Who am I? A peek-through-pages book of endangered animals

A selection of endangered or threatened creatures play peekaboo with viewers in this vivid gallery of close-up portraits.Extracted from Endangered, his much larger 2017 coffee-table book for adults, Flach's photographed figures are all rivetingmostly extreme close-ups, all reproduced with knife-edge clarity, and generally posed against flat black backgrounds that make the colors and patterns of feathers, fur, and scales pop. The design is finicky. Portraits, printed hints ("I am a gentle giant with a heart-shaped nose"; "I may be a very big cat, but you won't hear me meow"), the titular refrain, and occasional filler scenes of concealing foliage or further details are all arranged to incorporate either die-cut holes through which the full pictures can be glimpsed or small uncut circles that seem to wish they were die cuts. Still, viewers will likely barely notice the inconsistency, having been brought eye to eye with animals including a panda, a polar bear, an axolotl, a rolled-up white-bellied pangolin, a magisterial Philippine eagle, and other rarities large and small, each of which positively radiates a fierce, expressive presence. Preceding a final page of general advice for planetary caretakers, the animals regather to explain how deforestation, pollution, and other negative human behavior have threatened their continued existence.Light on specific information but big on visual impact. (Informational novelty. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.