Caring for Cheetahs: My African Adventure [Hardcover]

Rosanna Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Of all endangered species, the cheetah is among those most in need of help. Humans are taking over cheetah habitat, changing it into farms and settlements. Afraid that cheetahs will take their livestock, farmers shoot or poison cheetahs. The number of cheetahs is so small that people are now working to save them one by one. Caring for Cheetahs tells of the author's visit at a nature reserve run by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). At one time or another, each cheetah at the reserve was taken in as an orphan or to receive medical care for an injury or illness. Many have been released back to the wild.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—Meet Chewbaaka, an ambassador for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia. He is the subject of this book and has charmed many visitors, school groups, and area farmers. Chewbaaka is a rescued cheetah, raised with humans, and has a powerful purr. However, it is Laurie Marker, Time magazine's Hero of the Planet, who is responsible for his success story. Her research, PR work, and guidance have changed the cheetah's survival rates. In addition to bits of information about the animal's eating habits, size, and lifespan, Hansen, who worked for the CCF, also outlines the organization's methodology, care, and programming. Readers go along with Dr. Marker to rescue a baby cheetah, walk into the veterinary surgery to see a life saved, and observe a successful cheetah release. Well-conceived placement of the text and photographs with CCF's trademark side-strip of cheetah fur make the pages pop, but part of the report feels like "what Hansen did on her summer vacation" because of the short, choppy sentences. Overall, though, this is an effective photo journal of an African adventure and a CCF publicity piece outlining its work. It shows progress against ignorance and destruction as area farmers are educated to the real versus perceived threats to the cheetah and are given specially trained dogs to protect their goats. While there are many other books about cheetahs, this is the only one about the CCF in action.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

This beautiful photo-essay explores the animal-human connection and the urgency of the work to save the fastest land animals on earth. Hansen worked at the huge nature reserve and research center owned by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia, southwestern Africa, and her account, which includes stories of animals raised at the center, packs in a lot of zoological information about cheetahs' life cycle, physiology, and role in the food chain. Hansen explains how conservation groups are helping the animals, (including the work to resolve conflicts with local farmers and the involvement of schoolchildren in raising awareness of the animals' plight) and the book offers an abundance of large, clear color photos, many taken by the author. Fans of books by Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey will identify with Laurie Marker, founder of the CCF^B, where^B science and research combine with tough love. A map, some fascinating scientific facts, a glossary, and a list of Web sites are included. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press; Library Binding edition (March 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590783875
• ISBN-13: 978-1590783870
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 11.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,799,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Geography

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars helping to save cheetahs, September 23, 2007

By 

Michele (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caring for Cheetahs: My African Adventure (Hardcover)

Only about 12,000 cheetahs are left in the wild, and about 3,000 of them are in Namibia in southwestern Africa. Namibia is the location of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, where the author lived and worked while writing this book. The book begins by explaining what the CCF does, saving injured cheetahs and either rehabilitating them and releasing them back into the wild or giving them a good home and food for the rest of their lives. The book also gives information on how cheetahs hunt and live in the wild. It ends with what the reader can do to help this endangered species to survive. It also contains a glossary and an index.

This book is packed with beautiful pictures and detailed information about cheetahs. The author talks about her experiences working with the cheetahs in a very casual, personal way that makes it fun to read. It is a good read for animal lovers who are interested in endangered species. Readers will also be happy to know that portions of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Cheetah Conservation Fund's programs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good kids book, December 20, 2008

By 

Robert W. Moses "Caladan" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Caring for Cheetahs: My African Adventure (Hardcover)

This is a fine kid's book on cheetahs. Very short for their short attention spans, colorful and fun facts.