The Story of Life on Earth - Extinct: Hainan Gibbon

The Hainan Gibbon is one of the rarest mammals currently on the planet, with fewer than 35 surviving today.

Part of a series of eight full-colour volumes featuring the causes and effects of the extinctions of iconic animals (including the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Thylacine, Trilobite and other creatures spanning millions of years on earth), Extinct: Hainan Gibbon tells the story of how these particular gibbons have come so close to extinction, and why extinction happens. The book also features interviews with four experts – a psychologist, a marine ecologist, an earth scientist and a primatologist – who answer Professor Ben Garrod’s questions about the Hainan Gibbon and about how extinction works in the cycle of life on earth.

Featuring chapters on the Anthropocene mass extinction, why species go extinct, what mass extinctions mean and the role of conservation, this is definitely a book for older primary or younger secondary readers due to the higher level of scientific information and terminology included. It’s an absolutely fascinating read, and, different to many children’s books which are more generally about animals or evolution, tackles the specific topic of extinction in a detailed and scientific way.

Presented with stunning, painterly full colour illustrations from Gabriel Ugueto, this is a remarkable read. Highly recommended.