Join the only warm-blooded animal with scales on a quest for ants and termites over African grasslandsNot to be confused with giant anteaters, armadillos, or anything else ("some people even say I look like an artichoke with a face"), the eight species of pangolins are actually related to bears and cats, walk on their hind legs ("like a T. rex!"), and can roll up into an armored ball to repel predators. Unfortunately, such defenses don't help against human predators, who misguidedly harvest pangolin scales for supposed medical purposes. According to a closing note, humans poach up to 200,000 pangolins a year, giving them the status of "most illegally trafficked mammal on Earth." Still, glimpses of people working to preserve pangolin populations (perhaps including the offstage child whose brown-skinned hand is inserted into one of the finely detailed illustrations) add an encouraging note; the closing fact file offers leads to animal-friendly organizations to support. Scenes of a lion fruitlessly trying to munch on a rolled-up pangolin and later views of an irrepressibly cute pangolin baby add plenty of visual pizzazz to this plea to readers' conscience. "Okay, well, there's oodles more ants to eat, so we'd better get going," says the pangolin parent, strolling off into the sunset. "But I hope to see you again soon!" Human characters are diverse.An engagingly informal appeal.(Informational picture book. 5-7)

ROCCO, Hayley . Hello, I'm a Quokka . Bk. 3. Sept. 2024. ISBN 9780593618189 . ROCCO, Hayley . Hello, I'm a Sloth . Bk. 1. Jun. 2024. ISBN 9780593618127 . ea vol: illus. by John Rocco. 32p. (Meet the Wild Things). Putnam . Tr. $16.99. K-Gr 2 —First-person narratives from lovable endangered species encourage children to learn more. In each book, an animal introduces itself in a conversational way—the quokka's fun energetic speech is especially endearing—and shares facts about its species. To keep readers engaged, each animal poses questions to children, such as the sloth asking, "How often do you poop?" or "Can you swim?" Each narrative also explains the dangers the animals face and what people are doing to help them. The mostly full-page illustrations are lovely, especially the perspective from the ground looking up into the sunlit leaves surrounding the sloth. Some readers might wish there were more detailed or close-up drawings of features mentioned (e.g., the sloth's claws or the pangolin's scales), or concrete examples of how kids can help. There are no works cited aside from acknowledgements at the end when the author and illustrator mention people who helped them. End notes include additional information about the species and why they're endangered. VERDICT Warm presentations of vulnerable species will appeal to young animal lovers in these read alouds.—Elissa Cooper