SERENGETI CATS

Schick visits the Serengeti National Park on a January morning when ""the drama of birth is being replayed 10,000 times a day""--by wildebeest, zebra, gazelle--and again in March when the lion, leopard, and cheetah give birth. Thereafter She follows the cat families through the year as the cubs grow, feed, play, compete, learn to hunt, lose an occasional sibling (and one whole litter) to predators, achieve independence, and, according to their species, variously respond to the seasonal rhythms of rain and drought. Without the Schallers' (p. 357, J-93) depth, detail, or personal perspective, but also without intrusive exposition, Schick's smooth, skillfully woven narrative effectively brings out the three species' distinct behavior patterns and the way in which they depend on and relate to each other, to the varied non-cat population, and to the climate of the Serengeti.