An absolutely stunning book that I read in one sitting, while waiting for my kid at a library event. I actually paged through it twice, to look at all the images a second time around. It’s from a series organized to raise awareness of wildlife species that are at risk of extinction. Wildlife photographers donated their work to be included in the book, aiming to produce the most beautiful, stunning collection ever. Proceeds go to support the animals in question- whether that be for research studies, habitat preservation, educating locals to the animals’ value, etc. There are a few sections of text describing the animals, the work done to help them, the importance of giving them space in our world. While the text is brief, it felt very eloquent. In terms of the wild dogs (one of my favorite animals ever since I read Innocent Killers by Jane Goodall and Hugo van Lawick as a teen) the book emphasizes their place in the ecosystem, reasons they have been reviled by people for so long, and yet are so little known (they travel almost constantly, far and very fast). There’s a bit about their life history and physiology, too. Much of this was familiar to me, but I didn’t know before that the wild dogs (also known as Cape hunting dogs or painted wolves- even though they’re not closely related to wolves-) only have four toes on each foot (having diverged from canines farther back in evolutionary time) and that they sneeze at each other when communicating excitement for the hunt!
Majority of the book is the photographs. And they are absolutely gorgeous. I love the ones of the young puppies. And there are some with beautiful golden gaze. Many showing moments of peace, camaraderie in the pack, fast action of the hunt. From some of the earlier text explaining how the brutal-looking method wild dogs use to kill their prey isn’t as terrible as it appears (the victim goes into shock and supposedly feels very little pain) I was really expecting to see at least one photo with some gore or the dogs feeding on a kill, but there wasn’t any of that. So I don’t need to give any fair warning that something might shock a viewer.
Borrowed from the public library.
How I loved this book as a teen. I came across a piece of it when I was in fourth or fifth grade- in a school volume with selected short stories, poems, and excerpts. The piece of Dragonsong in there wasn’t assigned reading, I was intrigued by the illustrations and read it on my own- having no context of the world it was set in, or the background- it started in the moment when Menolly pushed open the heavy seahold doors to leave home right before Threadfall, and wrapped up right after the momentous scene where she impressed the fire lizards. I read it several times over- fascinated, but didn’t realize it came from a full-length book. Years later, at an event with my family which I found boring, I wandered the building and discovered a small library- and of course I browsed the shelves. Dragonsong was there. I may have read the whole thing in one sitting, or found it at the public library later to finish it- I don’t recall now- but I immediately recognized it as the story I’d enjoyed in the school volume- and was so thrilled. Even more so to find it had two sequels. I like the illustration I’ve put to head this post, but the first copy I picked up had the whimsical artwork here to the left. Can’t decide which is my favorite now.
