V for Vanishing

Kay Weisman

In this informative, well-designed alphabet book, Mullins highlights the plight of a number of species faced with possible extinction. For each of 25 creatures she provides common and scientific names as well as the country of habitat. Offering a good mix of well-publicized and lesser-known animals (the giant panda and numbat, for example), she has included animals from every continent except Antarctica. Most of the examples are mammals; birds, reptiles, and amphibians are also represented, but Queen Alexandra's Birdwing butterfly from Papua New Guinea is the only invertebrate cited. Employing the same style of exquisitely rendered tissue paper collage art used in her earlier "Dinosaur Encore" (1993), Mullins displays each animal in its natural environment, with bright colors dominating the landscapes. In contrast to the other 25 letters, "X" (for "extinct) features muted shadows of species that have not survived. A delightful browsing treat; the preface and appended list of sources provide additional information that will be useful for units on endangered animals.