Where Did They Go?

K-Gr 2—A gentle introduction to the biomes of the world in which endangered animals reside. In a seek-and-find format with rhyming prose, the book introduces children to different species by asking them to search for the animals hidden within the illustrations. The endangered creatures blend in with the background and repeated landscapes. "Someone is hunting on the Arctic ice floes./He has thick white fur and a little black nose./He makes his home in this land of snow./Where did the enormous polar bear go?" Readers can search the spread and look for the polar bear. The illustrations were created digitally, and simple use of color enhances each environment where the animal is found. The animal images are quite small (most likely to emphasize their endangered status), but they seem out of balance with the scope of the drawings. Back matter provides a glossary of each animal, drawn on a larger scale, explaining its habitat and reasons why it is endangered. A map of the world is also provided, indicating where the animals can be found. VERDICT This introductory picture book is a stepping stone to learning more about endangered species. Purchase for collections seeking younger materials on this topic.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI