Counting Lions:
Portraits from the Wild by
Katie Cotton, drawings by Stephen Walton (Walker Books)
HC RRP $27.95
ISBN 9781847807212
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis
With a moving Foreword by actress and staunch
wildlife crusader Virginia McKenna, this magnificent counting book goes from
one to ten. The operative word here is numbers, and that word demands attention
be given to the declining numbers of animal species around the world. Whether
it’s for trophy hunting, souvenirs of their animal parts, or their capture for
pet shop trade (and the list goes on), an increasing number of wild animals and
birds are being killed each year for financial gain. Man fails to see their
importance in ‘the creation and protection of the natural world.’
The stunning black and white drawings speak volumes.
The orange text informs and educates.
The expression on the lion’s face will cause an
emotional shift in the reader. Mother and child gorillas ‘breathe the same
breath’ and the two now together, will soon become singular entities. The three
giraffes are such peaceful animals. With their head in the clouds they can see
forever as they traverse the grasslands.
Four tigers: a mother and her cubs. She will
sacrifice everything to protect them. But can she protect them from hunters and
poachers? Five elephants wander together on an endless journey towards food and
water. Six Ethiopian wolves stay within
their boundaries, safe but not. Seven penguins make a family of parents and
children in the frozen Antarctic environment. Eight turtles, who know the water
better than anyone, return to the place of their birth to lay their eggs in the
sand.
Nine macaws discuss their day, ready to spread their
wings if necessary. Ten zebras drink at a waterhole. Their eyes and ears ever
alert for the dangers that lurk just beyond their sight and hearing.
The end of the book has miniature pictures of each
animal accompanied by their protection status and approximately ten lines of
information about their family groups, size, and other statistics on them.
These magnificent drawings are not for children
alone to adore. This book is for coffee tables; to generate thought-provoking
discussion about these and other endangered animals, and to bring about changes
in human thought about who and what we really are.
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