Author: Sy Montgomery
Photographer: Nic Bishop
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 80 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (August 17, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780618916450
ISBN-13: 978-0618916450
Synopsis: Tom McCarthy, conservation director of the Snow Leopard Trust, returns to Mongolia to see if he can accurately count and see just how many snow leopards are still living in Mongolia. The journey itself is arduous - most of the "roads" leading to the remote regions where snow leopards live are unpaved, and have little to differentiate them from the area around them. Once McCarthy and his team are up in the mountains, their tasks becomes even more perilous, as they will have to scale steep mountains and ridges in the hopes of seeing any snow leopards - a sighting that is rare. In addition to facts about their trip, the book includes interesting facts about Mongolia and chronicles how McCarthy came to work to save these endangered animals, including changing perceptions of the very people who hunted these animals to the brink of extinction.
Review: This book offers a fascinating insider's view of McCarthy's work, including anecdotes from McCarthy and the author and photographer themselves about their journey up and down the mountains of Mongolia in search of this big cat. The book is engrossing not only to those who are animal lovers, but also for those interested in learning more about the culture and geography of Mongolia. Sy Montgomery relates McCarthy's work in an engaging style that hardly feels like non-fiction and instead feels like a well-written storybook. Interesting facts about Mongolia's people, other wildlife, history and culture immerse the reader in the country's rich history. A nice bonus is the afterwords by the author and photographer telling of their own personal experiences leading up to and on this particular assignment.
Awards/Reviews:
Named one of the Best Books of 2009 by School Library Journal
One of Booklist’s Top 10 Environmental Titles for Youth published in 2009
Selected as an Outstanding Science Trade Book for students K-12 for 2010 by NSTA/Children’s Book Council
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2009
A Junior Library Guild Selection
"Reading this book is an extraordinary experience. It has an elegant layout featuring ornamental lettering, watermarks, and gorgeous photos; were it not for the delightfully exuberant text, it would be a stately coffee table book. But kids will giggle about the central role of scat or, as Montgomery often writes, "poo," in the research of snow leopards' habits." - School Library Journal, starred review
“It’s no easy feat to write a book about one of the most charismatic yet notoriously elusive creatures on the planet without a single sighting, but Sy Montgomery pulls it off with style." - Kirkus Reviews
Connections:
Go online to http://www.authorwire.com/s/sl_fieldjournal.html and read Sy Montgomery's field journal of what occurred while she and Nic Bishop were on the expedition to Mongolia.
Complete the author's suggested map activity (http://www.authorwire.com/s/downloads/MongolianAdventureMapSkills.pdf) with the class. See who can rack up the most points!
Read about some Mongolian ettiquette rules the author and photographer had to learn before visiting the homes of their hosts. The teacher can also make Buuz for students to sample (check for food allergies first!) http://www.authorwire.com/s/sl_makeBuuz.html
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