The Extincts: Quest for the Unicorn Horn (The Extincts #1)

I bought this book for my 7yo and nearly 5yo because they love adventure themes and graphic novels. The Extincts had them engaged and excited to keep reading. There was quite a tantrum when I had to put the bookmark in at bedtime and save our place for the next day. Scott Magoon always delivers with his children's book illustrations, and this graphic novel medium shows that he is just as capable at entertaining an older audience with a more James Bond-esque moody color palette. Though the book is marketed for middle school readers, my first grader loved reading it with me and on her own and got many of the puns and jokes. My nearly 5yo loved the different vehicles, gear, and the "baddie" in the story. No matter the age of your kiddos, The Extincts will not be lost on them!

All of the characters are extinct animals and they are part of a gang on missions all over the world. My favorite character is Lug - the wooly mammoth because he will do anything for his friends. The drawings of him are awesome. I loved the humor. It was hilarious but it was also factual and I learned a lot. I leaned about global warming and how it effects the Earth. I leaned about extinct animals like the Siberian unicorn. I leaned about the Batagaika Crater and how it happened because of melted frost. My favorite part is when the Extincts go into Batagaika Crater and they meet other extinct animal zombies and Lug needs to use his trumpet blast and it backfires and he farts! Oh and there are directions for a cooler science experiment at the end.

The graphic novel, The Extincts, is a fast-paced adventure which appeals to elementary and middle school readers. The artwork matches the tone of the books as the characters work together to uncover the horn of a Siberian Unicorn and save the world. The back matter is exceptional and lends itself for additional discussion about extinction and global warming. I can't keep copies of The Extincts on the shelf in my school library.

The exciting story, climate change awareness information, fun facts, a few puns included and amazing full color illustrations, well done!

My 10yo and 12yo ate this book up within two days of it arriving in the house! They loved the story, the quirky extinct animal characters, and my son even said he loved that it has a good message. A great read for Earth Day or any day!