Why Am I Rare?

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

This sturdy large-format book for junior students covers a large span in
a small space. Biologist and photographer Michelle Gilders intends it to
be the first of a series on environmental themes. In the book, Gilders
examines the critical matter of species extinction through 12 groups of
rare animals: tigers, gorillas, pandas, parrots, alligators, crocodiles,
elephants, whales, dolphins, lemurs, rhinoceroses, and lion tamarins.
All are currently threatened by human activity.

Gilders covers the species’ rarity of habitat, evolution, ecosystems,
and conservation. She suggests how young readers can help, individually
and collectively, to protect some threatened species, like keeping cats,
who are natural predators, indoors, away from birds.

The British-born writer and photographer studied biology at New
College, Oxford. Since 1990, she has worked in the Far North as an
environmental scientist and conservation advocate.

Why Am I Rare? is well planned, beautiful, and intriguing. It should
open young minds to large-scale environmental problems, and might
inspire some readers to join conservation societies. Highly recommended.