The illustrated encyclopaedia of extinct animals by Sami Bayly

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals is a stunning new companion to The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals (2019), The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals (2020) and The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Peculiar Pairs in nature (2021), all written and illustrated by talented illustrator Sami Bayly who studied a Bachelor of Natural History Illustration at The University of Newcastle.

In this latest book readers meet fascinating animals from all over the world that are either extinct or are critically endangered. The contents pages list sixty of these animals in alphabetical order; beginning with the African Forest Elephant that are critically endangered due to poachers, deforestation and mining, and ending with the Yunnan Lake Newt, an amphibian that inhabited the waters of Kunming Lake in Yunnan, China and was last seen in 1979. It is believed that urbanisation, poor water quality from pollution and pesticides, as well as the introduction of invasive predators contributed to the extinction of this newt. One Australian animal discussed is the Southern Pig-footed Bandicoot, the smallest grazing animal in the world at just 23-26cms long, which is now extinct due to land being used for cattle grazing and the introduction of cats and foxes to Australia. The last one was sighted in 1901, with rare sightings by First Nations people for another 50 years. It was officially declared extinct in 2000.

Each of these amazing animals is presented on a double page spread with information on one half and a detailed illustration on the other. The scientific name of the animal is given plus a pronunciation guide. From the headings of description including a clever size comparison image, extinction status, diet, location/habitat and fun facts, every reader will have the opportunity to learn more. There are excellent teacher resources available.

Another valuable and engaging addition to a home, school or public library.

Themes: Extinction, Critically Endangered Animals, Animal Kingdom, Wildlife Conservation.

Kathryn Beilby