Saturday, February 22, 2014

Montgomery, Sy. The Tapir Scientist.

Montgomery, Sy.  The Tapir Scientist.  Houghton Mifflin     2013  80p   $18.99   ISBN 978-0-547-81548-0  series: Scientists In the Field #8  ms/hs Nonfiction
E-BNs      

Tapirs, according to Brazilian naturalist Patricia Medici, are the “gardeners of the forest” and responsible for planting fruit seeds (complete with fertilizer) throughout the world’s largest freshwater wetland.  In this fascinating book, naturalist Sy Montgomery takes the reader on a trip to the Pantanal with a group of tapir scientists.  The reader is invited to accompany the author and her guides in their search for this elusive animal, encountering different species of plants and animals as well in their quest.  The difficulty of the hunt for the elusive tapirs, including the heat, the insects, and the predators, are vividly described in a daily account.  Through a series of mini-biographies, the author introduces the reader to the scientists and researchers who have been studying the tapirs.  The author writes in an engaging manner and offers a travelogue of her expedition to the Pantanal.  It is filled with unique stories about the tapirs, the dedicated scientists, and the natural world that she finds there.  The book is greatly enhanced by Nic Bishop’s outstanding color photographs showcasing the environmental and zoological aspects of the region.  It ends with a bibliography for further reading, web-site links, and an index.    

Summary: In this fascinating book, naturalist Sy Montgomery takes the reader on a trip to the Pantanal with a group of tapir scientists.  Tapirs    

Tapirs                                                            --Susan Ogintz

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