Review by Booklist Review
Get ready to hear a new "what I'll be when I grow up" dream: meerkat habituator. A habituator spends extensive time with the meerkats at Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pan, so that they won't be afraid of park visitors. The area, a former lake bed, is home to a mob (community) of meerkats, and wildlife photographer Eszterhas is on deck to observe a new meerkat litter. Presented in spreads that each cover one day of Eszterhas' project, the book heavily features color photos of these quirky creatures--some images as large as a half or quarter page--taken by the author, a notable detail as stock photography is commonly used in animal books. An upbeat tone conveys fascinating details of the animals' habits, habitat, diet, and growth. Readers will enjoy meeting the five pups (Peeper, Chief, Scrammy, Runt, and Beetlejuice), each with its own adorable portrait photo. Also introduced are other local animals, some of which (e.g., eagles) pose threats to the meerkats and Indigenous people (members of the Ju/'hoansi), who work in ecotourism. The team helping the author in her work, habituator Motto and naturalist guide Villa, are interviewed about their jobs, a nice touch for children researching unusual careers. This will be pored over by browsers and popular for reports; in short, it's a must for libraries.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--5--Eszterhas has created another fascinating look at wild animals. Readers are introduced to a meerkat "mob" living in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Written as a diary of 12 days spent observing one meerkat family, including several adorable baby "pups," the narrative skillfully weaves in animal facts, humor, and high drama. Readers learn how meerkats live in underground burrows; eat bugs, beetles, and scorpions; and take care of their young, which is a job shared by many. A mama meerkat rescues one of her pups from a flooded area, an adult warns the others of a predator (an eagle flying high above), and young meerkats fight over tasty bits of food. The humans have their share of drama, too, slogging miles through thick mud one day and finding themselves in the middle of a zebra stampede on another. Pages are filled with large, readable text and numerous photographs of the animals and their habitat, displayed scrapbook style on a cheerful green and yellow background. Maps and sidebars are scattered throughout, containing additional information. Accessible for independent reading, this would also make a great read-aloud for younger students, spread out over several days. Back matter includes information about the two African guides, one a meerkat habituator who spends time with the animals getting them used to human contact, as well as a glossary and information about the Wildlife Conservation Network. VERDICT A fascinating and well-told look at a little-known African animal. Recommended.--Sue Morgan
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Meet the meerkats! Veteran photographer Eszterhas continues to mine her incredible collection of baby animal images. Here, she recalls two weeks spent observing a family of meerkats in southern Africa's Kalahari Desert. The pups are a mere two weeks old when she first encounters them. Her team includes zoologist assistant Becky Cliffe (who, like Eszterhas, presents white) and two Botswanan locals: naturalist guide Villa Moatshe and wildlife habituator Motto Keitumetse, whose job it is to get the meerkats accustomed to humans so that they'll accept human visitors. Even so, Eszterhas and Cliffe start by lying on the ground with their equipment so as not to scare the meerkats--who eventually become so used to their observers that the mother climbs on Becky's back, where the young ones join her and comfortably nurse. Day by day, the author recounts her observations, giving the individual family members names and marveling at their development. Like any family's new babies, these are the subject of hundreds of photographs. Eszterhas has selected the most appealing and enlightening to accompany her text, providing lengthy captions in a font that resembles handwriting. She expertly weaves information about the species and their surroundings into this fascinating account of her work as a naturalist-observer. An exceptional introduction to the young animal world. (more about the local team, glossary)(Informational picture book. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
