CARING FOR CHEETAHS

Hansen distills experiences from a brief stint at a nature reserve in Namibia—“Cheetah Capital of the World”—into a simply written, personal narrative. Through it, she explains how orphaned or injured cheetahs are fed and cared for, goes on to describe the reserve’s public-education efforts, assists with a rescue and some veterinary surgery and presents a heartfelt plea for increased conservation efforts on behalf of these threatened animals. Beautifully designed, with strips of pictures of cheetah fur that serve as borders, the oversized pages are well-stocked with bright, sharp color photos of the ever-graceful creatures running, stalking about or at rest. This should turn not only cheetah fans but animal lovers of all sorts into budding advocates. (address list) (Nonfiction. 7-10)