Pangolins have a hard time. If they’re not being exploited for food or pseudo-medicines, they’re being blamed for a pandemic…

‘A Pangolin’s Manifesto – it’s not my Fault’ (author/illustrator Rachel Shaw, Apollo Publishers, 2021) reminds us that curling up into a ball when things get tough isn’t always the best defence – for pangolins or people.

This is both a gentle self-help book on being kind to ourselves and others, especially in difficult times, and also a cute introduction to what is sadly the world’s most trafficked mammal. The slim, 128-page text is interspersed with snippets of pangolin facts helpfully set in a different typeface, and the adorable line illustrations featuring Pipisin Pangolin will appeal to both children and adults.

My favourite spread is page 48-49, where Pipisin is lost in a book:

This charming little book would make a perfect gift for World Pangolin Day on 19^th February 2022.

You can find more information on pangolins on the website of the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group. The conservation support group, Save Pangolins, also offers lots of resources and fundraising ideas.