If Elephants Disappeared

August 1, 2019
The latest installment in Williams' series shows how elephants' survival affects the whole world. African forest elephants are a "keystone species," defined here as one whose "actions--from walking, to eating, to pooping, to sleeping--shape their environment." The interaction between elephants and the complex ecosystem that makes up the tropical forest is explored, from how elephants shape their environment to how that environment would change without elephants, ending with how readers can help ensure they don't disappear. As elephants walk thousands of miles through the forest, eating hundreds of pounds of plants each day and spreading their dung throughout the area, the undigested seeds in their dung are moved around, diversifying the ecosystem. But "poachers are killing elephants faster than they can reproduce." If their dung disappeared, plant biodiversity would decrease, which would affect the animals and the forest soil--even the forest's ability to survive. Standing in for readers, two black children in jeans and T-shirts enter the forest with a black adult, appear throughout the story, and, at the end, draw a "save the elephants" poster. The structure of Williams' text keeps readers' interest in this fascinating subject piqued, and she does a fine job explaining the science in lay terms. The artwork uses a palette of deep greens and browns to illustrate how these changes would alter the world. Uniquely thought-provoking and important. (Informational picture book. 7-12)

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September 6, 2019

K-Gr 2-After examining apex predators in two earlier entries, Williams explores a keystone species in this book. The author demonstrates the significance of the African forest elephant in relation to its environment in the Congo Basin Forest. The simplest actions of the elephants impact their ecosystem dramatically; elephant dung has never seemed so important. The elephant's dung is essential for the forest's plant life, and the plant life is essential to the forest itself. Williams communicates the various roles of elephants and the resulting chain reaction from their loss in an additive structure that is both simple and effective while deftly including scientific terms. Vibrant illustrations and engaging infographics complement and balance the text; information is conveyed in an impactful way through a time line of elephants' history and a graph depicting their decline. Back matter includes a glossary, author's note, bibliography, and more to explore for budding researchers. VERDICT Readers will learn the important roles that elephants play in their ecosystem, while also becoming more aware of the need for the protection and conservation of one of the largest land mammals. A solid, resonating addition to Williams's series.-Jamie Jensen, Wayne Cox Elementary School, Roanoke, TX

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2019
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* This is the third picture book from Williams' featuring a "what if they disappeared?" theme (polar bears and sharks came first). Basic background information briefly addresses types of elephants, their habitats, and how they've become endangered. Using straightforward language that young readers will understand, the text explains how prodigious amounts of elephant poop spread undigested seeds throughout a jungle, sowing new crops of plants necessary to maintain biodiversity. Subsequent pages show the devastating events that would happen if elephants became extinct. The worst scenario would be the destruction of an ecosystem's biodiversity due to the loss of plants, which could lead all the way to a catastrophic trophic cascade. These sophisticated vocabulary terms are effectively integrated into a logical, aptly described sequence. The illustrations are rendered mostly in green, gray, and brown, except for a couple of young African guides wearing neon t-shirts, who pop against the earth-tone palette (especially as future possibilities become bleaker). Back matter includes a glossary and bibliography, additional information about tropical forests and elephants' endangered status, and reasonable suggestions for how kids can help. This appealing offering is quite suitable for inquiry projects on ecosystems or endangered species, and will attract animal lovers, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)