Official Review: Animals Save The World

MarisaRose · Post by **MarisaRose** » 14 Dec 2019, 08:50

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Animals Save The World" by Zac Pepper & Michael Ashby.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Animals Save the World, by Zac Pepper and Michael Ashby, is a children’s book about a secret animal operation. Taking place on Christmas Eve, the story follows a slew of animals as they seek to put an end to the damage the World Plastics Factory is causing to the planet. With humorous tactics, like “operation flying poo,” the animals work together to complete their mission.

This book was written by a young boy with the help of his grandfather. For starters, it’s wonderful to see a child so passionate about a global issue. Animals Save the World is written with humor, and most children will find the animals’ plan to save the world rather hilarious. Similarly, the theme of environmentalism is clear enough that young readers will understand its importance in the story, and this book will get readers to ask relevant questions about environmental issues.

Though the message and plot were clever, I was disappointed with the lack of illustrations. This book is made up solely of narrative, which makes it difficult to select an appropriate audience. The addition of illustrations would have complemented the juvenile nature of the overall story. There were quite a few animal characters introduced, and they do quite a lot of interesting things; however, it was difficult to keep characters straight, and events were hard to picture. For example, I would have enjoyed seeing images of the animals on their Feather Flights to the Amazon Rainforest.

Moreover, for a children’s book, Animals Save the World is very long: there are 110 pages in the book (though there are not an overwhelming number of words on each page) and six chapters. The lack of illustrations and the overall length of the story exclude a young audience. For example, this book would never hold the interest of my two-year-old daughter. However, the content of the book may not be mature enough for an independent reader. At the end of the book, there is a note that there will be an Audible version coming out in 2020. There are a plethora of animal characters who lend themselves to funny voices, and an Audible version may appeal to a wider audience.

Unfortunately, the text is in need of additional editing; there were many errors in punctuation and capitalization. Due to the lack of a clear audience, this book is difficult to recommend. The story may be suitable for independent readers who enjoy stories about animals, or for younger children whose parents could read the story to them over the span of a few days. The grammatical errors and lack of illustrations lessened my overall rating, but Animals Save the World still earns a near-perfect 3 out of 4 stars due to its humorous tone and important message.

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Animals Save The World
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acopj · Post by **acopj** » 14 Dec 2019, 16:51

Wow it is very inspiring to know that no matter how young, the author was able to write a book that really make a lot of sense.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 15 Dec 2019, 09:03

It's a cute theme for a book. I hate that there weren't any illustrations, but that would be easy to add. I love teaching children about animals and helping the environment. Thanks.

Chrystal Oaks · Post by **Chrystal Oaks** » 16 Dec 2019, 12:59

It's exciting that a young boy and his grandfather wrote this book about the different animals and how they save their environment. It's a lesson for not only children but adults as well on how humans can negatively impact the environment for the animals. I'm anxious to read it. I enjoyed reading your wonderful review, thank you!