The Flying Ark

E. Jane Philipps is a science librarian in the Biology Library at
Queen’s University.

Bees and kangaroos, octopi and ostriches—children flock to zoos around
the world to gaze in wonder at these other denizens of the world,
familiar or exotic. But how do such marvelous beasts journey from all
the corners of the earth? The Flying Ark, a compendium of fascinating
facts about animals as air travellers, provides some of the answers.

Jackson briefly documents the special arrangements required for the
safe transport of a variety of animals, large and small. Flamingos, for
example, travel with their feet resting on soft, damp peat moss;
dolphins fly in a kind of hammock with holes cut out for their flippers.
Each entry includes a few details about the animals temperament, habits,
and preferences. In addition to the paragraph describing travelling
requirements, a capsule provides three or four interesting facts—for
example, that “elephants purr like cats when they are eating
peacefully” and that “horses were on earth 60 million years ago.”

The author writes in an amusing and conversational style, involving the
reader by asking questions that stimulate the imagination. Bardell’s
illustrations, which fill most of each page, are delightful, brimming
with color, life, and humor. The drawings provide accurate physical
depictions of each animal and skillfully capture the “personality”
the author has ascribed to her subjects.

The text begins and ends with a reference to Noah’s ark, and suggests
that modern technology allows us the means of continuing what Noah’s
voyage symbolically began—the preservation and appreciation of the
world’s miraculously diverse fauna. The author does not seem to take
into account the fact that today’s children are very aware of the
catastrophes that face our planet and its inhabitants. The concerned
parent or teacher may wish to take the opportunity to teach young
readers that though methods for transporting animals have become
considerably more humane, there is still much illegal and destructive
trafficking in animals and that preserving species in zoos is no
substitute for ensuring that they flourish in their natural
environments.