PPBF: The Great Leopard Rescue

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

The Great Leopard Rescue, by Sandra Markle

The Great Leopard Rescue

Written by Sandra Markle
Cover photo by Tom and Pat Leeson

MillBrook Press, 2016
Grades 3-7, 48 pp, Lexile 1110

Themes:
Animals, Nonfiction, Conservation

Opening:
       Danger!
       In the fading light of an autumn day, a young male Amur leopard picks his way over a rocky ridge and sets off on his nighttime hunt. Earlier, in the morning, he caught a hare before finding a den to sleep in. But one hare isn't enough daily food for a cat nearly twice as big as a German shepherd. So, awake again, he's hungry and hunting.

Synopsis:
The Amur leopard is endangered. Incredible efforts have been made to bring this big cat back from the brink of extinction and reintroduce it into the wild. This book follows the reasons for the leopard's endangered status, obstacles to it's success, and the specific multi-national plan in place to help the species flourish.

What I Love:
Sandra Markle does an amazing job introducing the plight of the Amur leopard and chronicling it's recovery without forgetting her audience. She doesn't spend much time discussing the actual leopard's characteristics, but by the end, I felt like I knew all about the animals. There are many complicated steps involved in protecting the Amur leopards' habitat, overseeing their care and breeding, and helping captive animals succeed in the wild. The journey is fascinating, and detailed without becoming prosaic. The photography is gorgeous throughout. The back matter includes full resources, notes, timelines, etc. Best of all, the plan for the Amur leopards won't be completed until 2020, so this book has a long shelf life and plenty of potential as a classroom resource.

Bonus: 
1. Get an update on the status of the Amur leopard at the World Wildlife Federation site. It includes photos, video, and more.

2. View the gorgeous Amur leopard video of the mama and its cubs, available on WildScreen Arkive.

3. Visit the big cats upclose and personal. San Diego Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, and the Philadelphia Zoo are among the many parks trying to protect this species.

4. Wild Earth Guardians site posted a map of endangered animal candidates in the U.S.A.

5. For the adventurous, I've included a video for leopard print milk loaf by Vanessa Vie.

6. Learn Create Love offers a free printable leopard craft for young readers.

7. Join the fight. Give to the Phoenix Fund and learn more about the Kedrovaya Pad Reserve in Eastern Asia. Why not run a fund raiser in your classroom?

8. Prose and Kahn also reviewed this book. And check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.



Reviewed by Sue

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Reviewed by Joanne

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!
Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, November 4, 2016 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.