CM Magazine: Rewilding: Giving Nature a Second Chance.

________________ CM . . . . Volume XXIV Number 31. . . .April 13, 2018

cover
Rewilding: Giving Nature a Second Chance.

Jane Drake & Ann Love.
Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2017.
88 pp., pbk., hc., EPUB & PDF, $14.95 (pbk.), $19.95 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55451-961-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55451-962-0 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-55451-963-7 (EPUB), ISBN 978-1-55451-964-4 (PDF).

Subject Headings:
Wildlife reintroduction-Juvenile literature.
Environmentalism-Juvenile literature.

Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12.

Review by Sophia Hunter.

*** /4

excerpt:

We live in a global, connected world. Information travels instantly, and people are mobile like never before. Adventurers invade the most inhospitable places, such as Mount Everest and the South Pole. The more we humans spread out over earth, the less space we leave for wilderness. Keystone species that once roamed freely across vast regions, never encountering humans, are now often hemmed into increasingly restricted core habitats. And if they venture out, they can wander into conflict and danger.

Rewilding: Giving Nature a Second Chance, which is about efforts around the world to restore natural habitats for animals and plants, contains an engaging mix of text, photographs, headings and captions. They are well used and create a clear layout with a manageable amount of text for intermediate and middle school readers. While each page is well-organized, the table of contents lists Section 1, Section 2, etc., instead of chapter titles. This is disappointing as the uniting themes are not clear to the reader, and so the book can seem like a mish-mash of ideas.

      Under each Section are the headings for the themes of the pages. These are very detailed, for example, “The Newfoundland and Labrador Cod Fishery: Come and Gone and Back Again.” Each heading refers to a double-page spread which use the nonfiction features mentioned above to organize the text and images.

      One strength of this book is its global focus. Examples of successful habitat restoration are provided from around the world. This broad examination allows a variety of animals, from eels to tigers, to be included.

      One weakness of the book is the writing. While the text is informative, the writing favours generalizations and lacks specificity. The opening sentences in the excerpt at the top of this review give an example of this style that is throughout the book. While young readers interested in this topic will find the book useful, more precise text would benefit the work.

      The final pages of Rewilding include the glossary, sources and credits. A welcome addition is a section on possible search terms for readers who would like to do more research.

      Rewilding would be a good addition to both school and public libraries.

Recommended.

Sophia Hunter is a teacher-librarian at Crofton House Junior School in Vancouver, BC.

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