(3) 4-6 Prolific wildlife photographer Eszterhas (My Wild Life) turns her lens on meerkats: “little animals with huge personalities!” Dated diary-like entries catalog her twelve-day experience in the Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana’s Kalahari Desert observing and interacting with a family of meerkats, including a litter of two-week-old pups. The text is enthusiastic (“I still can’t believe what happened today even as I’m writing about it”), accessible, and informative, and the clear, lively photographs, shared in a scrapbook-like format, bring readers up close and personal with the creatures and their habitat. A brief interview with a meerkat habituator and a naturalist guide (Eszterhas’s guides on the trip) and information about the Indigenous Ju/’hoansi people add further context. A glossary is also appended.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Via striking photographs and a conversational text, Eszterhas gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at her job. Yes, she travels around the world to exciting and remote locations to spend time observing exotic creatures. However, getting those "dream" shots means lots of practice shoots in preparation, hours (or days!) of patient waiting, and less-than-luxurious accommodations in the field. Eszterhas's enthusiasm for her work comes through, as does her respect for her subjects and their welfare. This is an engaging introduction to an unusual line of work.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS Animal Babies series. What preschooler can resist photos of baby animals feeding with their parents? The close-up pictures show a variety of animals, each accompanied with a few sentences explaining what's going on. Occasional anthropomorphizing ("Koalas are very picky eaters") is appropriate for the intended audience. The final two pages have author-photographer Eszterhas introducing herself and quick facts about a few more animal babies.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) PS Baby Animals series. Noted wildlife photographer Eszterhas (Baby Animals Playing) returns to document wild baby animals on the move: some self-propelling (zebras, orcas), others needing help from adults (a lion cub carried in its mother's mouth, a baby otter riding on its mother's belly). Sharp, clear photos feature close-up shots of the animal babies; the brief text functions mainly as captions.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) PS Baby Animals series. In a new series for preschoolers, noted wildlife photographer Eszterhas here focuses on wild animal babies at play: two baby cheetahs wrestling; a racing giraffe calf; an orangutan swinging underneath his mother. Sharp, clear photos feature close-up shots of the baby mammals, while the brief, captionlike text underscores the point that for young animals, playing is learning.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Wildlife photographer Eszterhas recounts her experience in Kenya fostering an orphaned serval kitten (spotted wildcat) named Moto. Striking photographs and useful captions enhance the chronicle of Eszterhas's journey from her first days learning to care for Moto to his bittersweet return to the wild. Brief sections and a table of contents make up for the lack of an index. Important facts about servals appended.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) 4-6 Wildlife Rescue series. Eszterhas, an accomplished wildlife photographer, documents the work of the Alaska SeaLife Center and Borneo's Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine in straightforward texts and vivid full-color photographs; the adorable images show orphaned baby otters and orangutans interacting with caregivers to learn life skills. Important conservation-related information and a "Kids Ask Suzi" interview round out each volume. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Wildlife Rescue titles: Orangutan Orphanage and Sea Otter Rescue.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) 4-6 Wildlife Rescue series. Eszterhas, an accomplished wildlife photographer, documents the work of the Alaska SeaLife Center and Borneo's Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine in straightforward texts and vivid full-color photographs; the adorable images show orphaned baby otters and orangutans interacting with caregivers to learn life skills. Important conservation-related information and a "Kids Ask Suzi" interview round out each volume. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Wildlife Rescue titles: Orangutan Orphanage and Sea Otter Rescue.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) 4-6 Wildlife Rescue series. Engaging photographs enhance a conversational, informative text introducing readers to the conservation work being done at Australia's Koala Hospital. This picture book examines a variety of volunteer staff experiences, from caring for orphaned koala joeys and treating those sick or injured to promoting the protection and restoration of eucalyptus forests through educational programs and research. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Russell Perry