Not Extinct - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF
- Maria Marshall
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
I love horses and have to admit; I have always been fascinated by the Przewalski’s horse (P-horse). I love that scientists and zoos have cooperated and worked hard to coordinate a mission to save these majestic animals and return them to their former homes in the wild. We have lost so many animal and plants species over the years. I'm always excited each time we get close to saving one - such as the California condor, Sea otter, Peregrine falcon, and a number of plants, This is a stunning nonfiction STEM picture book on the struggles and efforts of scientists and zoos to save and repatriate the unique and special Przewalski’s horse.
NOT Extinct: The Przewalski's Horse Returns from Extinct in the Wild
Author: Darcy Pattison
Publisher: Mims House
Ages: 7-12
Nonfiction
Themes:
Przewalski's horse, science, conservation success, and extinction.
Synopsis:
In the early 1900s, the Przewalski's horse, nicknamed the P-horse, was almost extinct, a species that was disappearing. But in 1959, the international community came together to fight to save the species. They found a small population that came from just 12 founding horses. Could they save the P-horse and return it to the wild? Or would it go extinct.
This story covers over 60 years, and a loose network of international effort from scientists across the world. After decades of breeding efforts, they finally established wild herds in the native steppes of Mongolia and China. But then an extreme winter, a dzud, struck, killing 60% of the wild herds.
Is the wild just too wild? Or can scientists save this amazing species? It's hard. Difficult. Almost impossible.
Photo-illustrated, this story follows the efforts to restore a vital species to the wild. The sixty-year effort has brought the P-horse from Extinct in the Wild to only Endangered. Still-it's endangered! The story will continue to inspire the next generations to work to save species at risk for extinction.
Opening Lines:
When a species hasn’t been seen in the wild
for a long time, it may be declared extinct in the
wild. These animals are lost, only to be seen in
zoos—if you’re lucky. It’s only one step away
from extinction. Almost gone. Soon they’ll
d i s a p p e a r.
That’s true for many species, but it’s not true for…
What I LOVED about this book:
Darcy Pattison has created a delightful, photo-illustrated, STEM nonfiction picture book chronicling the battle to save this precious, unique species. She begins by visually, scientifically, and graphically offering the similarities and differences between the domestic horse and the P-horse.
The large type, colorful main text chronicles the herculean effort of scientists and zoos to locate and rescue the P-horse. Side bars (such the upper one on this spread) provide more in-depth details - " A DIFFERENT SPECIES P-horses (Equus przewalskii) are a different species than domestic horses (Equus caballus)," charts, graphs, and notes on history expand on the primary text. Wonderfully creating a book that can easily be used for various ages and purposes.
Beginning with the P-horse's near extinction in the 1950's, the book takes readers along as scientists from around the world teamed up with the Prague and Hellabrunn zoos to create a record of living P-horses and a breeding plan to save the species. The horses were bred in England (London Zoo - first foal born in 1966), US, and Germany. Finally, in 1985 (China) and 1992 (Mongolia) enough P-horses existed to be taken to reserves near their traditional ranges. The first foal was born in China on a reserve in 1988. Although there were finally 500 horses in captivity, the P-horse species was still not saved and re-established in the wild.
The goal had always been to return these special horses to their native ranges.
Finally, after acclimating for a year in a fenced in enclosure, in 1992 a herd of P-horses were released in Mongolia. The book continues to chronicle the worldwide conservation success and the work now required of the scientists and staff to ensure the horses remain healthy, safe from predators, and separate from domestic horses, to ensure they are no longer extinct in the wild. Suddenly nature delivered a wild whammy - "a dzud, the Mongolian word for extreme winter" - killing two-thirds of the P-horse Mongolian herd (and about 53% of the domestic animals in Mongolia). But the scientists and conservationists refused to give up.
Exploring the next steps in the determination to save these horses and return them to the wild, this book offers a wonderful look at the years of work by scientists and the Prague zoo. And what still remains to be done for these horses. The back matter offers videos and books on the Przewalski’s horse. This is a wonderful celebration of human dogged determination to repair a wrong, to recover a species we almost hunted and bombed into extinction. And a stunning photo record of bringing the "12 original horses to about 3,000 P-horses worldwide," and their return to their original Asian steppe ranges. It's a great environmental and conservation STEM picture book.
Resources:
make an origami (use tan or two-tone tan paper to make your own P-horse) or marionette P-horse.
for a little more information on the P- horse, check out this coloring worksheet, the Denver Zoo's site, and a number of Przewalski's horse News articles by the Smithsonian's National Zoo (including one on saving a special P-horse filly with a broken leg).
can you think of an animal that currently only exists in zoos (or other situations, such as preserved embryos or permafrost, perhaps) that you would like to save and re-introduce into the wild? Given the challenges, successes, and set backs of the P-horse scientists, how would you go about trying to save your chosen species?
parents, teachers, and authors check out Darcy Pattison's interview with Beth Anderson on using timelines to write conservation nonfiction.
If you missed my interview with Darcy Pattison on Monday, find it (here).
This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.
Although I'm a bit scared of horses, I still love them and like to read stories about horses. I've even been brave enough to ride one while visiting Costa Rica. Nice ride!