Publishing | $9.99 (eBook), $65 (hardcover) |
Not the lightest endangered species book you’ll find online, this book largely consists of magnificent, sobering photographs taken by the legendary Tim Flach. Flach spent several years taking striking pictures of lemurs, elephants, big cats, coral reefs, and also other species in danger of disappearing. More than 180 pictures, along with informational blurbs by Dr. Jonathan Baillie (zoologist), come together for an impactful piece of literature.
Highlights
Multiple reviewers of Endangered have mentioned the intense emotions they felt while flipping through its pages. You might feel sadness for the imperiled creatures and also anger toward those perpetuating these crises.
Things to Consider
Children might not appreciate the full spectrum of emotions this book elicits. Some of the pictures may be distressing, so it may be important to use parental discretion with Endangered.
3. Red Alert! Endangered Animals Around the World
| By | Catherine Barr, illustrated by Anne Wilson |
| Price at Publishing | $17.99 |
At least one ecosystem from six continents (sorry, Antarctica) gets featured in this book geared toward children. Readers get a glimpse of 15 different species, from giant pandas to Chinese giant salamanders. Like many children’s books on endangered species, Red Alert! has plenty of wonderful pictures to capture readers’ eyes.
Highlights
This book has a unique choose-your-own-adventure premise. You can begin reading by picking a biome (such as a desert, rainforest, or wetlands) that interests you and narrow down your reading choices by choosing an animal that calls that biome home. Readers get a healthy amount of information on each species, including ways to help ensure their long-term existence.
Things to Consider
The book draws from the IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of endangered species. Scientific facts abound with each listed species, making this a potentially good choice for older elementary-aged children’s school projects.
4. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History – Recommended for Grown Ups
| By | Elizabeth Kolbert |
| Price at Publishing | $11.30 |
Scientists believe we’re in the middle of Earth’s sixth mass extinction. Unlike previous ones, the actions of one species—humans—appear to be the culprit. Although these are unprecedented times, there’s a lot history can tell us about the near future. Perhaps no other book about mass extinctions blends hard scientific facts with beautiful prose like this one.
Highlights
Kolbert does a masterful job balancing the serious subject matter with humor and wit. Readers have commented that they gained a renewed, profound appreciation for the planet’s diversity of life without much heavy-handedness on the part of the author. You can also purchase a Young Reader’s Adaptation of this for school-aged kids (sold separately).
Things to Consider
The Sixth Extinction is not meant to serve as a reference book but rather as a nonfiction narrative. Readers will gain a greater understanding of climate change and its potential to be the human species’ legacy.
5. Budget Find: Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species
| By | Alexandra Wright, illustrated by Marshall Peck III |
| Price at Publishing | $7.95 |
Our budget find book about endangered species was published in 1992, when the author was only 11 years old. The young author’s passion for endangered species comes through in this short informational book that speaks to elementary-aged children.
Highlights
Realistic illustrations show animals in their native habitats. Each page contains relevant, digestible information for kids and also prompts readers to get involved directly with species conservation.
Things to Consider
Fortunately, because this book is more than 30 years old, some of the featured species are no longer endangered. This might warrant double-checking some of the book’s information before using it as a source.
How to Choose the Best Books on Endangered Species
If you’re shopping for a good book on endangered species, you have countless options from which to choose. Some people find it difficult to pick just one or two, so here are some factors that may help you narrow things down.
- How old is the reader you’re shopping for? Children might become frustrated or discouraged if they pick up a book that’s beyond their reading level. Conversely, adults should choose literature that satiates their hunger for knowledge.
- Where does the money go? Authors and illustrators need to make money, but some organizations publish books for the benefit of conservation activities. Doing a little research on this can help your contributions go even further.
- How much time do you have to read? In a perfect world, of course, we would have all the time we could ever want to sit back and read a good book. If you get few opportunities, though, you might want some shorter reads.
Finally, we’d like to think at least one of the books we’ve listed in this article is the right choice for you or the reader in your life. Our hope is that you’re entertained, informed, and moved to action. Happy reading!
Image by Jevgeni Fil from Pixabay
