Thrive: Inspiring conservation stories from Zoological Society of London

By Author / Illustrator

Marnie Willow, illus Amy Grimes

Genre

Environment & Nature

Age range(s)

Publisher

Templar Books

ISBN

9781835875353

Format

Hardcover

Published

10-09-2026

Synopsis

'In just a few decades, humans have cut down enough trees to cover the whole of the USA. As the oceans have grown warmer, half of all coral reefs have disappeared. In less than one human lifetime, over 70 per cent of all wildlife has been lost. But nature can recover . . . '

From the magnificent forests of mangrove trees in the Philippines, along ancient hedgerows in the British countryside and across the vast grasslands of the Gobi desert, wildlife is at risk. Animal and plant species are being declared as 'Extinct in the Wild', and climate change and human activity have pushed nature to its brink. But across the world, people are stepping in.

Discover the incredible ways scientists, conservationists and ordinary people are protecting species and habitats across the planet. From ZSL's incredible Darwin's frog rescue mission, to the scientists protecting angel sharks from fishing practices, and the local communities managing wildlife reserves where tigers can live safely in the Terai Arc, explore the heroic lengths travelled to ensure plants, animals and humans can live in harmony - and how you can help too.

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Reviews

Jane

'Thrive' may not be a word in the vocabulary of most children, so the title adds an element of intrigue, even before we get to the slightly cryptic double page headings listed in the Contents. When I shared the book with a Year 5 child (aged 9), we scanned this list and chose which headings intrigued us most (much as any reader might), thus beginning to understand the scope of the book.

We could then work out what thriving means when applied to creatures like the seahorse, or in habitats such as Asia's Terai Arc. Thrive shows that, when nature is protected and, where necessary, given a helping hand by scientists and conservationists, it can flourish. Its beauty and diversity is enhanced, its survival is more secure.

Other elements of the book also puzzled my readers, for example, why the tiger looked sad. Indeed, the illustrations prompted lots of questions which were not always answered in the text, making this book a spring-board for further inquiry. However, we did learn (for example) how the pink pigeon was brought back from the brink of extinction, and made links to curriculum learning about deforestation.

We also used the Glossary to explain some of the tertiary vocabulary in the text, and, when we were done, several other children were vying for the chance to borrow the book. They seemed most taken with its appealing front cover and colourful pictures, rating them by cuteness. Personally, I think a world map would have helped locate the various projects.

Also, from an adult's perspective, the attribution of 'ZSL' on the cover, gives the book immediate credibility, while the QR code on the inside front cover leads to more information about the organisation. Recommended for any primary school library or classroom book corner, and for project work on charities or the environment.

48 pages / Reviewed by Jane Rew, school librarian