Hello, I'm a Pangolin

Meet the Wild Things #2

by Hayley Rocco, John Rocco (Illustrator)

Say hello to a pangolin, and learn all about this incredible endangered species—and why they need protecting—in this clever, funny, and informative nonfiction picture book, illustrated by a Caldecott Honoree.

Did you know pangolins are the only mammals with scales? Not even the teeth of a lion can break through their tough armor.

And did you know pangolins have a super-sticky tongue as long as their entire body? (The better to eat 20,000 bugs a day with!)

Chock-full of amazing, kid-friendly facts and inviting artwork from the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of Blackout , the Meet the Wild Things series introduces young readers to endangered animals from around the globe, told from the points of view of the animals themselves.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 25, 2024

Reviews

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this is a fun and interesting book with engaging illustrations.

Rocco (with illustrator John Rocco) introduced young readers to the whimsically build mammal, the pangolin, who addressed the reader with facts about habitat, diet, and more.

"I recently discovered that I am the only warm-blooded animal with scales. Can you imaging seeing a bear or a cat with scales? I haven't counted them all, but I was told I have almost four hundred. Believe it or not, my scales are made of the same stuff as your fingernails."

The book shows the pangolin rolling up into a ball as a protective feature. The illustrations are at once clear but also lively.

Another page shows a map of the world with eight different varieties of pangolins depicted. Who knew?! I thought they were only native to China, but they are found in other parts of Asia, including the Philippines, as well as in Africa.

The backmatter includes "A little more about pangolins" that can help teachers, librarians, or relatives explain more details about these fascinating creatures. There is also a section explaining why pangolins are endangers (killed for their purported medicinal qualities) and contact information about a preservation group. There is also a website about this series of books that this one is a part of: MeetTheWildThings.com



A great book about an odd and interesting animal.

[Kinzlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot of new things like here's a good one there scales are made out of the same things our fingernails are made of. or that people think there scales can be medicine but it's not and that's why they are endangered. or people mistake them for anteater's, armadillo's, or even an artichoke with a face. they closest relatives are bears and cats. and they are eight different types Chinese Pangolin, Philippine Pangolin, Sunda Pangolin, Indian Pangolin, white-bellied Pangolin, black-bellied Pangolin, giant ground Pangolin, and Temminck's Pangoiln. I think there amazing animals. PS. I spelled it all right.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.. This short book about Pangolin taught me so much. I need really knew anything about them. This is perfect for beginner in reading non-fiction books.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This recent edition to a series that intorduces young readers to endangered animals around the world continues its appealing qualities: using a first person voice to allow a critter (in this case a pangolin) to engage directly with young audiences. The illustrations clearly reveal the environments/habitats, behavior patterns, physical traits, needs, and more. That friendly voice also conveys the importance of "meeting" these rarer species, including their oddities and the threats to them, so that readers can care and learn more and ACT.
Readers may respond to quirky facts with OOOOhs or Yuks, but they will likely be eager to share these unforgettable facts. Innthe case of pangolin, the tongues as longs its body, and the scales are to tough they can resist the jaws and claw of a lion. This book is appeaking rough for even the hugest to attempt independently after only a few shared readings, and the illustrations are both accurate to the distant geography but also computably warm and appealing.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 2nd book of the MEET THE WILD THINGS series, readers are introduced to the pangolin. Filled with interesting facts, most of which were not known to me, and a good dose of humor, author duo Hayley and John Rocco educate readers about the mostly-introvert pangolin, why they are essential to the environments in which they live (while scarcely mentioned in the book text, it is elaborated upon within the back matter), their unique features and means of survival. This book is also a call for action in helping this endangered species as they are often captured for misinformed medicinal reasons.

Beautiful illustrations and easy, direct text will educate and inspire readers. Highly recommend!

*this book was nominated for a NF Cybils Award, and I’m reading and reviewing this title as a judge on the NF panel - all opinions and thoughts are my own.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet a pangolin and learn all about its characteristics, what it likes to eat, and more fun facts. There’s more info in the back of the book too.

This was the first nonfiction book on pangolins I’ve found for the lower grade reader crowd. There are some excellent resources for middle grade, but not the young grades, so I’m really glad to be able to add this to our shelves. It is very informative, teaching kids about the different kinds of pangolins in Africa and Asia, and their common characteristics. I especially love that this clearly teaches kids that their scales are made out of the exact same thing as human finger nails and is no good for medicine (the most common reason they are poached). An engaging, informative, and cute nonfiction read.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new non-fiction series to me, Meet the Wild Things. I can't wait to read others.

It is a lower-level (1st-3rd) informational book. It has gorgeous illustrations. It talked about an animal's important points and why they were endangered.

I saw a pangolin in Namibia and got to view it for 30 min. It is something I will not forget.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful book on a creature I knew nothing about. So interesting with beautiful art and good facts. And since the pangolin is dropping in numbers, we need to promote the safety of this creature, found in Asia and Africa. I enjoyed it so much and hope to read another of Rocco's books.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel the same way I did about Hello, I'm a Sloth. The illustrations are incredible and true to life, I learned something (that their closest relatives are carnivores), but I still think the endangered info is pushing it for the lower range of 3-7 years that the publisher lists. This would easily be a four or five star book otherwise.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second entry in the new Meet the Wild Things series of animal books for young children shares fascinating facts about pangolins. Using simple, but informative text, a pangolin introduces readers to its species. In addition to presenting young readers with interesting facts about the animal, readers learn why the animal is endangered and needs protecting. Additional information and sources are shared in the back matter. John Rocco's stunning illustrations beautifully complement the easy-to-read text. This book makes for a fabulous read aloud for young listeners and animal lovers both for story times and one-on-one. A winner all the way around.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic resource for younger, for all, readers. I will be getting the entire series for our library. I cannot wait to read about each animal.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for K-2.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love learning about pangolins. This was a well written book about this curious creature

[Anna Wooliver Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page #3.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pangolin tells about its life, the dangers it faces, and how we can help them.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative with good illustrations

[Moth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute, interesting way to introduce pangolins to kids.
CW: poaching & animal death (mention)

[Judithcaryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love reading a story and learning about the mysterious Pangolin? Taking the reader to Africa, Rocco combines factual information with easily understood dialogue to delight readers of all ages. For children that want to learn more about the Pangolin, the last two pages hold a plethora of information and a website to follow up with even more information.


Recommended for ages 5 to 10 by the SEPA Book Reviewers