Great Apes: Protecting Our Animal Cousins, by Christopher Gudgeon. Orca, 2025. $24.95 ages 10 and up

 

"In the rainforests of the Congo basin live 
the smallest of the great apes, the remarkable 
bonobos. Gentle, fun-loving, and very social, 
they are described by some people as the happy 
hippies of the animal kingdom. Bonobos are 
primarily arboreal. That means they spend 
most of their lives in trees. Their long arms
and flexible shoulders make it easy for them 
to swing through the forest canopy, where 
these herbivores can find a rich supply of 
their favorite foods, such as fruits, leaves, 
and other vegetation."

This 15th book in the Orca Wild series is sure to attract attention from those kids who have a special place in their hearts for these wild and winning animals, who are in need of our protection. The author begins with an introduction to Molly, a female bonobo, at a private zoo in the British Columbia mountains. He had not heard of bonobos; it was an unwelcome surprise for him to see just how unhappy Molly was. Molly was the impetus for him to go home and find out as much as he could about the great apes: bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas. He knew even then that he would grow up to write about them. This resulting book keeps that promise he made to himself.

As our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, they are intelligent, communicative, and employ social structures very different from other creatures in the wild. The design of the book is easy to navigate with captioned stock photos, information boxes that offer relevant and impressive asides to the main text, and clear descriptions, chapter by chapter, of each of member of the great ape family. 

Each is described in clear and accessible language. A list of FAST FACTS is included early in each chapter, close-up images are telling and even humorous as their lives are laid open for young readers to learn about their similarities and differences, and important scholars and advocates are introduced. Each species is described as endangered or critically endangered. Their numbers have dropped dramatically because of poaching, climate change, and loss of habitat. Luckily, concerned people are doing what they can to help with conservation and creating game preserves that can offer protection. 

The final chapter expresses hope for making the future better for all species, and offers ways for everyone to get involved in making a difference by learning more and taking action in any way possible. Back matter is very helpful.