This powerful nonfiction picture book explores wildlife crossings around the world and how they are helping save thousands of animals every day.
Around the world, bridges, tunnels, and highways are constantly being built to help people get from one place to another. But what happens when construction spreads over, under, across, and through animal habitats? Thankfully, groups of concerned citizens, scientists, engineers, and construction crews have come together to create wildlife crossings to help keep animals safe.
From elk traversing a wildlife bridge across a Canadian interstate to titi monkeys using rope bridges over a Costa Rican road to salamanders creeping through tiny tunnels beneath a Massachusetts street, young readers are certain to be delighted and inspired by these ingenious solutions that are saving the lives of countless wild animals.
About the Author
Katy Duffield is the author of more than twenty-five books for children. She lives in Florida with her husband and her wild and crazy Australian Shepherd.
About the Illustrator
Mike Orodán is the author-illustrator of the Peek-a-Baby series, as well as Crossings by Katy Duffield. He lives in Surrey, England.
Industry Reviews
All over the world, humans build crossings to allow wildlife to pass freely over, under, across, and through busy highways.
Overpasses, underpasses, even rope bridges are the focus of this intriguing informational picture book. Duffield provides 12 examples of animal passages built for regular use or seasonal migration. A particularly nice touch is the map at the end, a shadowy map of continents with each animal appropriately placed and a few more facts about their situations. Elephants, pangolins, red crabs, koalas, squirrel gliders, and blue penguins come from the Eastern Hemisphere; elk, black bears, spotted salamanders, coyotes, panthers, and titi monkeys from the Western. Clean, crisp illustrations on double-page spreads show well, making this a good choice for a group read-aloud. There’s a two-level text, a simple sentence in a large font stating animal, crossing technology, and location, the smaller paragraphs providing further information about planning, specialized building, and uses. One early spread focuses on construction, showing a gender- and racially diverse human team and several big machines—drawing in readers and listeners more interested in equipment than animals. The story in pictures is nicely rounded, beginning with a question about the fate of a mother panther and her cub facing a car on a highway and ending with mother and cub safe on a cliff high above it. Readers can see the arching bridge that made that possible. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 85.5% of actual size.)
An unusual focus on one way humans and animals can coexist in our world. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 3-7)
