Thursday, September 1, 2011

1st September International Primate Day








Today is International Primate Day. It was founded in 2005 by ADI (Animal Defenders International). Campaigners all over the world will be highlighting the abuse of our closest animal cousins. Currently monkeys, in particular are used for scientific research and there is a move to stop this.

There are several books ideal for this day, all of which will raise children's awareness of primates and how closely they are related to us.

There are two picture story books about Jane Goodall who has devoted her working life to chimpanzees:
Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter

Like Jane Goodall, Australian Carla Litchfield has also devoted much of her adult worklife to working with primates. She has written two non-fiction books:
• The Gorilla Book: Born to be Wild
The Chimpanzee Book: Apes Like Us

and her daughter Kaitie has written a book, The Little One about her life as a child in Uganda handraising a red-tailed monkey. Watch this episode of Behind the News which shows Kaitie and tells the story behind the book.

And of course, who can resist Vicky White's illustrations in Ape by Martin Jenkins.

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