A straightforward introduction to an appealing topic for upper-elementary and middle school readers.
Sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife who share our city lives are rescued and rehabilitated in specialized treatment centers.
Squirrels and foxes, raptors and loons, goslings and skunks, rabbits and raccoons—all kinds of animals survive and even thrive along with humans (and their machines and pets) in a busy urban area. But sometimes these wild creatures need some human assistance. Opening with a clear explanation of urban animal needs and why a rehab center is important, the author, communications coordinator at the Toronto Wildlife Centre, goes on to give specific examples of animal rescue, care, and release done by staff and volunteers there. Plentiful, well-chosen photographs add to the appeal. Chapter titles are set on spreads with striking images: an opossum among flowers, a trapped swan being rescued from the ice. A panel shows happy survivors trotting off after recovery and release. Throughout, pulled-out paragraphs and substantial text boxes add interesting facts, offer further examples, and contradict some popular assumptions. Why humans should help wild animals is given as much attention as how. The author’s suggestions for readers’ involvement include reminders about appropriate trash disposal as well as names of organizations, and a concluding chapter describes three similar rehab centers around the world.
A straightforward introduction to an appealing topic for upper-elementary and middle school readers. (photo credits, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-77085-572-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Firefly
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
The author of The Snake Scientist (not reviewed) takes the reader along on another adventure, this time to the Bay of Bengal, between India and Bangladesh to the Sundarbans Tiger Preserve in search of man-eating tigers. Beware, he cautions, “Your study subject might be trying to eat you!” The first-person narrative is full of helpful warnings: watch out for the estuarine crocodiles, “the most deadly crocodiles in the world” and the nine different kinds of dangerous sharks, and the poisonous sea snakes, more deadly than the cobra. Interspersed are stories of the people who live in and around the tiger preserve, information on the ecology of the mangrove swamp, myths and legends, and true life accounts of man-eating tigers. (Fortunately, these tigers don’t eat women or children.) The author is clearly on the side of the tigers as she states: “Even if you added up all the people that sick tigers were forced to eat, you wouldn’t get close to the number of tigers killed by people.” She introduces ideas as to why Sundarbans tigers eat so many people, including the theory, “When they attack people, perhaps they are trying to protect the land that they own. And maybe, as the ancient legend says, the tiger really is watching over the forest—for everyone’s benefit.” There are color photographs on every page, showing the landscape, people, and a variety of animals encountered, though glimpses of the tigers are fleeting. The author concludes with some statistics on tigers, information on organizations working to protect them, and a brief bibliography and index. The dramatic cover photo of the tiger will attract readers, and the lively prose will keep them engaged. An appealing science adventure. (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-618-07704-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Thousands of years ago, the Komodo dragon may have inspired dragon legends in China and beyond. In more recent times, researchers from all over the world have traveled to the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia to study the Komodo dragon. This lively if somewhat haphazardly organized account focuses on the efforts of contemporary researchers, presents some of their cooler findings (female dragons can reproduce through parthenogenesis; their saliva is laced with deadly bacteria) and profiles a few captive specimens. Mostly color photographs from a variety of sources adorn almost every page, and captions add to the information. Learning about the Komodo dragon is not for the faint of heart, and the photos show the wild beasts in all their gory glory. The extensive backmatter includes brief facts about Indonesia, more information on the Komodo dragon life cycle and its use of smell and conservation information. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Komodo Survival Program. (bibliography, further reading, glossary, websites, index, author’s note) (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-757-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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