Extinct: Hainan Gibbon by Ben Garrod. Illus. by Gabriel Ugueto

Extinct Hainan Gibbon is the final book in the Extinction series written by TV scientist Ben Garrod. For those who are unfamiliar with the Hainan Gibbon, it is one of the rarest mammals on Earth, one of our closest relatives and is one of the most endangered species with less than 35 remaining in the wild. The habitat for these gibbons is the island of Hainan, which is off the southern coast of China.

The book begins with a detailed introduction surrounded by plenty of white space to make it accessible for younger readers. This is followed by a chapter on ‘What is extinction?’, information from an expert, the first one being Professor Richard Pancost commenting on climate change. A comprehensive chapter on the causes of extinction is next, followed by another Ask the Expert, Professor Gillian Forrester, who answers the question, Is nature good?

Information on the Hainan Gibbon is broken up into the sections labelled: discovery, anatomy, classification, ecology and environment, and behaviour. Expert, Dr Carolyn Thompson shares information on her life as a primatologist who now works with the Hainan Gibbon. Throughout the book the wonderful illustrations by palaeoartist, Gabriel Ugueto, complement the text perfectly and the endpapers and double page spread illustrations are simple stunning.

The strong message in this book that is delivered time and time again, is that humans are responsible for the damage to the environment and have the power to turn things around but must act quickly.

Themes: Hainan Gibbon, Extinction, Climate Change, Habitat Destruction, Conservation & Environmental Issues.

Kathryn Beilby