BORDER CROSSINGS

A passionate screed about the detrimental effects of the U.S. southern border walls on ecosystems, particularly wild animals.

A beautiful ocelot, one of only about 50 in the wild in the United States, prowls south in the springtime, seeking a mate. But the quietly moving cat encounters “something unexpected. Something frightening.” The obstacle is a 2,000-mile series of slats making up the border wall that separates the United States from Mexico in an effort to slow undocumented immigration. The ocelot is next scared off by a vehicle. “He will not find a mate or territory this year. Maybe not any year,” readers learn. The book then switches perspective to another ocelot on the opposite side of the wall before widening its view to discuss how entire areas of nature, even birds, are harmed by the human-made structures. Illustrations by Gray contrast the hard, unyielding structure, in one instance decorated by humans with counterdeclarations of love and peace, with the graceful curves of nature. Even the cacti look inviting. While the book’s conclusion is bleak, an author’s note explains with more context the extent of the problem and what nature lovers can do to help advocate for changes to the highly politicized border walls that would better accommodate animals and fauna. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A convincing argument against border walls that even offers practical solutions.