Inspired by his childhood obsession with extinct species, Michael Blencowe takes us around the globe – from the forests of New Zealand to the ferries of Finland, from the urban sprawl of San Francisco to an inflatable crocodile on Brighton’s Widewater Lagoon. Featuring striking artworks by Jade They that resurrect these forgotten creatures, each chapter focuses on a different animal, revealing insights into their unique characteristics and habitats; the history of their discovery and just how and when they came to be lost to us. Blencowe inspects the only known remains of a Huia egg at Te Papa, New Zealand; views hundreds of specimens of deceased Galapagos tortoises and Xerces Blue butterflies in the California Academy of Sciences; and pays his respects to the only soft tissue remains of the Dodo in the world. The author ends the book with Ivell’s Sea Anemone and a glimmer of hope.

“Extinction is not restricted to rainforests and remote islands. It is happening all around you right now.”

Michael Blencowe “Gone: A Search for what Remains of the World’s Extinct Creatures”. Illustrated by Jade They. Published by Leaping Hare Press in 2021. Donated to the library by the publisher ❤️

Photos by Anna Iltnere / Sea Library