The Leopard

Children's Literature

For the middle school student looking for a comprehensive source of information about leopards, this is an excellent book. It is packed with information. Topics covered include the social life of leopards, their range, habitat loss, human/leopard conflicts, the future of leopards, and the difficulties encountered in attempts to study these elusive animals. Many double-page spreads include interesting photographs. The book, one of the series "Endangered Animals and Habitats," includes a lengthy list of resources used in the preparation of the text. There are a number of text boxes with added information that increase the interest level of the material. Unfortunately, except for the attractive color photograph on the cover, everything in the book is black-and-white on matte finish paper, making for an extremely uninviting appearance that might cause many students to just glance at it. The book includes a list of organizations to contact, an extensive list of resources, all up to date, and a comprehensive index. This book would be useful for collections aimed at upper elementary and middle school students, but might not circulate as well as books with more attractive presentations. 2003, Lucent Books/Thomson Gale,
— Leslie Rounds