Wildlife in the Balance : The Species that Shape Earth’s Ecosystems

Wildlife in the Balance by Dr. Sharon Wismer and Terri Po has been shortlisted for the Children's Wainwright Prize for Non-Fiction.

Learn about 12 keystone species around the world from elephants to wolves, honeybees to beavers. Keystone species are animals or plants that play a crucial role in different habitats and have a huge effect on the environment around them.

Entire ecosystems can depend on a single species, and they act as a glue that holds the ecosystem together. The book will introduce readers to keystone animals across all the five major biomes (aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra) with facts about wildlife, habitats, and modern conservation practices to protect these species.

This appears to be an educational non-fiction book that takes a scientific approach to explaining ecological concepts to young readers. The focus on keystone species provides a framework for understanding how interconnected natural systems work, while the coverage of different biomes offers geographical diversity. The book seems well-suited for children interested in nature and environmental science, combining factual information about specific animals with broader conservation themes.