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Comeback Creatures: Discover the Wild Things Once Thought Extinct?
Discover animals thought to be extinct that have been found alive in the wild!
It’s a sad fact of our world that some creatures have gone extinct. Whether their homes have been destroyed by climate change or their numbers decimated by low food supplies, they are lost forever, never to be seen on Earth again.
But where there is life, there is hope …
In some special cases, certain creatures, thought to have died out, have been found alive and thriving by scientists and local people. They are known as Lazarus species. From the black-footed ferret, which was thought to have died out from disease but was discovered on a porch in Wyoming, to the Pinocchio lizard, a long-nosed reptile found in the cloud forests of Ecuador, examples can be found all over the globe. Comeback Creatures is just packed with inspirational stories of animals that have come back from the brink!
Read all about a habitat (and the animals and plant life within it), then turn the page to reveal a Lazarus creature that has been found there and the fascinating story behind its discovery. What's more, you'll find compendium spreads dotted throughout the book that give a snapshot into even more of these creatures that have defied the odds to survive.
At the back of the book there’s information on how to become a wildlife detective to protect nature where you live, along with a map to show each habitat and a helpful glossary.
With lyrical storytelling from Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and atmospheric illustrations by Lucy Rose, Comeback Creatures is a celebration of survival, curiosity, and the wild wonders still waiting to be discovered.
It’s a sad fact of our world that some creatures have gone extinct. Whether their homes have been destroyed by climate change or their numbers decimated by low food supplies, they are lost forever, never to be seen on Earth again.
But where there is life, there is hope …
In some special cases, certain creatures, thought to have died out, have been found alive and thriving by scientists and local people. They are known as Lazarus species. From the black-footed ferret, which was thought to have died out from disease but was discovered on a porch in Wyoming, to the Pinocchio lizard, a long-nosed reptile found in the cloud forests of Ecuador, examples can be found all over the globe. Comeback Creatures is just packed with inspirational stories of animals that have come back from the brink!
Read all about a habitat (and the animals and plant life within it), then turn the page to reveal a Lazarus creature that has been found there and the fascinating story behind its discovery. What's more, you'll find compendium spreads dotted throughout the book that give a snapshot into even more of these creatures that have defied the odds to survive.
At the back of the book there’s information on how to become a wildlife detective to protect nature where you live, along with a map to show each habitat and a helpful glossary.
With lyrical storytelling from Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and atmospheric illustrations by Lucy Rose, Comeback Creatures is a celebration of survival, curiosity, and the wild wonders still waiting to be discovered.
- GenresAnimals
80 pages, Hardcover
Published September 23, 2025
3 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 13, 2025
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: Every so often animals we thought were extinct come back! Comeback Creatures is a fascinating look at Lazarus species; animals once thought to be extinct that have been discovered in the natural world. This is a book that delivers much-needed positivity in our ever-changing world, with the message that nature always finds a way…
Discover animals thought to be extinct that have been found alive in the wild!
Earth is a world of land and sea, of light and dark, of life and death, with thousands of species vanishing each year. They’re gone, presumed extinct, lost for good . . . Or are they?
In some special cases, certain creatures, thought to have died out, have been found alive and thriving by scientists and local people. They are known as Lazarus species. From the black-footed ferret, which was thought to have died out from disease but was discovered on a porch in Wyoming, USA, to the Pinocchio lizard, a long-nosed reptile found in the cloud forests of Ecuador, examples can be found all over the globe. Comeback Creatures is packed with inspirational stories of animals that have come back from the brink.
Read all about a habitat and the animals and plant life within it, then turn the page to reveal a Lazarus creature that has been found there and the fascinating story behind its discovery. Compendium spreads dotted throughout the book give a snapshot into even more of these creatures that have defied the odds to survive.
At the back of the book there’s information on how to become a wildlife detective to protect nature where you live, along with a map to show each habitat and a helpful glossary.
The thoroughly researched yet lyrical text by children’s author Leisa Stewart-Sharpe brings the story of each creature to life, alongside richly detailed artwork by illustrator Lucy Rose.
A captivating look at our world, Comeback Creatures is a hopeful exploration of wildlife conservation.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: It's important to tell kids that, even if it doesn't feel like it all the time, good stuff still happens in the natural world. Sometimes really cool good stuff, like creatures we thought were gone forever...really aren't! It's happened, and here are examples:
It is a reason to think positively. I'm more and more sure that's a skill we're really failing our kids by not instilling it in them. Growing up with all your adult models walking around talking doom and gloom does nothing for a kid's growth into an active, engaged adult.
But...be honest...if you found out something called the "terror skink" had been re-discovered, wouldn't your inner ten-year-old be hollering "COOL!" at the top of their lungs?
It happened:
I think this book, with its gorgeous artwork...I want the terror skink one for my wall!...its challenging vocabulary, and its glossary for instilling the habit of research is ideally suited to making that positive attitude honestly, demonstrably supported by facts, available to the vulnerable.
Plus it's all just So COOL!
The Publisher Says: Every so often animals we thought were extinct come back! Comeback Creatures is a fascinating look at Lazarus species; animals once thought to be extinct that have been discovered in the natural world. This is a book that delivers much-needed positivity in our ever-changing world, with the message that nature always finds a way…
Discover animals thought to be extinct that have been found alive in the wild!
Earth is a world of land and sea, of light and dark, of life and death, with thousands of species vanishing each year. They’re gone, presumed extinct, lost for good . . . Or are they?
In some special cases, certain creatures, thought to have died out, have been found alive and thriving by scientists and local people. They are known as Lazarus species. From the black-footed ferret, which was thought to have died out from disease but was discovered on a porch in Wyoming, USA, to the Pinocchio lizard, a long-nosed reptile found in the cloud forests of Ecuador, examples can be found all over the globe. Comeback Creatures is packed with inspirational stories of animals that have come back from the brink.
Read all about a habitat and the animals and plant life within it, then turn the page to reveal a Lazarus creature that has been found there and the fascinating story behind its discovery. Compendium spreads dotted throughout the book give a snapshot into even more of these creatures that have defied the odds to survive.
At the back of the book there’s information on how to become a wildlife detective to protect nature where you live, along with a map to show each habitat and a helpful glossary.
The thoroughly researched yet lyrical text by children’s author Leisa Stewart-Sharpe brings the story of each creature to life, alongside richly detailed artwork by illustrator Lucy Rose.
A captivating look at our world, Comeback Creatures is a hopeful exploration of wildlife conservation.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: It's important to tell kids that, even if it doesn't feel like it all the time, good stuff still happens in the natural world. Sometimes really cool good stuff, like creatures we thought were gone forever...really aren't! It's happened, and here are examples:
It is a reason to think positively. I'm more and more sure that's a skill we're really failing our kids by not instilling it in them. Growing up with all your adult models walking around talking doom and gloom does nothing for a kid's growth into an active, engaged adult.
But...be honest...if you found out something called the "terror skink" had been re-discovered, wouldn't your inner ten-year-old be hollering "COOL!" at the top of their lungs?
It happened:
I think this book, with its gorgeous artwork...I want the terror skink one for my wall!...its challenging vocabulary, and its glossary for instilling the habit of research is ideally suited to making that positive attitude honestly, demonstrably supported by facts, available to the vulnerable.
Plus it's all just So COOL!
October 27, 2025
In the swell of children’s non-fiction books on animals, there is much written about extinct animals and endangered animals, but, as far as I know, very little written about species that have seemingly come back from extinction. They are called Lazarus taxa. Although we lose 20-2,000 species per year, there is room for hope in the Lazarus taxa, the “comeback creatures.”
This book was such a pleasure to read – short chapters introduce a place and its habitat and rare animals, and then you turn the page to find out about the animal that has come back from extinction, and how it was discovered. The conversational text with stunning artwork created with pencil and digital color creates suspense and then a reward with fascinating information. These really are thrilling stories of rediscovery, with information about scientists and native peoples working together around the globe to find these creatures. I’ll emphasize that the book does a great job in its respect for indigenous people’s knowledge, who often know of the animals’ existence long before the scientists. Interesting things that I learned are that the Pygmy Tarsier, from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, was thought to be extinct for almost 100 years before it was rediscovered in 2008, and that most of the island’s mammals are found nowhere else on earth. The Cuban Solenodon, believed to be extinct, was rediscovered in 1974. It is virtually the same animal that roamed the earth in the time of the dinosaurs more than 70 million years ago! And, the Caspian Horse, believed extinct for thousands of years, was rediscovered in Iran in 1965. These horses, only 3 feet tall, may be the same breed that pulled the chariots of ancient Persian kings.
I absolutely love that this book fuels excitement for kids who wonder if there is anything left to discover in the animal kingdom. At the end, the author discusses the ethics of bringing back the wooly mammoth, as some scientists are thinking of doing. Readers can dip into the book for a chapter or two, or read the whole book in one sitting. There’s a glossary, and a note with a link about the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, which provides a list of species at risk for extinction.
(I appreciate the link to the IUCN, but sadly, no sources or bibliography are listed.)
This book was such a pleasure to read – short chapters introduce a place and its habitat and rare animals, and then you turn the page to find out about the animal that has come back from extinction, and how it was discovered. The conversational text with stunning artwork created with pencil and digital color creates suspense and then a reward with fascinating information. These really are thrilling stories of rediscovery, with information about scientists and native peoples working together around the globe to find these creatures. I’ll emphasize that the book does a great job in its respect for indigenous people’s knowledge, who often know of the animals’ existence long before the scientists. Interesting things that I learned are that the Pygmy Tarsier, from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, was thought to be extinct for almost 100 years before it was rediscovered in 2008, and that most of the island’s mammals are found nowhere else on earth. The Cuban Solenodon, believed to be extinct, was rediscovered in 1974. It is virtually the same animal that roamed the earth in the time of the dinosaurs more than 70 million years ago! And, the Caspian Horse, believed extinct for thousands of years, was rediscovered in Iran in 1965. These horses, only 3 feet tall, may be the same breed that pulled the chariots of ancient Persian kings.
I absolutely love that this book fuels excitement for kids who wonder if there is anything left to discover in the animal kingdom. At the end, the author discusses the ethics of bringing back the wooly mammoth, as some scientists are thinking of doing. Readers can dip into the book for a chapter or two, or read the whole book in one sitting. There’s a glossary, and a note with a link about the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, which provides a list of species at risk for extinction.
(I appreciate the link to the IUCN, but sadly, no sources or bibliography are listed.)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews