Pangolin Revelation, The

When Loran’s homework assignment is to create an animal’s adaptations and demonstrate how the adaptations help it survive in its environment, he knows just what he wants to do. Loran creates a multipurpose, super species by using all kinds of cool, one-of-a-kind adaptations taken from a variety of some of his favorite animals—like a monkey’s prehensile tail and a sloth’s claws or even curling up like an armadillo. Once he created what he thinks is the ultimate adaptation mashup of any animal ever, he is surprised to discover that his “imaginary creature” really exists—it’s a pangolin! Yes, these charming and unique creatures really do exist, and they are the most endangered animals you’ve possibly never heard of.

Written by Lori Schildwachter, Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein
32 pg, 8.5 x 10, Ages 4 - 9, Grades K-3, Lexile: 800, F&P: M

Reviews:

Schildwachter’s debut picture book effectively compares pangolins with other animals by framing the narrative with a classroom assignment. Klein’s earth-toned pencil art adds rich detail... - Kirkus Reviews

I love all the pangolin love in books lately! The Pangolin Revelation is a fun story about school projects and how the pangolin is the ultimate animal mashup. Loran is a student with an assignment: write a report about your favorite animal, or create an imaginary animal. Loran sets out to create an imaginary animal with scales like a dragon or a fish, to protect it from predators; a long, sticky tongue, like an anteater, to help him eat; the ability to climb trees, like a squirrel, but with a prehensile tail, like a monkey. After listing all the parts to his imaginary creature, Loran realizes that this mega-mashup is a real animal: it’s a pangolin! Framed within a school project plotline, The Pangolin Revelation unfolds as a research project with a surprise ending, keeping readers entertained as they imagine their own mashup animals. (Psst… all you need is construction paper and crayons, pencils, or markers to recreate this as a program). Earth-colored illustration and photorealistic animal artwork. A fun meeting of nonfiction and fiction.- Mom Read It

Author/Illustrator Info:

Award-winning illustrator Laure Allen Klein’s Dolphins: Learned Behaviors is the first book she has both written and illustrated. Laurie has been a freelance artist for over 30 years, working with a variety of education teams at zoos, marine parks and aquariums creating life-size animal murals, animal ID art, camp field guides, activity books, and posters. Laurie has illustrated The Pangolin Revelation, The Long and Short Tail of Colo and Ruff, Dear Komodo Dragon, Saving Kate's Flowers, Balloon Trees, Fur and Feathers, The Ghost of Donley Farm, If a Dolphin Were a Fish, Little Skink's Tail, Meet the Planets, Solar System Forecast, They Just Know, and Where Should Turtle Be? for Arbordale. Laurie lives in Florida. See more of her artwork at www.lauriekleinarts.com.

Lori Schildwachter (pronounced shild wok ter) is a multimedia producer, instructional designer, and environmental educator with 40 years of experience educating audiences of all ages about the amazing animals that share our planet. As producer of the wildlife video series, ShamuTV, Lori has received a Daytime Emmy award, multiple Pacific Southwest Regional Emmy Awards, and Telly Awards over the course of her career. As an instructional designer, Lori has written courses and camps for preschool through 3rd grade, as well as curated and provided art direction and content for an educational wildlife website. The Pangolin Revelation is Lori’s debut picture book. Lori is like a sea turtle with nest site fidelity—no matter how far she may roam around the world, Lori always returns to her hometown in Florida where she has made a cozy nest with her husband, two daughters, a cat (Molly), a dog (Harry), and a horse (Marty).