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Photo Ark

Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom

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A glorious new volume of Sartore’s signature animal portraits, this time highlighting the fascinating shapes, patterns, and expressions of animals both familiar and little known.
Joel Sartore, on a mission to photograph all the animal species in human care, now delights us with more photographs, this time selected to represent the amazing diversity of the world’s animals.
The book’s four chapters -- Pattern, Shape, Extra, and Personality -- invite us to revel in these photographs, many cleverly paired into amusing and often surprising comparisons, like the catfish and the mouse with the same stripes down their backs, the tarantula and the poison dart frog both cobalt blue, or the tiny lizard and the weighty ox both sporting pointed horns.
Each photograph gets its own page or two-page spread.
Scientifically accurate captions highlight distinctive features.
Throughout, Sartore recalls telling moments from his photographic adventures.
With all new image selections, this book expands the best-selling Photo Ark series, sure to be a hit with those who already treasure National Geographic Photo Ark, Birds of the Photo Ark, and Photo Ark Vanishing.
Animal lovers young and old will get lost in the pages of this book, delighted by the spectacular diversity among these creatures and the wit of the photographer chronicling them.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2021

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About the author

Joel Sartore

57 books103 followers
From Wikipedia: Joel Sartore (born June 16, 1962, Ponca City, Oklahoma) is an American photographer, speaker, author, teacher, and a 20-year contributor to National Geographic magazine. Sartore grew up in Ralston, Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in journalism. His interest in nature started in childhood, when he learned about the very last passenger pigeon from one of his mother's Time-Life picture books. He has since been chased by a wide variety of species including wolves, grizzlies, musk oxen, lions, elephants and polar bears. His first National Geographic assignments introduced him to nature photography, and also allowed him to see human impact on the environment first-hand.

In addition to the work he has done for National Geographic, Joel has contributed to Audubon Magazine, GEO, Time, Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and numerous book projects. Joel and his work have been the subjects of several national broadcasts including National Geographic's Explorer, the NBC Nightly News, NPR's Weekend Edition and an hour-long PBS documentary, At Close Range. He is also a contributor on the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Osgood. In 2015, he had an appearance in the film Racing Extinction where he photographed the very last Rabb's fringe-limbed treefrog.

Joel Sartore is a founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP).[1] In 2012, Sartore was named a Fellow of the National Geographic Society.

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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Cassie | Cassie’s Next Chapter.
406 reviews186 followers
October 21, 2021
WHOA - I was NOT prepared for the gorgeousness of this book! I love animals - especially the really weird looking ones (y’all know me and my diversity soapbox - they all deserve some love).

Joel Sartore has had some crazy adventures capturing these creatures and I loved hearing how his travels would get bungled, or the animals wouldn’t cooperate, or he’d be sick on assignment. STILL, he pushes through and manages to capture such wonderfully astounding images! (And he ropes his kids in on assignment, too, which is awesome!)

Also - can we just appreciate the beauty of the editing? The animals that share a photo spread have similarities in their form, which is highlighted so well by their pairing. Swipe to see what I mean. Nature, she’s a FORCE!

Thank you, TLCbooktours and NatGeo for the gifted book! All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for David Crumm.
Author 6 books108 followers
March 29, 2023
The Wonders of Nature in the Wondrous Form of a Book
Yesterday, I reviewed a new DK nature book that my wife and I purchased as an upcoming birthday gift for our preschool granddaughter who loves large-format picture books about the natural world. She enjoys leafing through issues of National Geographic magazine, for example, examining the colorful photos and asking questions. This book is part of National Geographic's "Photo Ark" series, which currently includes 4 volumes: this one, plus the original 2017 volume by photographer Joel Sartore, then "Birds of the Photo Ark," then "Vanishing" about endangered animals. The volume I am reviewing is another Joel Sartore signature volume.

After I published my review of the DK volume yesterday, I got a few emailed questions from friends. The gist of those brief notes was to thank me for highlighting the idea of this genre of reading for families with small children. These friends also noted that there are plenty of absolutely glorious documentary films, including some produced by Disney and others from the BBC, which give viewers a fuller range of motion, behavior, habitat and information about these animals.

So, first, I want to praise this particular title because it features exactly what our granddaughter loves: Large, high-resolution closeup photos of creatures from around the world that we can look at carefully on the page—and that we can return to many times (often when she's simply looking at the book on her own). That's why my wife and I certainly recommend this book to other parents and grandparents.

Then, I do want to salute the timeless genius of "books" themselves. I've lived long enough that our family once relied on whatever was shown via several regional TV channels to VHS tapes starting in the late '70s, to the first animated "Encarta" encyclopedia by Microsoft to DVDs and now streaming on demand. But all of those options are fleeting, compared with the book I mentioned in my review yesterday: the full-color coffee table format book about the natural world I was given when I was 5 years old. That book, that piece of technology, is still as effective today (my granddaughter can attest to that) as it was in 1960s, 63 years ago. In fact, in our home library, I have volumes of a "world history" that were published in the 1750s with leather bindings. Those books are another source of wonderment for our granddaughter because, somewhere in the last nearly three centuries, someone who owned those books had actual "bookworms." Even though the worms ate a few distinctive holes through the pages, they're long gone and they did not damage those books in the least. I can still pick up those volumes about our world and they "work" as perfectly today as they did in colonial America where they were published.

So, here's my salute to books of wonder that my wife and I encourage other families to accumulate for the shared wonderment of the next generations.
Profile Image for Peter Tillman.
4,185 reviews491 followers
July 9, 2022
Vol. 6 in author Joel Sartore's 20+ year effort to photograph every living animal on Earth. An impressive project, that he's made into pretty much of a photographic career. It's an impressive book. Photo quality and color reproduction are impeccable, as you would expect of a National Geographic book. Well, I should add that the chimp photo he includes, with a note about why he's never gotten a good photo of that animal, was entertaining. His animals are all kept and posed in zoos worldwide, on black or white seamless paper, with touch-up later in Photoshop to avoid stressing the animals any more than he had too. Most of them, he says, are used to people, and their keepers are used to posing them for photos by visiting firemen. But that chimp.... A troublemaker!

So: highly recommended for animal lovers and photography-book lovers. Good chance your public library will have a copy. Go for it!
Profile Image for Sivá Henderson.
89 reviews1 follower
September 3, 2022
I love animals thank you Oli for this book. It’s amazing. Yes there are words too. Animals are just so beautiful and strange and fascinating. Some of my favorites are the Nautilus, fried egg jellyfish, and every animal that was blue.
Profile Image for Lori L (She Treads Softly) .
3,068 reviews122 followers
October 14, 2021
National Geographic Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom by Joel Sartore is a very highly recommended collection of gorgeous photographs from the animal kingdom. During his long career, Joel Sartore set out to photograph every kind of creature. He has now amazingly captured the images of more than 11,000 of 20,000 species across the world. In this latest collection he shares 462 of his photographs, in one or two page spreads. Each photograph has the scientifically accurate name along with interesting information and/or distinctive features. Sartore also recalls interesting stories and adventures resulting from his photographic journeys.

A great example of what you can find in this latest edition of National Geographic Photo Ark Wonders is on 100-101. The photograph is of the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus(LC). "Roosting by the dozens or the thousands, these bats are found across Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Eastern Mediterranean to northern India. After breeding season, females gather in nursing colonies to give birth to and rear their pups, while males form bachelor colonies elsewhere." On the page is also the story about an incident of "wet contact" Sartore experienced while taking photographs that could have potentially resulted in being infected with the Marburg virus. Thankfully, after quarantining for 3 weeks, there was no sign of infection.

The collection is broadly presented in four chapters: Pattern, Shape, Extra, and Attitude. As mentioned, most of the pages are of single animals but along with individual photographs there are several pages that feature collections of a similar group. These include mice, caterpillars, snakes, beetles, crabs, sea urchins, scorpions, snakes, parrots, and others. There are also unique pairings such as a Western screech owl (pg. 358) and an Ocelot (pg. 359) both winking and a hippopotamus (pg. 330) and a Northern Luzon cloud rat (pg. 331) who both have their mouths wide open. The index of animals at the back are listed by the page on which they appear, with the listed divided by the chapter name.

I tried to pick out a few individual pictures that I loved, but it was simple too difficult to pair the list down. (In the running: The Sand Cat, pg 4-5; Barred eagle-owl, pg 48; veiled chameleon tail, pg 119; Brazilian Porcupine, pg. 249; and the Proboscis monkey, pg. 253.) Previous photo ark collections include: National Geographic Photo Ark, Birds of the Photo Ark, and Photo Ark Vanishing. National Geographic Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom would make a wonderful, thoughtful gift.
Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from National Geographic for TLC Book Tours. On 10/19 at: http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/
Profile Image for Lucy.
1,294 reviews15 followers
February 10, 2022
Joel Sartare has been photographing the animals of the world for a number of years. His mission is to document all the animal species that are being held under human supervision in hopes of making them interesting so people will be aware of them and help them not go extinct. He doesn't go chasing them in the wild. He brings with him large rolls of paper so he can focus on the animal and not on the background. All are photographed against a black or white background so they're as clear as possible. He gives both the Latin name and the common one, if there is one.
In this book he also adds some of the stories that go with getting the photographs. Where he has to go, people he meets, the difficulties some animals present, and traveling with his children. We also get a few stories from the children, now adults, on what it's like to travel with their father.
As always the photographs are the focus and are gorgeous. Animals we know about and animals I've never heard of. The spotted-tail quoll, Indian rock python, Brazilian jewel tarantula, common sand star, okapi, western long-beaked echidna, mosshead warbonnet (a fish), corsac fox, cow-headed ray, northern pintail duck, decorator crab, and LOTS more. Mammals of all kinds, insects, fish, snakes, turtles. Whatever he can find that he can get to. He travels the world to seek them out.
Organized into four chapter groupings: Shape, Pattern, Extra, Attitude. My only problem is the lack of an index. If you want to go back to look for a specific critter, you have to page through the book or scan through the long list at the end to find it.
Highly recommended if you're a fan of animals.
Profile Image for LINDA HAACK.
214 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2022
Incredible! The pictures are absolutely stunning, and give us a look at wonders we will never see for ourselves. I thank Mr. Sartore for his work, his dedication to the disappearing species and the sharing it with the world. I have read three of his books and each one is beyond our imagination. I strongly recommend everyone with a heart living in this world reviews these books.
897 reviews
March 6, 2022
Love this beautiful book! The pictures are so eye opening! This photographer is fabulous! I will definitely check out his other books!
477 reviews2 followers
March 5, 2022
Amazing pictures. The details of these special creatures is so clear, I almost feel they're in the same room as I am. Beautiful and stunning and sometimes gross pictures.
Profile Image for Julie.
1,501 reviews133 followers
October 12, 2021
I really admire Sartore’s mission to capture as much of the planet’s biodiversity on film as possible while it still exists. He travels the world photographing animals for his books and records their splendor while they’re still available to model for him. His photography is exquisite and he is able to capture unique features and even characteristics of his subjects. From doe eyes to feathers, scales, and fur, these photos are a delight to page through. Sometimes they pose with great theatricality (looking at you Von der Decken’s safika) and occasionally Sartore provides a humorous anecdote in the captions. National Geographic produces gorgeous large format books as a venue for phenomenal talent like Sartore’s.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via TLC Book tours.
Profile Image for Cara BookShelfMomma.
397 reviews18 followers
October 26, 2021
This photo book is extraordinary, the pictures are fantastic. My family went through the pages wide eyed looking at all the animals. The pictures that Sartore I clouded in this book show us the vast diversity in the animal kingdom. My family loved the personalities that came out in the animals and how even though they were different there were fun similarities! Animal lovers of all ages would love this book!!
Profile Image for Marideth Bridges.
35 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2024
This has got to be one of my all time favorite books. The photos are gorgeous and the accompanying text does a good job of explaining what the animals are. Many of the animals featured in this book are endangered, and it’s important for us to see them before they disappear.🐼🐨🐯🐻‍❄️🐵🐸🦁🐧🦉🦅🐝🦋🐌🐞🐙🪼🐡🐠🐟🦈🦭🐅🐆🦧🦍🦓🐘🐫🦚🦜🦩🦢🦦🦫🦡🦨🦥🦔🐿️🐀🦬🦘🦞🦐🦀🦑🦗🦟🪳🪲🪰🐜🐴🦇🦆🪿🐦‍⬛🐻🦊🐢🐊🐍🦎
Profile Image for Sara Strand.
1,183 reviews33 followers
October 25, 2021
I adore everything Joel Sartore puts out into books and this is perhaps my favorite. If you are an animal lover at all, you will pour over every page cataloging the incredible photographic details of some of the most unique creatures on the planet.
187 reviews
December 22, 2021
What beautiful photos!!! Nature is indeed amazing. A great book to encourage one of any age to want to know more and more and more!
1,357 reviews5 followers
March 31, 2022
Wow, just wow! How fortunate we are to have Joel Sartore doing this work to preserve these images and to inspire us to take better care of our world and the creatures in it.
Profile Image for Rachel.
594 reviews2 followers
February 9, 2022
Awesome pictures! Love all his books! I do wish some of the little descriptions said where each animal was from though!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,542 reviews70 followers
May 14, 2023
In January, after hearing a lecture by Joel Sartore as part of the San Jose Speaker Series, where he shared several images of species he has documented, I was ready to see more…lots more! And this book delivers “more” and then some. While it does not contain the, as of now, 46,349 images (and videos) Mr. Sartore has currently added to the Photo Ark, it does contain nearly 400 pages of gorgeous photography with brief captions detailing species name and extinction or endangered status. Interspersed are delightful reminiscing tales about his photography shoots and an introduction that explains the Photo Ark origins. His humor and talent are on display and will leave you wanting more. I recommend this for any animal-lover in your family—even the small ones as they will find themselves lost in the colors, textures, and variety contained in the book. I also recommend Animal Ark: Celebrating our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures) which combines Mr. Sartore’s lush photographs with Kwame Alexander’s exquisite poetry. And, if this book inspires you to pick up a camera, I also recommend National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Great Photography as, after keeping a library copy for far too long, I opted to purchase so I could refer to it again and again.

The only minor criticism I have for this volume is that, because of the way he obtains his photographs, I often found myself wanting a way to visualize the actual sizes of many of the creatures he has photographed. But, this book is not meant as that type of encyclopedia: it is intended to grab visual proof of so many species that are near extinction, so that we have record they were actually on our Earth.
Profile Image for Becky B.
9,543 reviews200 followers
May 16, 2022
Another collection of photos of animals in Joel Sartore's ongoing efforts to document every species in captivity to make sure especially the most vulnerable are documented before they disappear. This one includes a few essays from Sartore and his family about what it has been like for them personally for Sartore to be doing this project.

Sartore's photos are stunning as always. Such a great variety of animals, and I love how this brings awareness to critically endangered animals. The essays from Sartore and his family were very interesting and eye-opening about what this project has required from all of them.

No content issues.
Profile Image for D.
353 reviews
June 4, 2023
This is the second book from Joel Sartore that I've read and am impressed with the lengths he goes thorough to produce these masterpieces. He sheds a very bright light on the many and diversified animals that inhabit our great planet. As an avid outdoors person myself, I enjoy seeing the extent that he includes all creatures great and small.

My favorite animal from this book was the Red Giant Flying Squirrel that can glide 500 feet. My second was the one that caught my attention the most: Royal Antelope - the world's smallest antelope that is only the size of a hare!

1,642 reviews6 followers
July 11, 2023
I read about this children's book with its beautiful illustrations and got from the library.

I liked that a small version of each photo was copied on a couple of pages at the end with geographical information.

For me, an adult, i would have liked to see the name of the animal on each page and maybe a penny beside the animal to show the size.

(Correction: Unfortunately, i didn't get this book, but a children's book with just a few pages, but still beautiful photos. I'd like to get the complete Photo Ark as saw its being made on a TV program --maybe 60 minutes.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ambur Taft.
449 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2022
Phenomenal! What an amazing 25 year accomplishment, so much work. I definitely learned of some animals I have never heard of and enjoyed all the pictures and information, including the snippets of the photographers life and experiences while traveling for these photos.
Profile Image for CybercrrEDU.
82 reviews
February 25, 2024
It's a definite coffee table book but not in a bad way! In an awesome way. A glorious work of art! If you like stacking books on your coffee table, keep this one on the top. Showcase this one. The photos are fantastic! It's a definite library piece. Superb!
Profile Image for Rachel.
439 reviews1 follower
December 3, 2024
Breathtakingly beautiful book. This is for art lovers, photography lovers, animal lovers. And it’s made even better by Joel Sartore’s mission.

My kids are entranced by this book too, even though it is written for adults.
Profile Image for Helen.
3,764 reviews84 followers
April 3, 2022
This is a wonderful book of animal photography for all ages! It includes biographical info. about the author & his family.
831 reviews
August 13, 2023
Wonderful photos of some of the world's most unique species.
23 reviews
December 4, 2024
Joel Sartore is an excellent wildlife photographer. He has produced many books, all of which are beautiful and interesting. Some for children, others for adults. A must-see.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews