Review by Booklist Review
Two snow leopards' lessons begin shortly after their springtime birth in the mountains of Pakistan. After the larger male cub ventures outside the den, he learns the world is dangerous when an eagle swoops down. Thankfully, his mother protects him. Other lessons soon follow: Always leave your scent to claim your favorite hunting places, Be quiet when you go hunting, Always guard your food until you're finished eating, and so on. Though cataloged as nonfiction and filled with true-to-life information, this moves and feels like fiction, with its protagonist animals, narrative structure, and atmospheric watercolor paintings of the young snow leopards within their rugged mountain home. Markle's prose is vivid and honest about the struggles and violence that occur in the animal kingdom. A strong, lyrical read-aloud for making science and language arts connections.--Austin, Patricia Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Two snow leopard cubs, born in a den high in Pakistan's Hindu Kush Mountains, are taught many lessons by their mother. Markle's simple, descriptive account moves along smoothly in an active voice. "In their smoky gray, black-spotted coats, the three snow leopards look like shadows slipping over rocks." Some readers may notice a bit of disconnect here as Marks's large, handsome watercolors of the cats depict them as beige with muted spots of brown and varied tones of gray to black. The soft hues of the animals and their white, gray, and blue environment are compelling. Marks adeptly conveys the muscular energy of the leopards in their rough-and-tumble play and their failed and successful encounters with other creatures. Shifting light through storms, drifted snow, and night lends variety to the terrain. The heart of the book is the killing of other animals in order to eat and survive, depicted in art and text as a matter-of-fact part of life. The tale ends with the male cub completing his lessons and making his first kill, enabling him to move on to life as a solitary hunter. Back matter includes a bit of explanation of physical features enabling the snow leopard's activity in the extreme environment and an author's note. There have been several attractive children's books on snow leopards in recent years, including Sy Montgomery's informative Saving the Ghost of the Mountain (Houghton Harcourt, 2009). This well-crafted introduction invites browsing and read-aloud enjoyment.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Here the title reflects the plot line: a snow leopard in Pakistan's Hindu Kush Mountains teaches her two cubs what they'll need to survive, such as how to hunt, take shelter, and "No matter what, stay clear of humans." Marks's illustrations effectively use watercolor for the snowy backgrounds and soft textured fur, with dark pencil for the animals' sharp features. Reading list, websites. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Over the course of the year, a pair of snow leopard cubs learn all they can from their mother, becoming ready for independence. Starting right after birth, these feline siblings learn about the world from their attentive mother, especially about hunting. From the first, the kittens learn the rules their mother teaches them: It's a dangerous world, leave a scent, be quiet and quick while hunting, guard your food, find shelter in a storm and stay clear of humans. The blood of the hunt is neither sensationalized nor minimized. Facts about snow leopards are interwoven through the story, and the illustrations help explain more esoteric animal words like markhor, ibex and pika. Pakistan's Hindu Kush Mountains are depicted in all their drama, bathed in watercolors of blue and white, from a number of points of view. The animals are rarely shown at rest--always moving to build up their muscles and learn the skills they need to live on their own. It is a temptation to anthropomorphize these felines, but Markle tells their story for the younger reader in a way that allows them to identify with their mutual paths to independence without overdoing that connection. Little human cubs will want to roll and cavort like these snow leopards--and learn more about them. (endnotes, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
