A leopard diary My journey into the hidden world of a mother and her cubs

Eszterhas, an excellent wildlife photographer specializing in "baby animals in the wild," has written and illustrated children's books such as Cheetah (2012) and The Adventures of Dr. Sloth (2022). Offered an opportunity to photograph a leopard family at a nature reserve in Botswana, she flew there immediately, arriving when the mother leopard's two cubs were five weeks old. The mother leopard, accustomed to humans observing her family, was comfortable with the people on the reserve. The cubs initially hid in their den while their mother hunted but eventually came out, and Eszterhas watched them play. The wary mother frequently moved her family's den to avoid threats from predators such as lions, baboons, and a rival female leopard, and gradually the cubs learned the skills they needed to survive on their own. The book concludes with Eszterhas interviewing her local guide and tracker. Written in a series of present-tense diary entries, the story creates a great sense of immediacy. The clear, color photos depict the leopard family as the cubs grow and change. An appealing choice for animal lovers.

Gr 3--6--A leopard mother, usually an extremely difficult animal to track much less photograph, has given birth to two cubs on a reserve in Botswana, giving this wildlife author a rare opportunity to use her professional photographer's skills. What made this endeavor an even more successful enterprise, Kambango, an experienced tracker familiar with the mother leopard and the preserve, took the job to guide Eszterhas into the wilderness. For young readers, this is an adventure of a lifetime, as they can follow along on a touching account of a leopard mothering her cubs and view the newborns learning vital skills. The diary format engages readers with text and photographs that reveal their progress alongside the hard realities of survival. It feels like a welcome letter sent back home, a real treat in book format. Back matter consists of an interview with the tracker; information about Children in the Wilderness, nonprofit organization for conservation; and a glossary. VERDICT Put this book on the shelves and let readers go on this adventure; it is well worth the purchase.--Nancy Call

A gifted animal photographer records encounters with a wild leopard and her offspring. Along with personal reactions and memories, Eszterhas offers hints of how a wildlife photographer gets the money shots ("After a couple hours, we heard rustling sounds at the den") as she distills "thousands of photos" into a few dozen. Eszterhas made a series of visits to the Jao Reserve in Botswana, over time observing two different litters from the same mother (known as the Camp Female). With help from Kambango Sinimbo, a local guide who contributes to a closing Q & A about his work, the author not only catches the mother leopard both in majestic repose and gracefully slinking out to hunt, but also patiently grooming her cubs and even in midair when a branch on which she's lounging suddenly snaps. And, besides tracking the growing cubs as they tussle at various ages, Eszterhas treats readers to views of one helpless newborn cannily stashed for a while in the camp's bathroom to keep it safe from predators and an older one plopped down on a comfy bed of elephant poop. Shots of the camp and of elephants and other occasional wild visitors add color. Kambango, who is Black, and the author, who is White, both appear in photos in the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Fascinating reading and viewing for younger prey--er, animal lovers. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.