Lemurs: On Location [Hardcover]

Kathy Darling (Author), Tara Darling (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998 | Age Level: 6 and up | Series: On Location

Go on location to study 3 species of lemurs in one of the last forests of Madagascar. These playful prim ates leap 30 feet in a bound, settle territorial disputes wi th stink fights, and sleep interlocked in purring locomotive lines. '

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6AAn up-close encounter with the relatively obscure lemurs of Madagascar. Continuing with the same format as in other titles in the series, this mother-daughter team takes an in-depth look at brown lemurs, white sifakas, and ringtails. The lively text opens with the Darlings hearing the animals' cries in the forest; the author explains that when Europeans first heard these ghostly cries, they gave the species the name "lemur" meaning "spirit of the dead." This introductory chapter also tells how Madagascar broke off from the continent of Africa, thus allowing the evolution of these creatures in isolation. Common characteristics within the various species are noted while a wide variety of differences are clearly established, from the shy, leaping sifakas to the rowdy, smelly ringtails who depend most on scent to communicate. One chapter titled "The Big Stink Fight" is sure to get readers' attention. Excellent-quality, clearly captioned, full-color photographs capture the behavior of these fascinating animals in their forest habitat. A page of "lemur facts" rounds out a presentation that will appeal to both casual readers and report writers.ADiane Nunn, Richard E. Byrd Elementary School, Glen Rock, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

In Her Own Words...

"Kathy and Tara Darling collaborate on children’s books that focus on rare and endangered wildlife. To their knowledge, they are the world’s only mother/daughter wildlife writer/photographer team.

"Although they are mother and daughter, they work as equal partners. Tara explains, "We complement each other. I see in photographic images and Mother sees in word pictures. These two different views grow together as we work on a project, until the words and photos blEND

into one single statement."

"The Darlings studied the manatees of Crystal River, Florida, over a period of two years as they prepared Manatee: On Location, the first book in the prize-winning On Location series. The arctic wilderness of Round Island, Alaska, the site of their second book for Lothrop, Walrus: On Location, tested togetherness as they sat in a tiny wet tent and waited out violent storms. There were scary moments in Belize when Kathy was attacked by a vampire bat and in Australia when Tara had the seat of her pants ripped out by a sea lion bull. But, they write, "we think making young people aware of the danger the animals are in more than outweighs any danger we might face. We care, and we hope through our words and pictures that we will get young people to care too. Maybe some will even care enough to choose this career for themselves."

"Together, the Darlings have done twenty books about animals as exotic as Tasmanian devils and as familiar as dogs. Kathy Darling has written scores of books. Her subjects have ranged from the animals she writes about in her books with Tara to the experiments in chemistry and physics she writes about with Vicki Cobb in Wanna Bet?, Bet You Can!, and Bet You Can’t!. Her interest in science began as a child, and in college she majored in biology. In addition to being a writer, Mrs. Darling has been a children’s book editor, a publicist, and a syndicated newspaper columnist.

"Tara Darling studied marine biology at Boston University and worked with penguins and otters at the New England Aquarium. After several years of doing TV research in a New York office, she realized that capturing the lives of endangered animals on film was work that was infinitely more rewarding to her. A member of the Professional Photographers of America, her credits include a CD-ROM about dogs, as well as numerous magazine covers."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688125395
• ISBN-13: 978-0688125394
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #988,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lemurs: On Location (Hardcover)

This book has wonderful photographs and wonderful text. A child could easily understand and learn a lot from this book. The beautiful pictures help us see the lemurs in their natural habitat and help you to recognize the different species of lemurs. The book is full of interesting facts that are written in a way to help you remember them for a long time. For example, I will always remember that sifakas never drink liquid, but get all of the water they need from their diet of leaves. I'll always remember how the ringtail lemurs engage in stink fights, by getting the scent (which the opposing lemur finds so offensive, but humans can't smell), all over their tail and lashing it out at the other lemur. Through the beautiful photographs and the wonderfully crafted writing even a child can come to better understand the world of lemurs.