Where in the wild by Poppy Bishop and Jonny Lambert

Little Tiger, 2018. ISBN 9781848699557
Inspired by Theodore Roosevelt saying, "The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will", this book takes the young reader on a journey through the world's key habitats and introduces them to some of the creatures that live within them.
From rivers to jungles, the savannah, the desert, woodlands and the frozen extremes, familiar and not-so creatures make an appearance in colourful artwork and rhyming text. Using a double-page spread for each, the two-verse rhyme begins with an introduction to the habitat and then an inhabitant "speaks" to the reader about itself. The rest of the pages are filled with a collage of flora and fauna, each with a clever cutout featuring a creature that lives in the featured habitat but which can adapt to the succeeding one to entice the reader to keep turning, reading and learning. Some of these cutouts have text which encourages closer observation of the illustrations, making the reader engage more through this interactivity. The final message about habitat destruction and the need to protect what is left is very clear and ties in well with the initial quote.
Often, books from the northern hemisphere tend to feature the creatures with which children from that part of the world are familiar but this one spans the globe, although, thankfully, the polar region is confined to the Arctic so there is not the confusion of polar bears and penguins on the same page.
As well as being a comprehensive introduction to the world's habitats so young readers can learn that there is more to this planet than their immediate surroundings, its strong conservation message can also lead to inquiries about the inhabitants of their local area and their protection and promotion; the impact of humans through the destruction of habitat, particularly deforestation; the life cycles, needs and adaptation of creatures as their habitats change (such as described in Moth); and even individual responsibility and actions that could be taken to preserve what we have left.
With the drought in eastern Australia drawing our attention to the land beyond the city environs, this is a great opportunity to have a look at the broader world and how it copes or doesn't, and this would be an excellent introductory text.
Barbara Braxton