The medieval bestiary was an illustrated book that described animals – many of them exotic, some imaginary and fantastic – for an insatiably curious western audience. Bouchard has adapted this concept to present a collection of modern animals, some so rare that they might as well be griffins or dragons. These are creatures whose lives on Earth are troubled – and in some cases threatened – by their relationships with humans. While the barnyard goose and the turkey are familiar, others, like the Highland cow or the Schwarzhal goat, are rare and struggling for survival.

Each creature speaks in its own voice directly to the reader, describing how humans manipulate beasts for their own benefit with little regard for the creatures themselves. As a result, the turkey’s breeding for meat alone has made it too heavy to fly or run to protect itself. The Blonde Mangalitza pig is almost extinct because it’s not being bred, since its lard is no longer in demand.

Accompanied by a vivid full-page illustration, each animal tells its troubled history in unrhymed verse. Kimball Allen’s marvellous paintings magnify the intensity of these monologues, often depicting a creature’s direct stare at the reader. The result is a moving and beautiful book.

The length of Bouchard’s poems will probably confine the book’s appeal to readers aged eight and up. The book would also benefit from a key to the animals at the end, since it is often unclear which region of the world each animal comes from and which ones are actually extinct. This type of information would appeal to the older readers who are clearly the target audience.