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What on Earth is THAT?

Do you know what a pangolin is? The chances are that you, like me, hadn’t heard of this curious armoured animal before. What on Earth is THAT? aims to educate us all about this endangered species, with rhyming verse and colourful illustrations this children’s book will take you on a journey to discover more about pangolins.

Luke and a friend find an odd-looking creature and set out to find out what it is. Their adventure takes them to meet different animals, as the zebra, giraffe, rhino, elephant and owl all reveal a little bit more about the mystery.  It’s the baboon who finally reveals the truth about the pangolin and teaches us many interesting things about it.

The pangolin is the most trafficked mammal on the planet, and yet we don’t hear much about its plight sadly. The recent coronavirus epidemic in China has placed this animal back in the spotlight. Even though the pangolin has been on our Earth for millions of years this mammal now faces extinction. Traditional Chinese medicine makes use of their scales and it’s meat is considered a delicacy there too, but the recent outbreak has raised questions about the wildlife trade in China and may just give this animal the chance it needs to survive the greed of man. The very recent ban on the sale and consumption of wild animals in China will give the pangolin and other animals the chance they deserve to survive the slaughter.

What on EARTH is THAT? is a valuable tool in educating our children, the future leaders of tomorrow, about this animal. Not only does it allow them to learn more about the pangolin from the story in the book, but also to browse through interesting facts at the end. It also raises an opportunity to talk to our children about extinction and what that means for all our futures on this Earth.

What on Earth is THAT? is written by Sarah Savory and illustrated by Frederic Baele. It’s available from book stores and online retailers for a recommended retail price of R100.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for sharing this book with us. 

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