Mother cheetah has decided that she and her cubs, Mugambi, Magara, and Mugesi, must leave their den; threatening lions approach, their warning scent carried to the cheetahs on a stormy breeze. This is the story of a journey to a new home, one that takes the reader across grassy fields and sere plains, ever-watchful for the predators who seek to separate and prey upon the cheetah family. It's too bad that Clapsaddle's watercolor paintings do not reflect the drama or the motion of the brief text. Conversely, Becker does not take the opportunity to explain, for example, that one of the functions of the odd-looking, unusual, and distinctive long grey mantle fur pictured on the cubs is to conceal them in the tall grasses of the savanna. Eleven simple "Cheetah Facts" conclude this effort; many more engaging treatments are available. (Picture book. 5-8)Read full book review >