Extinctopedia: Discover what we have lost, what is at risk, and how we can preserve the diversity of our fragile planet

Ages 9 to 12, Grades 4 to 8

A Smithsonian collaboration–this journey of discovery through the animal kingdom, past and present, calls on us to educate ourselves and take action to save the amazing diversity of our planet. 

Every living creature contributes towards the richness and beauty of our planet. Each one has a reason to exist, from the giant panda to the pygmy possum, and if we lose them, it will be forever. Extinctopedia tells a complex story, not just of those who are extinct, but also of those in greatest peril, with explanations of what threatens their survival. It is also a story of hope – hope for animals who have been rediscovered, hope in the form of newly-discovered animals, and hope that we might hear the warning call and act to preserve the amazing biodiversity of our fragile planet for future generations to come. Read stories about animals that are no longer with usDiscover endangered animals at risk of extinctionLearn about organizations which aim to protect animal lifeFind out about strategies for preserving biodiversity Extinctopedia provides a fascinating catalog of life on earth and encourages the reader to find ways of preserving the incredible diversity of species, so we may all thrive and life itself can endure on this amazing and beautiful planet.

About the Author

Serenella Quarello is a Spanish teacher, a translator and an author of novels and picturebooks, published in Italy and abroad. She organizes creative workshops for animated reading, creative writing, and literary translation.

Alessio Alcini was born in Abruzzo, Italy in 1993. He studied graphic art at the Academy of Fine Arts in L’Aquila and illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Macerata. In 2020 his illustrations were selected for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition.

Margaret Greenan is a translator and English as a foreign language teacher based in Italy. She has mostly translated books for young children and teens, for Italian and international publishing houses.