Hello, friends! Our book today is Dodos Are Not Extinct! by Paddy Donnelly, a humorous look at the secret lives of extinct (or are they?) creatures.

They are many famous creatures that have gone extinct over time: dodos, quaggas, great auks, Irish elk. But wait, did they? Little do us humans know, these animals are still roaming the earth – in disguise! Sure, it can be tricky at times to maintain their cover, and they have to get very creative with their costumes and aliases, but it allows these famous critters to maintain their anonymity (the most skilled covert creatures? Dinosaurs, of course).

Fabulously fun, but with a confusing message. I would be lying if I said this one didn’t have JJ and I giggling throughout; Donnelly’s delightful conversational text and wonderfully absurd illustrations are a hoot and a half, and make for a fantastic read-aloud. However, the fantasy of extinct creatures existing in secret in modern times does occasionally feel like taking a serious subject a little too lightly, especially in reference to animals who were snuffed from existence due to human intervention. While Donnelly does provide more information all of the species in the back endpaper, including their causes of extinction, it may be too little too late for younger readers who don’t understand the gravity of species extinction and the separation of fact from fantasy. Otherwise, the length was good for a storytime, and we really did enjoy the story itself. Perhaps pair this one with a follow-up discussion to inject a dose of reality, but absolutely worth a read. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)