Big Cat Conservation

Children's Literature - Children's Literature

What an interesting, well-written documentary regarding the conservation efforts of big cats worldwide! Thomas has combined facts with photographs, and human-interest scenarios of individual people and animals, to capture the interest of the reader. She provides enough information about the seriousness of conservation efforts without overwhelming the reader with dry statistics and details. Her writing style is such that children (and adults) will want to learn more. The one negative observation is that several of the chapters seem to end abruptly and have little or no carry-over to the following chapter. However, since the intent of the book is to provide an overview of the various conservation efforts that are now in place or under research study for future use, the book is ultimately successful. It is a book that children would be interested in reading just for pleasure or for information. It contains all the necessary points of reference for a nonfiction book--table of contents, glossary, further reading, Internet sites, and an index, although none is lengthy or very detailed. This book is part of the "Science of Saving Animals" series. 2000, Twenty-first Century Books, Ages 9 to 12, $23.90. Reviewer: Jenny B. (J. B.) Petty

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Conservation programs and education are the focus of these two titles. In both, the author explains the contributions of these animals to the balance of nature and why it is important to save them from extinction. The following chapters discuss what is being done in the areas of wildlife management, tracking, breeding programs, and conservation of habitat to help toward the goal of species preservation. Some of the fascinating projects include tracking the Florida panther and studying its territorial habits, and a wildlife crime lab (National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory) that analyzes products to see if endangered species were used to produce them. Well-written texts; open, easy-to-read page design; and attractive, good-quality, full-color photographs of wildlife and scientists conducting fieldwork result in useful resources with lots of reader appeal.-Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|