As Dead As a Dodo

by Paul Rice

Contains short life histories of sixteen extinct species of animals, each accompanied by a delicate color portrait, including the Passenger Pigeon, Spectacled Cormorant, and other irreplaceable animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1981

Reviews

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most blunt children's books I have ever read was As Dead As a Dodo By Paul Rice and Peter Mayle because of how it portrays the extinction of animals in the modern era. Each animal described is unique in their own way from the Dodo to the Tasmanian tiger the authors explain how and when each animal went extinct, and how humans played a part in their extinction without sacrificing the sadness that the reader feels when they discover that those animals are gone.
The illustrations by Shawn Rice help immensely with presenting each animal portraying them with art work good enough to hang in an art gallery while adding to the readers grim realization that the illustrations will be the closest they will ever get to the real thing. Each painting accurately depicts both the species and the environment they came from enhancing the text by giving the reader context into the message presented in the text.
I would recommend this book for fourth and fifth grade since the information presented is about the extinction of entire species and the text itself is designed for advanced elementary school reading levels.

[Ty Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those wonderful books that targeted for children, but is an absolute pleasure to read and re-read as an adult.