Review by Booklist Review
Eszterhas has documented many sides of her work with wild animals in previous books for younger and middle-grade readers (Moto and Me, 2017; the Wildlife Rescue series). Here, she turns the focus on herself, detailing her work as a wildlife photographer. She doesn't sugarcoat the job; being a wildlife photographer, she says, means spending weeks or even years at a time camping in remote locations, it requires long hours of practice, and it can be uncomfortable, lonely, and even dangerous. She speaks about the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and reminds readers that her goal is to observe animals, not interact with them. But she is clear about the joy she gets from her work--especially in photographing animal babies growing--and her love for her work and for animals is palpable. If that's not enough to make young readers truly interested in learning about the ins and outs of this job, then the included photographs--both Eszterhas' images, representing animals across the globe, and shots of her at work--will do the trick.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--5--Eszterhas, a white American woman who has been a wildlife photographer for over 20 years, describes her career, which has allowed her to visit all seven continents. She spends nearly half of each year on photo shoots and much of her time at home planning and preparing for her next trip. The text provides engaging details that describe Eszterhas's lifestyle in the wild and her attempts at photographing the animals. Many of the species she has photographed are endangered and at risk for extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, poaching, and other problems caused by humans. She sells her photos and uses her voice to raise money and awareness for conservation. She has photographed Grévy's zebras, worked with locals in Vietnam who care for pangolins rescued from poachers, held an orphaned baby orangutan, and earned the trust of a mother cheetah, who allowed Eszterhas to photograph her tiny four-day-old cubs. Her commitment to conservation and her overall love of animals shine throughout the text. Two pages of common questions about being a wildlife photographer are included. VERDICT An informative, worthwhile addition to most juvenile nonfiction collections. Youngsters will be encouraged to enjoy and photograph the wild world around them.--Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker P.L., OH
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Review by Horn Book Review
Via striking photographs and a conversational text, Eszterhas gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at her job. Yes, she travels around the world to exciting and remote locations to spend time observing exotic creatures. However, getting those "dream" shots means lots of practice shoots in preparation, hours (or days!) of patient waiting, and less-than-luxurious accommodations in the field. Eszterhas's enthusiasm for her work comes through, as does her respect for her subjects and their welfare. This is an engaging introduction to an unusual line of work. (c) Copyright 2021. 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
A trailblazing female wildlife photographer offers young readers a glimpse into a life spent traveling around the world to take pictures of animals. The creator of numerous books about animals and animal families (Baby Animals With Their Families, 2018, etc.) now looks back at her life and work in hopes of capturing the interest of young people (especially girls) who might want to follow suit. Her conversational, first-person narrative is full of fascinating detail. Each two-page spread is a separate chapter, with a clearly headlined subject and numerous engaging images of the photographer, a white woman, at work and her animal subjects. Appropriately, she starts with her childhood and her first forays into animal photography in her backyard and at the zoo. She describes how she prepares for her photo shoots, how she lives in the field, how she finds her subjects, and how she gets to take her impressive pictures--sometimes by spending endless hours so that animals become accustomed to her, and sometimes by hiding (also for long periods). There are two chapters featuring her signature work with animal babies. Further chapters introduce two local guides (both people of color) and a scientist (who is white) without whom her work would not have been possible. A final spread talks about "giving back" and her work for animal conservation. Accessible, attractively designed, and well organized, this will have great appeal for animal lovers--and it may also prompt some to consider turning an interest into a career. Striking photographs make this an irresistible invitation. (Q & A) (Informational picture book. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
