ARNOSKY'S ARK

Arnosky (Watching Desert Wildlife, 1998, etc.) welcomes the new millennium with this abbreviated gallery of favorite animals, matched to a plea for conservation. Most of his 13 subjects are, or were, hunted into rarity: bison and puma are making comebacks; populations of beavers, alligators and white-tailed deer have recovered; American crocodiles and mountain gorillas are still at risk. Lapidary, full-bleed paintings depict the animals in natural settings, with inset blocks of text; Arnosky closes by inviting readers to choose inhabitants for their own personal “Arks” as a means of creating and promoting concern for wildlife. Children will respond to this visually and verbally eloquent showcase. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)