Suzi Eszterhas, photographer and author of several books for kids featuring wildlife, tells the story of caring for an orphaned wildcat while she worked as a photographer.
Moto, a tiny serval kitten, is given to Eszterhas to raise as she goes about her daily business of photography. She talks about her life as an animal photographer, how Moto came to be abandoned, and how she cared for him and helped him grow and become independent.
The book is a mixture of factual explanations of a serval's life and some of the other animals in the area combined with anecdotes of Moto's life, both funny and educational. Eventually, Moto learns to hunt and takes off into the savannah; he's later glimpsed living successfully on his own by park rangers.
The book ends with a collection of facts about servals, including a warning against purchasing exotic pets or mixed breeds like Savanna cats and is full of Eszterhas' gorgeous photographs of Moto growing from a delightfully fluffy kitten to a graceful, sleek serval.
The book has a little more text than the average picture book, making it a long read-aloud, but it's very accessible to young readers. It's a great title for intermediate readers and to share with a classroom and I have used it with success in book clubs for younger grades. Teachers will want to note the remarks on safely and appropriately dealing with wildlife, which could be worked into a lesson on conservation and appropriate behavior outdoors.
Verdict: The simple, accessible text and adorable photographs will attract a wide readership of animal lovers. Recommended for most elementary audiences.
ISBN: 9781771472425; Published 2017 by Owlkids; Borrowed from another library in my consortium
Revisited: Review originally published in 2017 and edited and updated in 2021. I purchased this title shortly after review and it remains popular in my library. Pair with Eszterhas' latest book, My wild life.
No comments:
Post a Comment